After looking at the backline for our Torquay-Argyle XI yesterday, we will now switch our attentions to the midfield and forward line of this team.
RM: Martin 'Buster' Phillips
Hailed as 'Britain's first £10million footballer' by Alan Ball when he was a youngster at Exeter City, Buster Phillips followed Ball from St James' Park to Maine Road as he joined Manchester City in 1995.
He remained with City until 1998 when he linked up with Ball again at Portsmouth before he returned two years later to sign for Argyle. Whilst at Home Park, he played a role in the Pilgrims' Division Three and Division Two title successes under Paul Sturrock in 2002 and 2004 before moving to Plainmoor.
Buster's stay with Torquay lasted for three years, during which time he made 70 appearances and scored six goals before he was forced to retire after being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2007.
CM: Steve McCall
After making his name with Ipswich Town in the early 1980's where he won a UEFA Cup Winners' medal in 1981, Steve McCall found his way to the South West in 1992 when Peter Shilton persuaded him to join the Pilgrims from Sheffield Wednesday. He formed an impressive cemtral midfield partnership with Steve Castle and was part of the Pilgrims' side that narrowly missed out on promotion to Division One in the 1993-94 season.
Two years later, Steve made the move from Home Park to Plainmoor when he joined Kevin Hodges' coaching team, which he combined with playing in the Gulls' midfield. He played a key role in helping Torquay reach the 1998 Division Three Play-Off final before following Hodges back to Home Park to become his assistant on the eve of the 1998-99 season.
CM: Chris Hargreaves
Chris Hargreaves arrived at Plymouth Argyle in 1998 after spells with his home town club Grimsby Town, Scarborough, Hull City, West Bromwich Albion and Hereford United. His stay at Home Park lasted for two years before he was on his travels again joining Northampton Town in 2000.
He returned to Devon in 2007 when he joined Torquay where he would play an influential role in helping the Gulls win promotion back into the Football League in 2009, scoring their opening goal in the 2009 Conference Play-Off final against Cambridge United. He stayed at Plainmoor until midway through the 2009-10 season when he re-joined Oxford United, the team he originally joined the Gulls from. He is currently coaching Exeter City's Under-16 side and appears as a pundit on BBC Radio Devon.
LM: Brian McGlinchey
Ulsterman Brian McGlinchey started his career with Manchester City before he appeared for Port Vale and Gillingham prior to his move to Home Park in 2000. He played a key role in helping the Pilgrims to win promotion from Division Three in 2002 before he made the move to Plainmoor during the 2003-04 season following an initial loan spell. He proved to the missing piece in the jigsaw for Leroy Rosenior's side as they clinched automatic promotion on the final day of the season. He remained with Torquay for a further two years before he was forced to retire through injury.
FC: Tommy Tynan
One of the finest centre-forwards never to play in the top-flight, Tommy Tynan had confirmed his status as a Plymouth Argyle legend by the time he was persuaded to make the move to Plainmoor by Dave Smith in 1990.
Once at Plainmoor, Tommy continued to find the back of the net and scored his 300th career goal in a league game against Carlisle United in October 1990. Following the appointment of John Impey as manager in succession to Smith later in the 1990-91 season, Tommy fell out of favour and left Plainmoor at the end of the campaign and later had spells with Doncaster Rovers and Goole Town.
FC: Martin Gritton
Glasgow born, but Cornwall raised, Martin Gritton was given his first taste of professional football in 1999 when Kevin Hodges handed him his first professional contract after he spotted him playing in the South Western League for Portheleven, for whom he combined studying at the University of Portsmouth.
Three years later, he became one of Leroy Rosenior's first signings as Torquay United manager and formed a potent partnership with fellow Scot David Graham and finished the 2002-03 season as Torquay's leading scorer with 16 goals.
In the following season, he helped the Gulls win automatic promotion from Division Three for the first time in 38 years. Martin left Plainmoor in December 2004 to join Grimsby Town, but returned for a six-month loan spell in the 2010-11 season after appearing for Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Macclesfield and Chesterfield.
He is currently appearing for Stockport County in the Blue Square Premier.
Other players who narrowly missed the cut include Garry Nelson, Mickey Evans, Kevin Blackwell, Chris Zebroski, Steve Woods, Peter Whiston, Scott Partridge, Chris Leadbitter, Lee Hodges, Steve Adams, Darren Garner, Chris Curran, Ian Stonebridge, Darren Rowbotham, Jason Rowbotham, Gary Clayton, Matt Villis, Ryan Dickson, Reuben Reid, Ashley Barnes, Scott Laird, Ray Newland, John Matthews, Rhys Wilmot, Dave Walter, Blair Sturrock, Joe Broad, Kevin Wills, Osvaldo Lopes and Paul Adcock.
