14 April 2007 - It Was A Good Run While It Lasted

On 14 April 2007, a 1-1 draw with Peterborough secured Torquay's relegation, ending a 79-year stay in the Football League.

Formed in 1899, Torquay United joined the league for the 1927-28 season, playing in the Third Division. They moved between the third and fourth tiers for the remainder of their stay in the league, with their best season ending with a second-place Third Division finish in 1957. They also narrowly missed tournament silverware, finishing as Football League Trophy runners-up in 1989.

By the 2006-07 season, Torquay were back in the fourth tier League Two and undergoing upheaval in the backroom as the club went through a succession of chairmen and managers. Their performance on the pitch suffered; at one point in the middle of the season, they went 19 matches without a win (and 14 of those were losses).

By the time they hosted Peterborough in April, Torquay had been at the bottom of the table for three and a half months. Their relegation looked unavoidable, but they still had a slight mathematical hope. That hope, however, required a win.

Torquay's Kevin Hill fanned the flames of that hope when his diving header put them up 1-0 in the 45th minute, but the referee awarded a 71st-minute penalty to Peterborough, which Craig Mackail-Smith buried to end the day as a 1-1 draw.

The Gulls spent two seasons in the Football Conference before returning to the league in 2009, but dropped back down to the Conference (now named the National League) in 2014. They are currently battling relegation, sitting 22nd out of 24 teams. 

3 November 2001 - Ford Gets Good Mileage

On 3 November 2001, Rochdale midfielder Tony Ford played his 931st Football League match, a record for an outfield player.

The first step of that lengthy journey came in 1975, when, at 16 years old, Ford made his first-team debut with Third Division Grimsby Town. He stayed there until 1986, making a total of 355 league appearances. He then spent time with Sunderland (1986), Stoke City (1986-89), and West Brom (1989-1991) before returning to Grimsby for three more seasons (including a short loan spell with Bradford City).

In 1994, he moved to Scunthorpe, but was released in the summer of 1996. At the time, he had made 739 league appearances and it appeared that would be the end of his run. He moved to non-league side Barrow, but returned to the Football League later that year when new Mansfield Town boss Steve Parkin made him an assistant coach. He took advantage of the opportunity by making another 103 league appearances.

In 1999, Parkin moved to Rochdale and brought Ford along with him, continuing in his role as assistant coach. He made another 89 league appearances there, with the last coming in a 2-0 win over Torquay. He was 42. Three days later, he moved again with Parkin, who had taken over as manager of Barnsley. But from that point on, Ford limited his own role to coaching and retired from playing.

His total of 931 league appearances remains a Football League record for an outfield player, second only to goalkeeper Peter Shilton's all-time record of 1,005.

14 April 2007 - It Was A Good Run While It Lasted

On 14 April 2007, a 1-1 draw with Peterborough secured Torquay's relegation, ending a 79-year stay in the Football League.

Formed in 1899, Torquay United joined the league for the 1927-28 season, playing in the Third Division. They moved between the third and fourth tiers for the remainder of their stay in the league, with their best season ending with a second-place Third Division finish in 1957. They also narrowly missed tournament silverware, finishing as Football League Trophy runners-up in 1989.

By the 2006-07 season, Torquay were back in the fourth tier League Two and undergoing upheaval in the backroom as the club went through a succession of chairmen and managers. Their performance on the pitch suffered; at one point in the middle of the season, they went 19 matches without a win (and 14 of those were losses).

By the time they hosted Peterborough in April, Torquay had been at the bottom of the table for three and a half months. Their relegation looked unavoidable, but they still had a slight mathematical hope. That hope, however, required a win.

Torquay's Kevin Hill fanned the flames of that hope when his diving header put them up 1-0 in the 45th minute, but the referee awarded a 71st-minute penalty to Peterborough, which Craig Mackail-Smith buried to end the day as a 1-1 draw.

The Gulls spent two seasons in the Football Conference before returning to the league in 2009. They remain in League 2 at the moment, but are currently challenging for automatic promotion, sitting in second place.

3 November 2001 - Ford Gets Good Mileage

On 3 November 2001, Rochdale midfielder Tony Ford played his 931st Football League match, a record for an outfield player.

The first step of that lengthy journey came in 1975, when, at 16 years old, Ford made his first-team debut with Third Division Grimsby Town. He stayed there until 1986, making a total of 355 league appearances. He then spent time with Sunderland (1986), Stoke City (1986-89), and West Brom (1989-1991) before returning to Grimsby for three more seasons (including a short loan spell with Bradford City).

In 1994, he moved to Scunthorpe, but was released in the summer of 1996. At the time, he had made 739 league appearances and it appeared that would be the end of his run. He moved to non-league side Barrow, but returned to the Football League later that year when new Mansfield Town boss Steve Parkin made him an assistant coach. He took advantage of the opportunity by making another 103 league appearances.

In 1999, Parkin moved to Rochdale and brought Ford along with him, continuing in his role as assistant coach. He made another 89 league appearances there, with the last coming in a 2-0 win over Torquay. He was 42. Three days later, he moved again with Parkin, who had taken over as manager of Barnsley. But from that point on, Ford limited his own role to coaching and retired from playing.

His total of 931 league appearances remains a Football League record for an outfield player, second only to goalkeeper Peter Shilton's all-time record of 1,005.