10th February 1947

St Austell, Cornwall

Full-Back

An ever-present in the 1977 promotion-winning side, and featuring in 182 of 184 league games over a four-year sequence, John Hore played for Exeter City between 1976 and 1980. He joined the club from Plymouth Argyle (for whom he had made exactly 400 league appearances) and later played for Bideford before returning to Home Park for a spell as manager.

After starring for the East Cornwall Schools side, he was signed by Plymouth Argyle as an apprentice before signing a professional contract in December 1964. After making his debut for Argyle against Northampton Town in 1965, he went on to amass 400 league appearances and scored 17 goals. He was part of the team which the sem-finals of the Football League Cup in 1974 and appeared against Pelé in the 1973 friendly against Santos. 

Exeter City signed him, initially on loan, in March 1976 thus linking up again with his former Argyle team mate and City player-manager, Bobby Saxton. He made his Grecians debut against Rochdale at St James’ Park. In the summer of 1976, the move was made permanent and he was an ever-present in the Exeter promotion winning team of 1976-77. He didn't miss a league game in the following season, when he won the Exeter City Player of the Year award, and only missed two in the 1978-79 season before playing all 46 league matches in 1979-80.

Leaving the Grecians in the summer of 1980, he signed for Bideford where he became player-manager. He guided Bideford to two Western League championships as manager whilst also running a successful health club business in the Guildhall Centre, Exeter. Appointed manager of Plymouth Argyle in October 1983, he steered the club to the semi-final of the FA Cup losing narrowly to Watford. He was rewarded with a two-year contract, only to be sacked four months later. He subsequently was a coach and caretaker manager at City when Jim Iley left in 1985.

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