Why do you support Torquay?

Post by **happytorq** » 25 Oct 2010, 16:05

I was born in Paignton and grew up in the Bay. I was always dimly aware of there being a football club nearby but none of my family or friends were ever that interested, and we never had enough money for me to be able to actually go. I went to a game in 1989 - I think I went with the school, but I really can't remember - and although I really enjoyed myself I didn't go back for some time. I flirted with other, more popular teams (as little boys tend to do) but other than a lingering attachment for West Ham - from my dad - I didn't really have a team.
Then I went to Lancaster to University, and I found that I was quite proud of my little town on the seaside, and so I really started supporting the team from afar then. (this was 1997-1998. I had a very good friend who was a Colchester fan, the bastard) When I came back from college to the Bay, I eventually found myself in a job that meant I could afford to actually watch a few games during the midweek, but after I became manager of the Hills in Plainmoor it was oh so easy to bugger off at 3pm on a saturday for my 'lunch' and return at 5pm. Fortunately I had a really great team working with me, and even my area manager seemed to think it was ok. Must be my natural charm.

Nowaday I live across the ocean but I'm still evangelising to all these americans about the plucky team in yellow who survive on sub-3000 crowds. For a while it was very entertaining to explain that "There are 92 professional soccer clubs in England. My team is currently 97th" when we were in the conference. I still have the play-off final on my DVR and frequently threaten my wife with divorce when she wants to delete it. I have it cued up to the second goal and I often play it just as she walks into the room....."Sills!!"

good teams.

Post by **Trojan 67** » 08 Nov 2010, 13:03

It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. No by jove, it was a dam good thing to do at the time !
Tony Boyce, Frank O'Farrell, promotion, World Cup, what more would a schooboy want ?

sadlad · Post by **sadlad** » 08 Nov 2010, 21:06

Although I am essentially a big Walsall fan I first had a soft spot for Torquay United back in the late 6o's. I was fascinated by some of your programme covers and the fact you played a lot of home games on Saturday evenings at 7.30pm! As I got older I realised that Torquay and Walsall had a few things in common..roughly similar attendances, grounds with not much room for expansion (when we were at Fellows Park) and had never really done much down the years! Really enjoyed my first visit to Plainmoor in 1991- before the major rebuilding of three of the stands.

When Torquay played Bolton in the Sherpa Van Final on 28.5.1989 the Walsall FC Supporters Club thought it would be a nice gesture to lend our support for the day to Torquay. The travel secretary organised a coach to Wembley and a coach full of us Saddlers fans went down and got behind the Gulls. Sadly Bolton won 4-1 but we were all pleased to lend our support to a fellow 'small club' like yourselves. I bet not many from here were aware of that?! It was a full coach. The coach fare was Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£6 and the matchday ticket cost Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£8.

I was pleased that Torquay United were the first ever league visitors to our new Bescot Stadium in August 1990.

Dutchgull · Post by **Dutchgull** » 08 Nov 2010, 22:27

Hi sadlad

Thanks to all those Walsall supporters who went to Wembley and cheered us on !
I remember passing a coach load of Bristol Rovers supporters on the motorway who were off to support us that day as well. It's great to think that many other people have a soft spot for us !

I remember going to Fellows Park in the late seventies early eighties but have not watched at the Bescott yet......

I used to love the old Saturday night games unfortunately they had to be stopped after a visit from Wolverhampton Wanderers !!! It's a bit alarming when "supporters" think it's fun to throw corner flags like javelins !

Did you see your 8-4 win over us in that replay in 95.96 ???

The horror the horror !!!

sadlad · Post by **sadlad** » 08 Nov 2010, 23:08

Hi DutchGull.

It was a pleasure to lend our support. Walsall one of about 6 clubs in the 92 presently never to have been to Wembley.
Good of Bristol Rovers fans to lend their support. Fellows Park had far more atmosphere than Bescot Stadium. It was in a bad state of repair and falling to bits. Still miss the old place 20 years on.

I wasn't going to bring up that 8-4 scoreline mate! Yeah was there. Freak result.

gullinhert · Post by **gullinhert** » 09 Nov 2010, 00:07

I was bought up in Brixham in the 50/60s and Dad took me and my brother to Torquay in the early 60s well before the World Cup of 66 which got a few of my mates interested. I was totally taken by the sheer energy of the place - amazing evening games, the smoke, the noise, the skill and physicality of Mr Stubbs, the late John Benson and fabulous guys like John Bond,Ronnie Barnes, Tony Scott John Dunn Jimmy Dunne - could go on for ever. It felt really good to be there unlike may other grounds where I worried for my safety and sanity!

When I was a student I worked the footy specials for Devon General - I was paid and sneaked in for free! Moving to Dorset then Hertfordshire made home games difficult but the conference years were good for viewing away matches and this really got me back into being part of the yellow army again.
My Dad still comes with me when I'm in Devon; at 91 he must be one of the older supporters.

High points; Seeing Robin play at his peak; seeing Jim Fryatt make his home debut and also watching us win at Histon in the first conference season...................Low point ................being 230 miles away when TUFC was taken apart in that league relegation year.

Like others I love that dip on the M5 with the DEVON sign and have a great feeling that I am home again and amazingly the car goes even faster than ever down the hill till I remember to put the cruise control on again. Mind on the return journey the Hertfordshire sign on the M25 just brings a sigh of relief!

gulls_aloud · Post by **gulls_aloud** » 09 Nov 2010, 13:46

Torquay United chose me when I was a small child. I seem to have been born with the unconditional and largely unrequited love required, something I've never questioned and have grown to be enormously proud of. Like many, I left Devon to go to university, and later to work abroad, and football has always been a way of connecting. My admission of allegiance, to my surprise, has always tended to engender affection rather than pity, even now when I work in the homeland of our bitter rivals up the road

People I barely know look for our results because they know how much it means to me, they congratulate me as if I had been on the pitch when we get a good result and share my disappointment when we don't. It brings me the kind of happiness you can't explain and money can never buy.

For me, it's about nostalgia: the smell of the mud, the tinny sound system, our magnificent clock, sunsets, moon rises, sea mist, doing our best and never, ever giving up.

Helen Frisby · Post by **Helen Frisby** » 21 Nov 2010, 22:56

Dunno - i've been told you can get counselling for it though!

Post by **Trojan 67** » 22 Nov 2010, 17:06

Now ? At this moment in time ? Because during this difficult period of cuts and financial woe, the Club needs as many paying customers as it can muster.

tktufc91 · Post by **tktufc91** » 22 Nov 2010, 18:04

Went down to see my grandparents in 2001 with my family & they asked me if I wanted to watch the mighty Gulls, to which I said yes and the rest is history.

Post by **Louis** » 21 Mar 2020, 16:30

Some really good posts on this topic and thought I'd bump it up in this time of isolation so more can enjoy it with their Saturday afternoon spare time. If you haven't already shared on this topic, why do you support Torquay?

Stay safe everyone.

Post by **Eirik** » 21 Mar 2020, 18:09

"Repost from another thread on the forum"

As a member of the Norway Gulls I'd probably tell my story

My name is Eirik and I have been a Torquay fan since I was 15 years old. So why Torquay? A question I get asked a lot. To be honest it all started out as quite a coincidence one day at school. A friend of mine had brought with him one of these fancy things http://www.newitts.com/images/products/ ... 043227.jpg and he listed up a number of teams we could choose from. Here you had teams like Man Utd, Liverpool etc. And then there was Torquay. For me that was such a cool name, and each time it was my turn to play I always chose to be Torquay.

I then started to follow their results on TV and soon found out that this team was not for the faint hearted with relegation battles each year. Then the Championship Manager/Football Manager computer game was released, and through that I got to "know" the players. This was back in the days of Paul Trollope, Chris Curran, Duane Darby and even Richard Hancox

Then there was the official website and live radio coverage of the games which had me glued to the computer each Saturday. In 2002 I "accidentally" found there was other fellow Torquay fans here in Norway. A quick email and I was soon a member of the Norway Gulls. And the rest is history as they say. Visited Torquay for the first time in 2002 and have since tried to make the trip at least once a year.

My best moments as a Gulls fan must be when I sat ringside at Wembley when we got promotion back to League Two. What a great day. Other memorable moments was the last day win at Barnet and our promotion to League One. Worst moments includes relegation from League One on goal difference and of course dropping out of the League.

I guess that sums it all up in a way

-Eirik-

Brewers boy · Post by **Brewers boy** » 22 Mar 2020, 09:55

Born in Birmingham I watched the Villa in the late sixties and early seventies. The family then moved to Burton on Trent in the mid seventies and watched Derby County for a bit and then latterly and much more enthusiastically I followed Burton Albion from the Doc Martins league right through to the Championship including a couple of away trips to Plainmoor. Three years ago I moved to Brixham, and Torquay was the obvious place to go for my football fix. Thoroughly enjoying a couple of Beers in B & L and the atmosphere on the Popside.
Difficult times for all at the moment, but lets stay away from each other and communicate online so we can get over this and get back to normal.
Up the Gulls
Steve

Whydoibother · Post by **Whydoibother** » 23 Mar 2020, 09:07

Born in Paignton but Newton Abbot since. All the family were Torquay fans , grandad, dad, uncle and cousin went to every home game. Then around 7 or 8 in early mid 70s obviously been a regular ever since.

Post by **Louis** » 23 Mar 2020, 11:40

Had some more replies come in via our Twitter...

https://x.com/Toryboy1960/status/124144 ... 77408?s=19

https://x.com/Aleonards2/status/1241471 ... 93670?s=19

https://x.com/GullInExile/status/124165 ... 95936?s=19

https://x.com/daddymacca23/status/12416 ... 66496?s=19

https://x.com/frogspad/status/1241723630217760768?s=19

https://x.com/JasperTudor3/status/12420 ... 56928?s=19

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