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PETER ANDERSON
Note: (1) Many publications state that Peter Anderson played for Astor Institute before signing on with Argyle. This is not correct; he played for Oak Villa. In his book "Thanks for the Memory" (ISBN 978-0-9562482-0-6), Steve Rhodes recalls his interview with Anderson: 'He laughed as he told me, "I have never known where the connection with Astor Institute came from. I used to read it in the away programmes and the Argyle handbook and wonder where they got that idea. I can say categorically I never went near the place." (2) Match reports for the game at Ipswich on 28 Nov 1959 gave Argyle's first goal to Ronnie Waldock. The Sunday Independent on 6 Dec 1959 issued a correction; it should have been Peter Anderson. The totals for each player are therefore different from those in many record books.
Born: 11 September 1932
Came from: Trainee Went to: Torquay United
First game: 11 April 1953 Last game: 26 September 1962
Appearances: 258 (258/0) Goals: 47
Born in North Prospect, in Plymouth, in 1932, Anderson rose through the ranks to become one of the finest local players the club has ever produced. In total, he would go on to play 258 times, scoring a creditable 47 goals across 11 seasons, spending 13 years at the club.
As a youth, he had appeared in the same Plymouth Schoolboys side as future team-mate and life-long friend, Reg Wyatt. He also played for Oak Villa as well as representing Devon County, becoming the youngest player to be selected for county honours.
He moved to Home Park, initially on a part-time basis, in 1949 - Argyle's hand perhaps forced by Blackburn Rovers showing an interest after a two-week trial, but Anderson did not fancy moving north. After signing on for Argyle, he featured regularly for the reserves and played 135 times in the Football Combination, scoring eight times. He finally made his first team debut in April 1953, against Brentford. A crowd of 19,985 had turned up, many to see the Bees' legendary Tommy Lawton, but it was debutant Anderson that stole the show, with Argyle winning 1-0. After that game, he went on to play in the final three games of the season, scoring twice, as Argyle finished fourth in the old Second Division.
At this stage, he was still part-time, mixing his football career with his mandatory two-year National Service stint. He served in the RAF, and during his time won the RAF Cup with his Innsworth (Gloucestershire) side before being 'de-mobbed' in 1955, finally becoming a full-time professional. His football career, however, then stalled, later in 1955, when he suffered a broken leg in a home fixture with Stoke City. This was an era when a broken leg could be career-threatening. However, after battling back to fitness, he went on to play a key role in the 1958-59 promotion side. Initially struggling to dislodge Charlie Twissell, it was to be his link-up play with Harry Penk that proved pivotal, creating chances aplenty for Wilf Carter and Jimmy Gauld. That season also saw him net his only hat-trick for the club, coming in a remarkable 6-4 away win at Doncaster Rovers, a game in which Argyle were at one stage 4-2 down.
A genuinely two-footed player, Anderson was an elegant runner who liked to weave his way down the wing before delivering pinpoint crosses for the centre-forward. He continued to play regularly and was part of the 1961-62 Ellis Stuttard side that swept aside West Ham United in the FA Cup 3rd Round tie, before losing 5-1 to eventual double-winners Tottenham Hotspur, in the next round, at Home Park. He remains the club's last scorer against Spurs as they became an infrequent opponent subsequently. That season, the team finished fifth in the Second Division, making Anderson unique in that he played a part in both of the sides that secured the highest post-war finishes in the club's history.
In 1962, Anderson was surprisingly released and signed for Torquay United in December, where he played 77 times and scored 18 goals. After leaving Plainmoor, he played non-league for Bideford, where in 1966, another broken leg in a derby match against Barnstaple, forced him to retire from football. In November 1966, Argyle sent the first team to Bideford for a Testimonial for Anderson, running out 4-1 victors.
Returning to the city, he ran a florists in Efford for 19 years, next to Efford Cemetery, before, in 1980, joining the Royal Navy Supply and Transport Service in Devonport Dockyard, as a storekeeper. During his early time in the yard, at the Bull Point Ammo Store, he worked with another former Argyle legend, Sammy Black. He spent 17 years in total in the Dockyard before retiring. In retirement, he enjoyed bowls and golf, playing regularly at Staddon Heights.
Peter sadly passed away in April 2019, in Torbay Hospital, after a long illness, aged 86.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION
If you can add to this profile, perhaps with special memories, a favourite story or the results of your original research, please contribute here.
By Brian Knight* in Cheltenham on 07/12/2013 ...
Peter Anderson played in the same Plymouth Schoolboys side as Reg Wyatt and joined the Argyle two years after Wyatt. In those days he was mainly a left winger but also had the ability to switch to the other flank. He soon made his mark with the Reserve team but, if his promise was enough to influence Argyle to transfer Alex Govan to Birmingham City, he was by no means thrust into League football. Indeed, Anderson had to wait a full season to win the place vacated by Govan. Although a broken leg in the 1955-6 season threatened his career, he re-established his place in the following ... More
From John Pickford in Sainghin-en-Melantois, France on 21/04/2016 ...
Season 1961-2 was the season when it almost happened until one draw from the final six games saw Argyle finish a respectable fifth. In the end they were effectively seven points short since their goal average did them no favours - a great attack, but a sketchy defence for a potential promotion team. There were two memorable cup ties at Home Park - West Ham and double winning Spurs visited in rounds 3 and 4 respectively. I was one of the 40,040 lucky ones who saw the Spurs game - Peter Anderson scored from a Johnny Newman rebound - Argyle were well beaten but not disgraced and until that end ... More
APPEARANCE DETAILS [reselect competitions]
The details below reflect appearances in all first-team competitions.
I'm very grateful to many who have helped write GoS-DB's player pen-pictures, and to Dave Rowntree, the PAFC Media Team and Colin Parsons for their help with photos. Thanks also to staff at the National Football Museum, the Scottish Football Museum and ScotlandsPeople for their valuable assistance.
The following publications have been particularly valuable in the research of pen-pictures: Plymouth Argyle, A Complete Record 1903-1989 (Brian Knight, ISBN 0-907969-40-2); Plymouth Argyle, 101 Golden Greats (Andy Riddle, ISBN 1-874287-47-3); Football League Players' Records 1888-1939 (Michael Joyce, ISBN 1-899468-67-6); Football League Players' Records 1946-1988 (Barry Hugman, ISBN 1-85443-020-3) and Plymouth Argyle Football Club Handbooks.
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