Torquay United's FA Cup first round defeat proved to be a bittersweet occasion for left-back Liam Davis, as the fixture also saw him make his 100th appearance for the Gulls. We will now take a closer look at several other left-backs who, like Davis, have also played in United's promotion winning/play-off sides.
John Uzzell (1989-1992)
When the late Cyril Knowles paid Plymouth Argyle £11,000 for the services of John Uzzell in 1989, he knew that he was getting excellent value for a very dedicated professional. Uzzell had spent 12 years with his hometown club during which time the Pilgrims had reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1984 and had won promotion in the 1985-86 season under the guidance of Dave Smith. Uzzell would put his experience to good use and was soon made captain and he remained a key figure at the club after Smith was appointed as Knowles' successor in late 1989.
Whilst at Plainmoor, he would play a part in another memorable FA Cup run as he helped the Gulls to reach the fourth round of the competition in the 1989-90 season - after beating West Ham United in the third round - and a promotion campaign in the following 1990-91 season. The latter saw a dramatic climax for United as they beat Blackpool on penalties, however a hamstring injury sustained in the Gulls' final league game against York City denied Uzzell the chance to play in the final at Wembley - as well as both legs of the play-off semi-finals versus Burnley.
In the 1991-92 season, Uzzell was appointed as joint-caretaker manager with team-mate Wes Saunders following the dismissal of John Impey as manager. Shortly afterwards his career as a player ended in tragic circumstances following a facial injury in a home match against Brentford following a challenge by Gary Blissett. Although his playing career ended, Uzzell remained involved football through his role as a sports analyst for the Press Association which saw him became a regular in the Plainmoor Press Box until 2016.
Paul Gibbs (1997-1998)
Despite only spending one season with Torquay United, Paul Gibbs proved to be something of a cult hero to the Gulls' faithful. As well as forming an iconic wing-back pairing with right wing-back Andy Gurney, Gibbs also chipped in with 10 goals - including numerous efforts from the penalty spot, and even went out with Soccer AM presenter and celebrity Gulls' fan Helen Chamberlain.
He was also on target in the Gulls' 4-1 play-off semi-final, second leg win over Scarborough which sealed United's place in the final itself against Colchester United - the club who had released him prior to his move to Plainmoor. The final at Wembley proved to be his final appearance for the club as he followed manager Kevin Hodges and his assistant Steve McCall to Plymouth Argyle.
Robbie Herrera (1992,1993, 1998-2001, 2001)
Torquay-born Robbie Herrera originally left Plainmoor to sign for Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 1986. He briefly returned on loan during the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons before Wes Saunders paid Fulham £35,000 to bring him home in 1998, as a replacement for the Home Park bound Paul Gibbs. Herrera's impact was instant as he won the man of the match award on his third debut for the Gulls on the opening day of the 1998-99 campaign against Cambridge United.
He was a mainstay in the United side for the next three seasons before he was released at the end of the 2000-01 season, but he would return briefly at the start of the 2001-02 campaign on non-contract forms under Roy McFarland. In later years he undertook numerous roles in the club's youth department before becoming assistant manager to Kevin Nicholson between 2015-2017 and even a had a six-match spell as caretaker manager following Nicholson's dismissal early in the 2017-18 season.
Brian McGlinchey (2003-2006)
Considered by many to be the missing piece in the jigsaw in Leroy Rosenior's 2003-04 automatic promotion winning team, Brian McGlinchey was one of a number of players to make the journey from Home Park to Plainmoor in the early 2000s when he arrived on loan from the Pilgrims in September 2003. A former Northern Ireland Under-21 international who started his career with Manchester City, McGlinchey made the move permanent in January 2004 and his understanding with Kevin Hill on United's left flank was one of the most underrated strengths of Leroy's side. As well as being strong on the overlap, he was also sound defensively and his man-marking job on Bristol City winger Scott Murray when United went to Ashton Gate on the opening day of the 2004-05 season ensured that the Scotsman had a very quiet afternoon. Unfortunately a back problem curtailed his involvement towards the end of the 2004-05 campaign, as he missed the end of season showdown which saw the Gulls relegated on the final day of the season on goal difference. The same injury would also force him to retire at the end of the 2005-06 season at the age of 28.
Kevin Nicholson (2007-2014, 2015-2017)
One of the most popular players to have appeared for the Gulls in recent times, Kevin Nicholson's association with Torquay United began in the summer of 2007 when Paul Buckle signed him from Forest Green Rovers as he aimed to lead United back into the Football League.
Nicholson played a key role in helping to make the Gulls into a more competitive outfit, as he chipped in with numerous assists with his delivery from set pieces as United won promotion to the Football League in 2009 with victory over Cambridge in the Blue Square Premier play-off final.
On returning to the Football League, Nicholson, who had appeared in the league for Northampton Town and Notts County earlier in his career - as well as managing one appearance in the Premier League with Sheffield Wednesday, remained a regular for United.
In the 2011-12 campaign, he enjoyed what was without question one of his finest seasons in football as he helped the Gulls to reach the League Two play-offs under Martin Ling and was also named in the PFA League Two team of the season, alongside fellow teammates Bobby Olejnik, Lee Mansell and Eunan O'Kane.
Nicholson remained at Plainmoor for two more years before he was released at the end of the 2013-14 campaign. However, early in the 2015-16 season, he returned to Plainmoor as player-manager and during one of the most difficult periods in the club's history he led the club to safety in the National League in the 2015-16 campaign with three games to spare - despite being bottom of the league at Christmas. He would repeat the feat again in the 2016-17 season before he was dismissed four games into the 2017-18 campaign. After a spell as manager of South West Peninsula League side Mousehole, Nicholson is currently working for Exeter City as director of coaching.
