Robin Stubbs, the centre forward whose goals made him “The Prince of Plainmoor” at Torquay United, has died at the age of 85. Torquay United announced his death on Sunday, October 25, 2026, calling him one of the greatest players ever to wear the club’s yellow shirt.
From Birmingham to the English Riviera
Stubbs was born in Quinton, Birmingham, on April 22, 1941, and came through at his hometown club, Birmingham City, scoring 18 goals in 63 games in the First and Second Divisions and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
In 1963, aged 22, he joined Torquay for a club-record fee of £6,000. He scored 24 league goals in his first season and 39 in league and cup in his second, a total that might have beaten the club record had glandular fever not ruled him out of the final five matches.
Spurs, promotion and 133 goals
His most famous moment came in the FA Cup third round in January 1965, when he scored twice late on to earn Torquay a 3-3 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in front of more than 20,000 fans. He scored again in the replay at White Hart Lane, which Spurs won. Under Frank O’Farrell, Torquay won promotion in 1966, and Stubbs kept scoring in the higher division.
He was sold to Bristol Rovers for £15,000 in 1969 and scored 32 goals in 90 games there, before a brief return to Plainmoor in 1972. Hampered by a knee injury, he retired in 1973. His 133 goals in 263 games for Torquay put him second on the club’s all-time list, behind only Sammy Collins.
Life after football
Stubbs stayed in Torquay and built a career in the office equipment and stationery business. His first marriage, to Anthea Redfern, later the co-host of The Generation Game, drew crowds and cameras in the town. Torquay fans voted him their choice in the 2007 PFA Fans’ Favourites poll, and in January 2020 the club made him honorary life president. He is survived by his wife, Joanne, and their family.
“His goals, his pace and the excitement he brought to Plainmoor made him a hero to generations of Torquay United supporters,” the club said. “He will always be one of our own.”