Groundtastic GT96 | Page 6

NO MORE PLAINMOOR? Left: Players train at Plainmoor in 1938 Buckfastleigh Racecourse grandstand (then valued at £1,800) for £304, and rent- ing it back on favourable terms. Above: Match action in 1939 Southampton when lights were in- stalled at The Dell in 1951. Similar to the set-up at Southampton, the lights at Plainmoor were arranged on slen- der poles, ten on each side, and each bearing a single lamp. The lights got their first use on 1 November 1954, with a crowd of 7,000 watching a friendly against Birmingham City. In 1946, the roof of the grandstand was blown off once more, while in 1950 the club expressed an interest in taking over the lease at Torquay Recreation Ground in the belief that support would increase at a more central location. In fact, Torquay United’s attendances at Plainmoor im- proved as the 1950s drew on, prompting the erection of a half-length cover over the terracing on the Marnham Road side, or popular side, of the ground. More chang- es came in 1954 when Torquay United switched the club colours from black and white to gold and blue, thinking that this better represented the sandy beaches and blue skies for which the resort was famous. Floodlights came to Plainmoor the same year, largely at the behest of player- manager Eric Webber, who had been at Plainmoor in the 1950s, showing the floodlight poles Work on the main stand extension ahead of the Huddersfield game Later that season, an FA Cup Fourth Round tie against Division One side Huddersfield Town drew a record attendance of 21,908 to Plainmoor. The tie came at a busy time for the club, for they were in the process of adding a concrete and steel extension to the main stand. Though some way from completion, a small section seating 300 was hurriedly made avail- able for the Huddersfield Town tie. 6 Groundtastic - The Football Grounds Magazine