35 Facts About Torquay United

1.

Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,854
2.

Torquay United gained promotion after winning the Fourth Division play-offs in 1991, having been losing finalists in 1988.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,855
3.

Torquay United lost the 2008 FA Trophy final, but won the 2009 Conference play-off final.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,856
4.

Original Torquay United was formed in 1899 by a group of school-leavers under the guidance of Sergeant-Major Edward Tomney.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,857
5.

Plainmoor at the time was occupied by Torquay United Athletic Rugby Club in what is a reversal of the modern day situation.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,858
6.

Relations between the two Torquay United clubs were poor, but in 1921 matters finally came to a head.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,859
7.

Torquay United went on to finish in sixth place that season and during the summer break had the audacity to apply for Football League status, but failed to gain a single vote, seeing Boscombe elected to the league instead.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,860
8.

In 1927, Torquay United finally won their first league title since the Torquay United and District League of 1912, winning the western division of the Southern League.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,861
9.

Finally the town of Torquay United had a professional league team and had joined Plymouth and Exeter in the football league at last.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,862
10.

When league football was resumed in 1946, Torquay United continued to struggle and finished that season 19th.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,863
11.

Trip to Crystal Palace for the team and over 1,500 Torquay United fans travelling on the last day of the season beckoned.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,864
12.

Torquay United failed to repeat this form the following season and after finishing 22nd in the league and were placed in the new Division Four, created by the de-regionalisation of the two third level divisions.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,865
13.

Torquay United soon moved upstairs into the position of consultant manager, and ex-Plymouth Argyle promotion-winning captain Mike Green was brought in to control first team matters.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,866
14.

Webb brought in ex-Bournemouth players Derek Dawkins and goalkeeper Kenny Allen to strengthen the squad, and attracted the former internationals Eddie Kelly and Tony Currie to the club, Torquay United would go on to finish the season in a strong 9th place.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,867
15.

However, for the second successive year Torquay United finished bottom of Division Four, and again had to apply for re-election.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,868
16.

Torquay United won promotion again on 31 May 1991, winning a play-off final on the club's second visit to Wembley against higher-placed Blackpool.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,869
17.

Golac's time at Torquay United was brief and Paul Compton was appointed to replace him in 1992.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,870
18.

Torquay United was replaced by Colin Lee, who improved results and gave the club a chance of survival.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,871
19.

However their stay in the third tier of the football pyramid was only to last for one season, as a final day defeat against Colchester Torquay United condemned the Gulls to a return to the 4th division of the leagues after narrowly being edged out by Milton Keynes Dons for safety in Football League One.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,872
20.

The fact that it was the MK Dons that had stayed up at Torquay United's expense saw messages of sympathy from fans of other clubs, mainly out of a dislike for the franchising of football.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,873
21.

Torquay United made a decent start to the following season and were in the play-off spots for the first few months of the season, but a run of just 1 point from 9 games saw them crash into another relegation battle.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,874
22.

However, on 7 March 2007, former chairman Mike Bateson was reappointed as chairman, the move coming about due to Chris Roberts' company, Torquay United Holdings, being unable to meet the next payment to purchase the club from Bateson.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,875
23.

Away from the league, Torquay United were progressing well in the FA Trophy and had reached the semi-finals by the end of the month.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,876
24.

Torquay United had to play Exeter City away first with the return leg at Plainmoor.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,877
25.

Torquay United started the first leg poorly and were fortunate when Tim Sills scored just before half-time but Exeter City levelled when Wayne Carlisle equalised.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,878
26.

Torquay United knew going into the second leg that if they scored one goal Exeter City would need two goals to force extra time, and when Kevin Hill scored in the second half in his record-equalling appearance, the match seemed all over.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,879
27.

Torquay United started their second season in the Conference Premier as badly as the first one had finished, picking up only 5 points from their opening 7 games.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,880
28.

However, the following three months were to be the best in years, as Torquay United remained unbeaten from 7 September 2008 to 2 December 2008, setting a 17-game unbeaten record.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,881
29.

Torquay United later claimed that the club had been unable to pay him.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,882
30.

Torquay United kept faith with Owers over the summer and started the new campaign in the National League South under his management.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,883
31.

However Torquay United's lacklustre start to the campaign, with only 12 points and 5 goals in 9 games meant that Owers stepped down from his role one day shy of a year in charge.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,884
32.

However a run of 10 wins from 13 matches after the Bath loss, in which Torquay United picked up 32 point from 39 available saw them crowned champions of the National League South on 13 April 2019.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,885
33.

Torquay United went through various team colours before settling on the familiar yellow and blue of today.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,886
34.

Torquay United based their new image around the town's traditional seaside character and they chose a more distinctive yellow, or gold and blue kit.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,887
35.

Torquay United played their very first game, a friendly, against an Upton Cricket Club XI on one of farmer John Wright's fields, which was situated at the top of Penny's Hill, on Teignmouth Road.

FactSnippet No. 1,898,888