Tiverton Town Centenary

TIVERTON TOWN FC HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS

TEAMS

1964/65
Having not won a league title for 31 years there was not a great deal of expectation, but a fine group of players who paid to play for the club took Tiverton to the Exeter & District League championship in a thrilling battle with Dawlish Town. The free-scoring team, led by Alec Collard and Terry Lee, were almost unstoppable and bagged 120 goals in 26 league matches.

Tivvy put a marker down with a 4-0 thrashing of Dawlish in September and won 11 of their first 12 games to take control of the title race. Due to Dawlish’s own good form the battle went down to the final day of the season and Tiverton came out on top thanks to a 6-0 victory against St. Leonards with Collard hitting a hat-trick to take his personal tally to 47 for the season.

Main squad: Brian Holmes, Charlie Andrews, Cyril Seatherton, Ken Yeo, Pat Hagley, Stuart Southcott, Roy Church, Mike Southcott, Bobby Westcott, Vic Andrews, Ken Middleton, Ben White, Alec Collard, Terry Lee, Art Govier

---

1993/94
Kevin Smith and Phil Everett scored over 100 goals between them as Tiverton captured the Western League title for the first time in emphatic style. The club went undefeated, dropping just six points, and scored at a rate of more than 3.5 goals per game to beat Taunton by a massive 16 points.

To add to the trophy cabinet, the League Cup and Devon Cup were both won, and although their was disappointment in the national competitions Tiverton had announced their arrival as a major force in some style, dominating the league in a manner not even Falmouth Town were able to achieve at their peak.

Main squad: Ian Nott, Paul Edwards (D), Gary Carpenter, Neil Saunders, Martin Tregedeon, Mark Short, Hedley Steele, Lee Annunziatta, Mark Saunders, Steve Daly, Steve Hynds, Paul Sedgewick, Kevin Smith, Phil Everett, Matthew Scott, Martyn Grimshaw

---

1997/98
The second Tiverton team to complete a Western League season undefeated, Tivvy were in fact only beaten three times all season. Those losses were 2-1 at Cheltenham Town in the FA Cup (who required a last minute winner), 1-0 against Torquay United in the Devon Cup (90th minute penalty), and 2-1 at Kidsgrove Athletic in the second leg of the FA Vase semi-final (88th minute penalty) which saw Tiverton win on aggregate.

In the league Tiverton won 36 of their 38 games, also won the League Cup and triumphed in the FA Vase at Wembley with a 1-0 win over Tow Law Town. A total of 237 goals were scored in 59 matches in all competitions with only 35 conceded, and Paul Edwards kept 32 clean sheets. Phil Everett’s 54 goals took his total for the club to 265, second only to strike-partner Kevin Smith.

Main squad: Paul Edwards (GK), Micky Fallon, Neil Saunders, Paul Tatterton, Jason Smith, Dave Leonard, Graham Waters, Pete Conning, Steve Hynds, Scott Rogers, Steve Daly, Kevin Nancekivell, Kevin Smith, Phil Everett, Peter Varley, Martyn Grimshaw

---

2002/03
The Tiverton team which achieved the clubs highest ever league position. There had been a steady evolution over the past few years as Martyn Rogers gradually rebuilt the side for Southern League football. Experience was added with the likes of Rob Cousins, Steve Winter, Chris Holloway and Paul Chenoweth, all of whom had played at a higher level, while the nucleus of the successful Western League sides remained in the form of Scott Rogers, Kevin Nancekivell and Phil Everett.

In the end Tivvy finished fourth in the Southern League Premier Division, unable to quite keep pace with eventual champions Tamworth, although the Yellows entered the Easter period in second position, underlining the club’s status as one of the strongest sides in the South of the country.

Main squad: Paul Edwards (GK), Steve Winter, Danny Haines, Steve Peters, Nathan Rudge, Rob Cousins, Jason Rees, Paul Chenoweth, David Steele, Chris Holloway, Scott Rogers, Kevin Nancekivell, Phil Everett, Antony Lynch, Jamie Mudge, Richard Pears, Steve Ovens, Steve Collis (loan), Ben Foster (loan)

---

PLAYERS

George Hancock
Captain of the side and one of the mainstays at the club through its formative years. Nicknamed ‘Tubby’ he led the team to five major trophies including four successive East Devon League titles
Career: 1920-1928, Goals: 20

Frank Butler
A scoring sensation during the pre-war years, Butler played for Tiverton between 1923 and 1939 and amassed a total of 219 goals which was a record that would stand for almost 60 years
Career: 1923-1939, Goals: 219

Russell Hutchings
For many years the main centre forward at Tiverton, Hutchings formed a deadly partnership with Frank Butler which was instrumental in the club’s success in the early years.
Career: 1926-1947, Goals: 184

Nappy Hellier
The successor to ‘Tubby’ Hancock as club captain, Hellier led Tiverton to seven competitive titles in his eight-year stay at the club which included first wins in the Exeter & District League and the East Devon Senior Cup.
Career: 1930-1937, Goals: 22

Wilf Kensole
As if Tivvy were in need of another superb striker Kensole provided just the tonic and scored three hat-tricks during his first two months at the club, including a five-goal haul against Clyst Honiton. In the 1933/34 season he found the net 55 times, a club record that wasn’t beaten until 1993.
Career: 1931-1948, Goals: 135

Dick Staddon
A versatile defensive player who would be comfortable both as a full-back and at half-back, he was technically and tactically astute, often gaining praise for his calmness and organisational skills
Career: 1933-1951, Goals: 27

Ray Seatherton
Arguably the most notable player from a footballing dynasty that produced no less that seven Tiverton players over the years, Ray played as an outside-left or inside-forward at was at the club for five years before turning professional with Minehead and then Bristol Rovers. Returned briefly ten years later.
Career: 1949-1964, Goals: 117

Brian Hancock
A popular figure at Ladysmead long after he retired from playing, Brian was the son of George and was so versatile that he could play anywhere on the pitch and was regularly used as a goalkeeper, particularly for the Reserve side.
Career: 1950-1962, Goals: 29

Ron Hitchman
By scoring in a remarkable 25 consecutive games at the start of the 1954/55 season Hitchman created a club record that is unlikely ever to be beaten. Like Seatherton he moved into the professional game, but rounded out his career back at Tiverton in 1962.
Career: 1952-1962, Goals: 145

Ben White
Six hugely successful years at Ladysmead saw White score 179 goals for Tiverton. The first of those seasons, 1960-61 saw the 18-year old lead the scoring charts with 35, and this was followed by runs of 30, 42, 30, 21 and 21. White won two Exeter & District League titles, three East Devon Senior Cups (including a goal in the 1963 final), and the Devon Senior Cup in his final game for the Club.
Career: 1960-1966, Goals: 179

Pat Hagley
The lynchpin of the successful Tivvy sides of the 1960s, Hagley was a mainstay at the club and an unfussy player whose presence allowed others ahead of him on the pitch to flourish. When Tivvy won the league title in 1965, their first on over three decades, it was Hagley who was awarded the Player of the Season award, rather than those who hit the headlines more regularly.
Career: 1961-1973, Goals: 61

Alec Collard
With Hagley as the architect Collard was the finisher and scored a hugely impressive 154 goals in seven seasons with the club. This included leading the Tivvy goalscoring charts in each of his first three seasons at Ladysmead as well as picking up two league winners’ medals.
Career: 1962-1968, Goals: 154

Charlie Andrews
Overshadowed by the headline makers as defenders often were, Andrews’ role in the team cannot be understated. Most of his 11 goals came from the penalty spot, but he was a crucial part of the side that won back-to-back Exeter & District League titles in 1965 and 1966.
Career: 1962-1969, Goals: 11

Phil Webber
A powerful centre-forward in a very traditional sense, Webber was brave and always attacked the ball regardless of what danger he might put himself in. He played regularly for both the first team and the reserve side during his spell at Ladysmead and on New Year’s Eve 1967 he became the last Tivvy player to score five goals in a game until Mark Seatherton repeated the feat more than twenty years later.
Career: 1965-1968, Goals: 25

Terry Butt
Butt was at the club at a time that often failed to exploit his obvious talents, joining after the title wins of the late 1960s as Tiverton took the next step in their history and moved into the Western League. Despite the relative struggles of the team on the pitch Butt still managed 140 goals including Tiverton’s first ever in the FA Vase.
Career: 1966-1979

Barry Long
A flying winger and one of the creative elements of the Tiverton sides of the mid-late 1960s. Long was small and agile with good technical ability and great pace. He was signed from Cullompton Rangers in 1967 he left Ladysmead midway through the 1970/71 season but returned briefly to try his hand at Western League football late in 1977.
Career: 1967-1977, Goals: 23

Hedley Steele
A hat-trick on his debut as a 17-year old, a captain at Wembley at the age of 39, and a final appearance for the club at the age of 45, Steele is one of the most loyal and talented players ever to pull on the Tivvy jersey. His career took him away to Exeter City and Weymouth amongst others, but Tiverton always remained his spiritual home.
Career: 1970-2000, Goals: 34

Mark Seatherton
The last of the Seatherton clan to play at Ladysmead, Mark was a feared goalscorer throughout the Westcountry and scored more than his fair share in a five year spell with the club. No better was his ability shown than when he banged in six goals against Odd Down in 1988, the last Tiverton player to achieve such a feat
Career: 1985-1990, Goals: 135

Ian Nott
Perhaps one of Tiverton’s most important recruits, Nott joined the club just in time to help the rise from Western League whipping boys to Western League champions. Reliable between the sticks, he was undisputed number one as the Yellows rose to the top of the class under John Owen and then Martyn Rogers. He even scored a few goals!
Career: 1985-1995, Goals: 3

Neil Saunders
Consistent performances at left-back and later centre-back saw Saunders as one of the most highly regarded footballers not just at Tiverton but throughout the region. He played in all three of the club’s FA Vase finals (captaining the side in 1999) and was also in the team for each of Tiverton’s six appearances in the FA Cup 1st Round Proper, He is also hold the record number of appearances for the club.
Career: 1988-2002

Mark Saunders
A determined central midfielder who scored masses of goals from his deep position, Mark’s bravery and attitude as well as his undoubted ability saw him become one of the best midfielders the club has seen. He scored a staggering amount of goals which garnered the attention of Plymouth Argyle, for whom he was to commence his professional career in 1995. He returned to the club in 2008 and was appointed manager in 2010.
Career: 1989-2013, Goals: 136

Kevin Smith
Mercurial and talismanic, Smith broke Frank Butler’s goalscoring record when he scored four times against Barnstaple  in 1995, and finished his career in style with two goals in a League Cup final against Taunton. He was Tiverton’s top scorer in five of his eight years at Ladysmead, and captain of the 1998 FA Vase winning team.
Career: 1990-1998, Goals: 302

Steve Hynds
As loyal a servant as you could wish to find, Hynds played predominantly on the left side of midfield where his partnership with Mark Saunders and Steve Daly was crucial in setting the balance for some of Tiverton’s finest teams. His appreciation for the club was reciprocated by the supporters and Hynds was one of the most widely respected players in a hugely successful squad.
Career: 1990-1999, Goals: 61

Steve Daly
Perhaps the most skilful and intelligent player to turn out for the club, Daly was the brains on the pitch responsible for Tiverton’s rise to national prominence in the 1990s. His remarkable composure and technique hid a quenching desire for success, and not since has Tiverton Town seen anyone with quite the natural ability Daly possessed.
Career: 1991-2005, Goals: 140

Phil Everett
Likeable and charming with a sense of fun, Everett was despised by defenders across the country as he simply kept on scoring, no matter the standard of the opposition. The step up to the Southern League didn’t stop the flow of goals, and in the end he raced into the record books with a total of 378 goals for Tivvy, a long way clear of anyone else.
Career: 1992-2003, Goals: 378

Dave Leonard
The most passionate Tiverton player of recent times without question, Leonard joined from Yeovil Town and proved to be a valuable asset to the squad, playing in central defence, as a holding midfielder, but most impressively as a left wingback. His galloping runs down the wing were a trademark of those Tivvy teams, as was his intense will to win.
Career: 1994-2002, Goals: 32

Paul Edwards
From the School of Crazy Goalkeepers, Edwards was never far away from a joke, but between the sticks he excelled and has kept more clean sheets than any Tiverton goalkeeper before or since. He was an integral part of the squads which win back-to-back FA Vases and gained two promotions in three years from the Western League to the top flight of the Southern League.
Career: 1995-2004, Goals: 1

Kevin Nancekivell
Nancekivell’s success was as much down to his energy and determination as it was due to ability. Signed from Bideford he scored in each of his first eleven appearances for the club, and thrived on the big occasion. His time at Tivvy was briefly interrupted by a short spell at Plymouth, but he returned to continue his amazing record, all the more impressive as he was strictly a midfielder.
Career: 1996-2004, Goals: 162

Nicky Marker
Having previously played Champions League football for Blackburn Rovers, Marker had all the experience required to help Tiverton to promotion in 2001. Indeed, his goals were crucial that season, and his achievements in a yellow shirt were all the more remarkable considering the excruciating pain he was playing through due to arthritic knees.
Career: 2000-2002, Goals: 20

Jamie Mudge
Unwanted by Exeter City, Mudge scored four goals on his Tivvy debut, and by the time he exited his teenage years he was already one of the first names on the teamsheet.  Comfortable on both feet, he scored many spectacular goals, and was always a threat due to his pace a ability to run with the ball.
Career: 2001-2009, Goals: 119

Nathan Rudge
Often unappreciated, it was only once he left that many realised just how good he was. Commanding in the air, strong in the tackle, and with leadership qualities honed at Norwich City and Chippenham, Rudge soon assumed the club captaincy and helped Tivvy maintain their status in the Southern League Premier Division despite ever constricting financial burdens.
Career: 2002-2010, Goals: 18

Matchday Flyer

A downloadable version of The latest Home match flyer is now available. The club would appreciate your support by printing off and displaying in any of your places of work, schools, community centres and any other public places. DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE

Club Events

There's always lots of things going on at the club, both on and off the field. CLICK HERE to see what's happening.

• Home
• What's on
• Squad
• Youth
• Sitemap