Farewell to Lew Pope, Torquay United chairman in the 1970s and 1980s

Former Torquay United chairman Lew Pope, who saw the Gulls through some of the most tempestuous times in their history, has died at the age of 103.

Mr Pope was a man of many parts, a successful builder when he joined the Plainmoor board under Tony Boyce in 1977 and later a hotelier after he stepped down for the takeover of Mike Bateson in the summer of 1990.

During the 13 years in between, he took over the chair when Boyce sold the club to ex-Chelsea, QPR and Leicester City defender Dave Webb midway through the 1983-84 season.

What followed – two bottom of the table seasons and re-election for the first time in United’s history – would have tested any director’s resolve to the limit and beyond.

But Pope stuck it out, even during the now-legendary ‘Great Escape’ from relegation under Stuart Morgan, clinched with a stoppage-time equaliser against Crewe Alexandra in May 1987.

He was still chairman when the club’s fortunes turned around dramatically after the appointment of Cyril Knowles.

During the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons United’s finances were boosted by cup runs, a promotion near-miss, the £180,000 sale of Lee Sharpe to Manchester United and the club’s first trip to Wembley for the 1989 Sherpa Van Trophy Final.

Pope and Knowles fell out early in the 1989-90 season, prompting the latter’s angry departure, but Pope remained to install former Plymouth Argyle boss Dave Smith as Knowles’ successor before he finally moved aside for Bateson in 1990.

Pope, who ran a hotel in Avenue Road for some time, remained a firm Gulls fan, often attending matches until his later years.

He died recently in Torquay’s Ilsham Valley Nursing Home.