JOHN DELVE

Full Name: John Frederick Delve

Born: 27 September 1953

Came from: Queens Park Rangers   Went to: Exeter City

First game: 17 August 1974   Last game: 11 February 1978

Appearances: 151 (146/5)   Goals: 6

Born in Ealing in west London, Delve was an England Schools international and joined Queens Park Rangers as an apprentice, turning professional in July 1971. He went on to make 15 appearances across two years at first-team level, having been given his debut by Terry Venables and would go on to have a Football League career that amassed almost 500 appearances.

After his start at Loftus Road, he moved to Argyle in 1974 for £30,000 and made his name as a flaxen-locked, energetic and driving midfield player. He was a regular member of the 1974-75 Third Division promotion-winning team and featured regularly over the next couple of seasons. During a challenging 1977-78 season, however, he eventually lost his place in the side to a young Gary Megson.

In total, he had spent just over four years at Home Park and made over a century of appearances, before he moved to Exeter City in 1978, following his former Argyle teammate Bobby Saxton, who was the Grecians' player-manager. In five years at St James' Park, Delve scored 20 times in 215 appearances and helped them reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup during the 1980-81 campaign.

He was then, perhaps surprisingly, sold to Hereford United - then a Football League side - playing 118 times and scoring 11 goals at Edgar Street, making them the third club for whom he had made over a century of appearances.

Following his departure from Hereford, he dropped into the Southern League with Gloucester City for the 1987-88 season, whilst also starting work back at Exeter City assisting with the club’s lottery. Delve quickly re-registered as an Exeter player, playing a further 13 league games and marking his final appearance in professional football with a goal against Halifax Town in May 1988.

His return to St James' Park was more notable for his brief spell as caretaker-manager following the departure of Colin Appleton in 1987. Delve took charge of 27 games but managed only four wins and 9 draws. With City having appointed Terry Cooper there was some initial expectation that Delve might be offered a role, but he left the club over the summer of 1988 to continue playing for Minehead, Elmore and Taunton Town.

Settled in the Exeter area, John managed the Centre Spot social club at St James’ Park and later became a publican before working for the Royal Mail.