Lawrie drawn into new Torquay owner intrigue

Roberts, 37, has caused a stir since taking over at Plainmoor just a few weeks ago.

His plans to build a new Gulls stadium on Torquay seafront, rid professional football of diving "cheats" and his appointment of a Czech coach, Lubos Kubik, at the club have all grabbed the headlines.

But Roberts' entry on Friends Reunited website just doesn't add up according to fans and the local Torquay Herald Express newspaper.

In it, Roberts claims he once played European football for a Czech club side and was actually called up to the England Under-21 squad in 1990, though injury prevented him from playing.

McMenemy was in charge of England's young players at that time and cannot remember the player at all.

They are pointing to an entry on the Friends Reunited website where details of Mr Roberts' life's landmarks are said to appear.

The mystery has deepened as Roberts has now stated the Friends Reunited details were NOT supplied directly by him.

He says they were posted by a former schoolmate.

Roberts said: "Someone, I can't remember from school, rang me about one-and-a-half years ago to find out what I was up to.

"I gave some brief details on the phone but I was very busy at the time. "

Roberts moved to Czechoslovakia with his parents in 1985.

The Friends Reunited site claims that: He played for the Czech Premier League side Viktoria Zizkov for five years, from 1986 to 1991.

He played in the UEFA cup in 1986/87/88 season and European Cup Winners Cup in 1989.

Towards the end of 1990, he was called up to the England under 21 squad.

In 1991, he had received an offer to play for Bari in Italy. "However this was not to be, three weeks before my transfer I turned the whole of my right knee 180 degrees"

*Karel Poborsky (former international footballer and Manchester United star) moved up from the reserves to take my place in the Zizkov side.

*Six months later Bari had signed David Platt from Aston Villa and I was back in England with two suitcases.

But, following the concerns from some supporters, a Herald Express investigation has cast a shadow of doubt over some of the claims made on the Friends Reunited site.

The FA have no records of Roberts being involved in any England squad.

McMenemy said: "I certainly can't remember him. I wouldn't swear on it but it would be very unusual for us to have looked at anybody outside the country.

"I'm sure I would remember if we had called up someone playing in Czechoslovakia."

The FA were also unable to confirm the Friends Reunited claim.

A spokesman said: "Chris Roberts is not listed in our Under 21 records."

Officials from Viktoria Zizkov were unable to back up any of Friends Reunited claims surrounding Roberts' reported exploits in the UEFA and Cup Winners cups.

Jiri Fryc, press officer for the Prague club, said: "He maybe played only in the B team (in first team no) and not in UEFA cup because Viktoria Zizkov in 1986 to 1991 did not play in the top division.

UEFA records show Viktoria Zizkov did not play in European competition during the time the Gulls chief was at the club.

In fact, Viktoria were not even in the Czechoslovakian top flight at the time.

Jan Mleziva, who runs Viktoria Zizkov's club website, said: "It's not possible because Viktoria Zizkov were not promoted to the first division until 1993.

"He (Mr Roberts) definitely did not play in the UEFA Cup."

Ondrej Skvor, a journalist with Sport', a daily newspaper in Prague, said he and his colleagues remembered the young Englishman from his days with Zizkov - but their recollections differ from those of the entry on the Friends Reunited site.

Mr Skvor said: "Chris Roberts played for Viktoria Zizkov, but not for the first team. It was for the B team - the quality was the fifth level of Czech football. He was here with his parents, who worked here.

"He wasn't in the first team so it's impossible for him to have played in the UEFA Cup or the Cup Winners Cup."

Fans are also baffled by another of the Friends Reunited claims - that former Manchester United and Czech Republic star Poborsky took his place in the Zizkov team after the Gulls chairman suffered a serious knee injury in 1991.

Poborsky did not join Viktoria Zizkov until 1994, three years after the website says Roberts' professional' career ended.

Torquay have only picked up one point in their last eight games and are third bottom of League Two.

Saints defender Kyle Critchell joined them on loan a few weeks ago.

Telephone callers to United's Plainmoor ground have been greeted by Roberts answering - due to the fact he has cut the staff numbers since taking over!