Robin Stubbs dies, leaving just two survivors of Torquay United’s famous 1965 FA Cup battle

And now there are just two.

As Torquay United fans come to terms with the news of Robin Stubbs’ death, there are plenty of older supporters thinking back to one famous day.

Stubbs hit many spectacular goals among the 133 he scored in two spells between 1963-73.

But not in the last five minutes on January 9, 1965, when, as so often, he was in the right place at the right time to haul United back from 1-3 down to draw 3-3 with Spurs in the Third Round of the FA Cup.

By his own admission, the first was a rebound off his chest and the second was a mishit.

But nobody in the 20,000 at Plainmoor that day cared a jot.

Stubbs scored just the 39 that season, including a peach to make it 1-1 in the replay (55,000) at White Hart Lane before Jimmy Greaves helped himself to a hat-trick (5-1).

Manager Eric Webber named the same United team for both ties.

It read: 1 Terry Adlington, 2 Alan Smith, 3 George Allen, 4 John Benson, 5 Colin Bettany, 6 Trevor Wolstenholme, 7 Billy Atkinson, 8 Geoff Cox, 9 Robin Stubbs, 10 Tommy Northcott, 11 Micky Somers.

For several years Stubbs, Bettany and Somers have been the only survivors from that unforgettable day.

Now only long-serving defender Bettany, for whom the word ‘indestructible’ could have been invented, and winger Somers are still with us.

Bettany, who lives near Nuneaton, is 94, winger Somers 81.

Eighteen months after that Spurs tie, United under Webber’s successor Frank O’Farrell won promotion to the old Third Division (League One) with Stubbs scoring 17 times.

It was the start of the headiest period in the club’s history.

Not even the passing of 60 years can dim the memories for Gulls fans who were just teenagers or even younger then.

For them Stubbs will always be the ‘Prince of Plainmoor’.

And, although no film of that 3-3 tie survives, you can still hear all the important clips from Maurice Eddlestone’s breathless radio commentary via the wonders of YouTube.

For many years, long since his playing days were over, your correspondent would ring Robin, often for a nostalgic chat, but sometimes to pass on sadder news.

“Who’s gone now, Dave?,” he would ask after picking up the phone.

I still remember the long silence when I told him that Ian Twitchin had passed away, at only 65.

And now Robin has finally gone too.

Off the pitch, modest, almost dismissive of his own talent – he turned down loads of chances to leave Plainmoor - generous in his admiration for teammates, above all for Northcott.

On it, a Rolls Royce of a forward. What would he be worth now?