IN the first of a new series this year looking at the history of West Devon sporting clubs Times Sport turns the spotlight on Tavistock AFC football club, which last year celebrated its 125th anniversary.

AN ad hoc cross between rugby union and soccer, and perhaps a few other games to boot, took place between Plymouth and Tavistock sides from the mid 1870s, but it took a letter in the Tavistock Gazette from scribes under the pseudonym of 'Wellwisher' and 'Halfback' to attract the attentions of two local businessmen.

The club was thus founded on September 8, 1888, the foundation year of the Devon County FA, when sportsman and businessman Herbert Spencer summoned 'interested persons' to assemble at the Guildhall where a committee was elected under the chairmanship of his brother, Wilfred, with Herbert as his deputy and another brother, Kingsley, on the committee with Tom Owen Esq as secretary.

The old Tavistock Grammar School playing field in Russell Street hosted the newly formed club and the first match against the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry resulted in a 1-0 victory. The first annual meeting held at the old Temperance Hotel, now the Ordulph Arms, recorded a first season playing record of won 13, lost three and drawn one.

By 1890 the club adopted a strip of blue and old gold and formed a second team, moving two years later to Green Lane, Torlands courtesy of the proprietor of the Bedford Hotel. Going from strength to strength the team won the league and were cup runners up in 1900-1901. One day in 1903 at Torlands on the edge of Dartmoor, a game had to be abandoned due to a sudden blizzard. In the same year wild ducks invaded a flooded penalty area and set up home for a week in a makeshift pond, resulting in a postponed fixture. No wonder that over the next few years venues changed, from a return to the old grammar school pitch, to Green Hill and Sandy Park.

It is believed that in 1913 the entire Tavistock team was selected to represent the county. That same year the Duke of Bedford presented the club with a silver trophy to be competed for by teams from the surrounding area, although with the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the start of the competition was abandoned until the 1919-1920 season with football abandoned during the war years.

Eventually there were at least three other clubs in the town, Tavistock Comrades, Bannawell Blues United and Tavistock West End. Amalgamation in 1939 produced the familiar colours of red and black. A welcome change to the salmon pink shirts with chocolate collars and cuffs of 1919. The years 1920 to 1930 were successful times with excellent results in the league, Bedford Cup and Senior Devon Cup. Sadly the next decade saw a decline in both results and attendance. Play ceased at the end of the 1931-32 season due to debt. Jumble sales and whist drives were held to ease the financial situation and football resumed once more in 1937.

The onset of World War two put things on hold until 1945 when the Lambs joined the Plymouth Combination League First Division.

In 1947 the club president Herbert Thomas Langsford bought Langsford Park, giving it under trust to the club in 1949. A carved commemorative stone serves as a reminder of his benevolence. In 1952 Tavistock joined the South Western League but were forced to withdraw in 1961 due to financial embarrassment but they recovered to rejoin in 1968.

The club has been the 'birthplace' of many players going on to enjoy professional pay-days in the Football League including Harold Redman and Danny Sullivan to Crystal Palace for a fee of £100; Neil and Peter Langman to Plymouth Argyle and an unusual deal that saw Argyle give Tavistock AFC £350 for the first opportunity to sign any player and use the facilities of Langsford Park when the Lambs were away from home.

Others to make their name in the professional game to have played for the Lambs include Mike Trebilcock, two goal 'hero' for Everton in their FA Cup final 3-2 win at Wembley against Sheffield Wednesday. Robbie Pethick played for his home team, who signed for Portsmouth in October 1993, where he had five successful seasons before moving to Bristol Rovers and later to Brighton and Hove Albion, where he won a League One championship medal. Robbie is now coach with Tavistock AFC's first team, who currently play in Carlsberg South West Peninsula premier League.

The club won the Devon Premier Cup in season 2001-02 and repeated this success in season 2006-97 by beating Upton Athletic by 6-0, creating a record winning margin in the final of the competition.

In season 2005-06 the club reached the last 32 in the FA Vase, going out to Pickering Town in a close encounter. The club also entered the FA Cup for the first time since 1953-54.

In July 2008 collaboration between Tavistock AFC, Tavistock Thistles and Tavistock Town FC - the latter pair representing junior football in Tavistock - saw the inception of the Tavistock Community Football Club. The Tavistock AFC ladies' team soon merged into the community club, in addition to U18s boys and disabled players (Tavistock Specials).

Perhaps one of the saddest days in the club's history was a fire on February 3, 2011, which all but saw the complete destruction of the old changing rooms and the Red and Black clubhouse. However, although it took two years of hard work and dedication the club bounced back and is once again in full operation with the clubhouse and facilities up and running.

Football in Tavistock looks to have a bright future largely thanks to the fantastic facilities the Town has to offer. Thanks to a £1.1 million grant from the Football Foundation and the support of West Devon Borough Council and the Crowndale Recreation Fund, in the summer of 2010 the new Crowndale pitches were available to use, and the football centre was officially opened. In this building is included new multiple changing rooms, a new grandstand for Langsford Park, and a coach education/comm-unity room which is available for hire.

Just over the road from the Crowndale Football Centre is Tavistock College, which also boasts some of the best sporting facilities in the South West. The College's third generation all weather pitch is used for many of the football activities that take place in Tavistock which include men's seven-a-side league, holiday camps, girls' taster sessions, club training sessions and the Mini Soccer Centre.

Tavistock AFC is successfully working with TCFC to promote local talent with its senior teams. Several youngsters are now on the verge, or actually for, the first team. It is hoped that more talent will be forthcoming as the years progress.

For more on the club see its website http://www.tavistock.com">www.tavistock.com

With special thanks to Derek Pethick, Tavistock AFC, and also to Julie Lawrence.