Torquay United's great escape features in Netflix series

Torquay United player Paul Dobson scored a goal in injury time that kept the team in the Football League

The story of a football team keeping their place in the league partly thanks to a dog bite features in a new Netflix series.

In May 1987, Torquay United defender Jim McNichol was bitten in the thigh by a police dog during the final game of the season against Crewe Alexandra.

This forced an extended injury time during which Torquay equalised, earning a point that helped avoid relegation.

The story forms one episode of a new series called Losers.

Bite victim McNichol now runs a pub in the town and said: "People still bring it up.

"It wasn't that painful. It was more the shock of having an Alsatian bite your leg while you're playing football."

Of the programme, he said: "I'm interested more than anything - we all talk about it. It's quite exciting."

In the days following the incident, Jim McNichol was reunited with Bryn the police dog

The game took place on the final day of the first season with automatic relegation out of the league for the team finishing bottom of the fourth tier.

Torquay's late point sent Lincoln City down instead.

Journalist David Thomas, who covered the match for the Torquay Herald Express, features in the show.

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He said: "United were playing more in hope than expectation. It was get it in the box no matter what, just get it up there. It had a huge affect on the football club and the town.

"Within two years Torquay had beaten Spurs in a League Cup tie. Within four years they had two trips to Wembley, two play-off runs, the Sherpa Van trophy final and promotion in 1991.

"That's how huge the turn around was after that crazy day in 1987 and let us hope the film helps to generate a bit more interest in the film generally."

Other sporting stories featured in the series include the tale of golfer Jean van de Velde who famously failed to win the Open Championship in 1999.

As a result of the equaliser Torquay survived in the first year where automatic promotion and relegation were in place