Torquay United F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Torquay United Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Gulls | ||
| Founded | 1899 | ||
| Ground | Plainmoor | ||
| Capacity | 6,200 (3,092 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Michael Westcott & Mark Bowes-Cavanagh | ||
| Manager | Paul Wotton | ||
| League | National League | ||
| 2018–19 | National League South, 1st of 22 (promoted) | ||
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Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football team from Torquay, Devon, England. They are often called "The Gulls" because of their yellow and blue colours, which represent the sunny beaches and blue sea of Torquay. The club plays its home games at Plainmoor stadium.
Torquay United was started in 1899. They joined the Football League in 1927 after winning the Southern League title. For many years, they played in the lower divisions of English football. They had some ups and downs, including promotions and relegations. In recent times, the club has faced challenges, including being relegated from the National League in 2018. However, they quickly bounced back, winning the National League South title in 2018–19. In April 2024, the club went into a special financial process called administration. This meant new owners had to step in to help the club.
Contents
Club History: A Journey Through Time
How Torquay United Started (1899–1912)
Torquay United was formed in 1899 by a group of young people and their leader, Sergeant-Major Edward Tomney. Their very first game was a friendly match against Upton Cricket Club. At first, they played on a farmer's field.
The club then joined the East Devon League and moved to the Recreation Ground. After a few years, they had to move again. In 1910, Torquay United joined with another local team, Ellacombe Football Club, and became "Torquay Town." This is when they finally moved to Plainmoor, which is still their home stadium today! They even won the Plymouth and District League in 1911–12.
Joining the Big Leagues (1920–1950)
After World War I, bigger clubs like Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City joined the Football League. This made people in Torquay want their own team to play at that level too. So, in 1921, Torquay Town and another local team, Babbacombe, merged to become "Torquay United" again. They decided to become a professional club.
In 1927, Torquay United won the Western Division of the Southern League. This success helped them finally get accepted into the Football League Third Division. Their first league match was on August 27, 1927, with a crowd of 11,625 fans! The club faced some financial difficulties in the 1930s but kept playing.
Golden Years and FA Cup Magic (1950–1970)
In 1954, Torquay United changed their team colours to gold (yellow) and blue. These colours were chosen to represent the town's "sun, sand, and sea." This change seemed to bring good luck!
That same season, they had an amazing FA Cup run. They played against Leeds United and managed a 2–2 draw away from home. In the replay, Torquay United won 4–0! They then played Huddersfield Town at Plainmoor. Torquay lost 1–0, but the game set a club record for attendance with 21,908 fans!
In the 1956–57 season, Torquay almost got promoted to Division Two, missing out by a tiny margin. They were promoted to the Third Division in 1960. In 1963, they signed Robin Stubbs, who became a top goalscorer. Another famous FA Cup moment happened in 1965 when they drew 3–3 with Tottenham Hotspur at Plainmoor, with over 20,000 fans watching!
After Eric Webber, who was manager for 15 years, left, Frank O'Farrell took over. In his first season, Torquay earned another promotion, finishing third in Division Four. The club came very close to promotion to Division Two again in 1967–68. During this time, Torquay fans were even voted the 'Best Behaved Supporters in the League'!
Tough Times in the Lower Leagues (1970–1988)
After O'Farrell left, Torquay United was relegated back to the lowest division in 1972. The next decade was quite quiet, with the club usually finishing in the middle of the table. Frank O'Farrell returned as a consultant manager in 1977.
In the 1982–83 season, Torquay reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, losing a close game to Sheffield Wednesday. However, the club struggled in the mid-1980s. In both 1985 and 1986, they finished last in Division Four. They had to ask the Football League to let them stay, and luckily, they were allowed to. In 1987, they avoided automatic relegation on the very last day of the season.
New Beginnings and Wembley Visits (1988–2008)
In 1987, Cyril Knowles became manager. Torquay had some exciting moments, like beating Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 in the FA Cup. Young player Lee Sharpe was sold to Manchester United for a large fee in 1988.
Torquay reached the final of the Football League Trophy in 1989, playing at Wembley Stadium. A huge crowd of 46,513 watched them lose to Bolton Wanderers. They were relegated in 1992 but reached another play-off final at Wembley in 1998, losing again.
In 2003–04, Torquay earned automatic promotion. However, they only stayed in the higher league for one season and were relegated in 2005. In 2007, after 80 years, Torquay United lost its Football League status.
A lottery winner, Paul Bristow, bought the club, and Paul Buckle became the new manager. In 2008, Torquay played at Wembley again in the FA Trophy final but lost. However, in 2009, Torquay United won the play-off final at Wembley and were promoted back to the Football League!
From League to Non-League and Back (2008–Present)
After their promotion in 2009, Torquay spent five seasons in League Two. They nearly got promoted again in 2011 and 2012 but lost in the play-offs. In 2014, they were relegated from the Football League for a second time.
In 2015, a group of local business people took over the club. In 2018, Torquay was relegated to the sixth tier of English football, the lowest they had been. But they quickly bounced back! Under manager Gary Johnson, they won the National League South title in 2018–19 and were promoted straight away.
In 2020–21, the Gulls finished second in the National League. They reached the play-off final, where their goalkeeper even scored a goal in the last minute to make it a draw! But they sadly lost on penalties. Two years later, in 2023, Torquay was relegated back to the National League South.
Recent Challenges and New Owners
In February 2024, the club's chairman announced plans for the club to go into administration. This is a process where experts help manage a club's finances when it's in trouble. The National League then deducted ten points from Torquay, which meant the team dropped down the league table.
The club officially went into administration in April 2024. Torquay finished the 2023–24 season in 18th place, their lowest league finish since 1927. A group of local business people, called the Bryn Consortium, stepped in to take over the club. In May 2024, they appointed Paul Wotton as the new manager, working with experienced football advisor Neil Warnock.
Club Identity: Crest and Colours
Club Crest
Torquay United's first club badge was based on the town's coat of arms. It showed a ship, representing the area's connection to the sea. It also had golden wings, which stood for the local seagulls.
Later, in the 1970s, the crest changed to focus more on the "gulls wings" emblem, which is still well-known today. In the 1980s, there was a brief change to a circular design with palm trees. But in 1986, the club went back to the gull emblem, surrounded by the club's name. In 2017, the badge was updated to look more modern and clean.
Team Colours
Torquay United has had different team colours over the years. At first, they wore light and dark blue. Then they switched to black and white stripes, which made people call them 'the magpies'.
In 1954, the club decided to change its look to match Torquay's seaside image. They chose bright yellow (or gold) and blue. These colours were picked to represent the golden sands and the blue sky and sea of the area. This is why they are now called 'The Gulls'! Since then, the club has mostly worn yellow shirts with blue details.
Plainmoor: The Home Stadium
Early Homes and Plainmoor's Story
Torquay United's first game was on a farmer's field. Then they moved to the Recreation Ground for four years. After that, they had to move again when the land was sold. They shared a ground with Torquay Cricket Club for a while.
In 1910, when Torquay United merged with Ellacombe, they moved to Ellacombe's ground, Plainmoor. The club has been there ever since!
In 1985, a fire broke out in the main stand, called 'The Grandstand'. Luckily, no one was hurt. This meant the stadium's capacity became smaller. Over the next few years, the stadium was greatly improved. New stands were built, including the family stand, which has a club shop and restaurant. The 'popular side' and the away end were also updated.
The old wooden Grandstand, which had been at Plainmoor since 1921, was taken down in 2011. A new stand, called "Bristow's Bench" (in memory of Paul Bristow, who helped the club a lot), was built in its place. It was ready for the 2012–13 season and saw its first sold-out crowd when Plymouth Argyle visited.
Future of the Stadium
There have been talks about moving the club to a new, bigger stadium that could also be used for rugby and athletics. However, many fans and the club itself want to stay at Plainmoor. They plan to improve the current stadium to make it bigger, possibly increasing the capacity to around 9,000.
Plans to extend the grandstand were approved in 2011. There were also rumours of moving the stadium when new owners took over in 2017. However, these plans were put on hold due to concerns from fans and the local council.
Players and Management
Current Squad
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Players Out on Loan
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Coaching and Management Team
| Position | Name |
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| Manager |  Paul Wotton |
| Assistant Manager | Mike Edwards |
| Football Advisor | Neil Warnock |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Kenny Griffiths |
| Defensive Coach | Dean Moxey |
| Sports Therapist & Kitman | Russell Cleave |
| Head of Medical | Regan Miles |
| Video Analyst | Louie Birkenshaw |
| Club Doctor | Dr. Vivek Kulkarni |
Club Managers Through the Years
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Club Records and Statistics
Here are some of Torquay United's most important records:
- Highest League Position: 2nd in Third Division South (level 3) in 1956–57.
- Best FA Cup Run: Reached the Fourth Round seven times, most recently in 2010–11.
- Best League Cup Run: Reached the Third Round four times.
- Best League Trophy Run: Were finalists in 1988–89.
- Best FA Trophy Run: Were finalists in 2007–08.
- Record Attendance: 21,908 fans against Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup on January 29, 1955.
- Biggest Win: 9–0 against Swindon Town on March 8, 1952.
- Heaviest Defeat: 2–10 against Fulham on September 7, 1931.
- Most Appearances: Dennis Lewis played 442 games (1947–1959).
- Most Goals: Sammy Collins scored 219 goals (1948–1958).
Notable Player Transfers (Purchases):
- Leon Constantine from Peterborough United for £75,000 in 2004 (club record).
- Billy Bodin from Swindon Town for £70,000 in 2012.
- Eifion Williams from Barry Town for £70,000 in 1999.
- Robin Stubbs from Birmingham City for £6,000 in 1963.
Notable Player Transfers (Sales):
- Rodney Jack to Crewe Alexandra for £650,000 in 1998 (club record).
- Matthew Gregg to Crystal Palace for £400,000 in 1998.
- David Graham to Wigan Athletic for £315,000 in 2004.
- Bobby Olejnik to Peterborough United for £300,000 in 2012.
- Lee Sharpe to Manchester United for £185,000 in 1988.
Club Honours: Trophies and Titles
Torquay United has won several titles and been runners-up in various competitions:
League Titles:
- Fourth Division / Third Division (League 2) (level 4):
- Promoted: 1959–60, 1965–66, 2003–04
- Play-off winners: 1991
- Conference (National League) (level 5):
- Play-off winners: 2009
- National League South (level 6):
- Champions: 2018–19
- Southern League (Western Division):
- Champions: 1926–27
Cup Competitions:
- Associate Members' Cup:
- Runners-up: 1988–89
- FA Trophy:
- Runners-up: 2007–08
- Devon Senior Cup:
- Winners: 1910–11, 1921–22
See also
In Spanish: Torquay United Football Club para niños
