Harold Pearcey of Budleigh Salterton had a trial for Exeter City reserves before going on to play in Torquay United’s Southern League championship-winning team in 1927.    

Then with Budleigh Salterton, and later considered good enough to appear for the East Devon League XI against City, Harold had a run-out for the Grecians at inside-left in a friendly against Friernhay on 22 December 1923. Not given another opportunity, he later joined Torquay United in the Southern League and took the chance to feature in the Championship-winning conclusion to the season in 1926/27 after Albert Bloxham had been transferred to Birmingham in the March.  

Appearing on the left-wing in the final game of the season, it was to be Torquay’s last non-league game for eighty years. Jon Gibbes, Torquay United historian, reminds us that - when the Plainmoor club returned to that level in 2007 - Kevin Hill, also from Budleigh Salterton, played in the number 11 position in the first game.

Harold didn’t appear for Torquay in the Football League but did turn out for the club’s reserves against Exeter City in the both the Southern and Western leagues between 1927 and 1930.

Living in the Torquay area, Harold was around the age of ninety on his death in 1994.