Team: Torquay Utd Joined the Football League: 1927 [at the expense of Aberdare Athletic) Honours: Third Division South runners up 1957 4th tier [League Two] promoted (3rd) 1960, 1966, 2004, Playoff winners 1991 5th Tier [Conference] Playoff winners 2009 FL Trophy [Paint Pot] runners up 1989 FA Trophy runners up 2008 Highest League Finish: 2nd in Third Division South 1957 Last League meeting with Pompey: 10 October 1979 â Fourth Division [League Two] Torquay 2-1 Pompey Last seasonâs average home attendance: 2,709 Last 5 seasons: 2013: 19th in League Two 2012: 5th in League Two 2011: 7th in League Two 2010: 17th in League Two 2009: 4th in Conference Factoid: Having finished bottom of the Football League in 1985 and 1986, Torquay avoided being the first side to be automatically relegated to the Conference in 1987 with the help of a police dog in the final game of the season. Wikipedia takes up the story: âSeven minutes from time a piece of football folklore was created. A Police dog by the name of Bryn appeared to think that Jim McNichol was running to attack his handler, and sank his teeth into the centre-half's thigh. It was during the resultant four minutes of injury time that Paul Dobson scored possibly the most important goal in the club's history, and kept them in the Football League, with Lincoln dropping into the GM Vauxhall Conference.â Trivia Question: In the final âRe-Electionâ vote, which three league sides and which non-league side joined Torquay on the ballot paper?
Come on you Gulls!..........They are my second team being the closest league club to my birthplace....looking forward to seeing them at Fratton.
I love going to Torquay's little ground - I used to look forward to pre season matches down there. 'Old 'Arry used to enjoy taking Pompey down to the West Country for friendlies. I just hope the Football League do the sensible thing when they announce the fixture list, and pencil us in for an August visit to Plainmoor, in the sunshine, rather than say a winter visit down there. Same goes for our away matches in Exeter and Plymouth next season.
So Pompey travel down to Plainmooor for the 2nd time this season, after the penalty shootout win in the Paint Pot. What will the score be this time? What do you expect the attendance to be? How many Pompey fans are going? Are YOU going?
What will the score be this time? - 2-1 to Pompey What do you expect the attendance to be? - 4,200 How many Pompey fans are going? - over 1,000 I reckon Are YOU going? - Nope
That would be Exeter, Cambridge, Preston and Enfield who, looking at the tables as I have, should have been given Torquay's spot in the league. They'd won the conference the year before too. As usual the League's clubs all stood together.
Yeah I think we'll win this one. 2-1 to Portsmouth. Hopefully Jed Wallace can pick up the goal-scoring form again! 3,924 in attendance, 1,500 Pompey fans
My friend sat next to me is 6ft 4", a ex bouncer and gym freak but more importantly a Torquay fan. He said 2-1 to the mighty Gulls. I am not arguing. He also said 1-1 Saints v Fulham and I am still not arguing. Weather poor in Devon today so I would say a poor turn out expected ( except the 1500 Pompey fans making the trip ) probably 50-50 in support.
1-0 down at half time, but at least we have improved our play. Hoping for a better second half - perhaps Possum will give us a cheer........
Do my ears deceive me ? I'm sure the commentator on Express FM has just said that the referee sent off the Torquay mascot at half time, for handing him a pair of glasses EDIT: Just discovered it was the Burnley mascot in another match being played. I reckon we have probably had the same ref at Fratton Park this season
1-1 !! Goal from our sub Ryan Bird. Come on Pompey, 10 minutes to score the winner. Therry Racon coming on for a tired Simon Ferry. PUP
There are times I despair of Pompey fans - they've upped the calls to get rid of Guy and Ertl. We're a fourth division club now, with a whole new squad of (mainly) fourth division players. No patience (aka instant gratification)
Ertl's job is to break up play. He does that. Padovani and Wallace are attacking midfielders and both leave the defence exposed. Wooperts has seen more games than me so what is his opinion on them?
I must admit, Johnny Ertl does frustrate both myself and quite a few Pompey fans sitting near me in the South stand, as he is for ever losing possession and more often than not, his passes are wayward. BUT, he does have passion in abundance, and is a good captain. I do agree with Stewie though that Jed Wallace would look better in the centre of midfield, playing alongside either Therry Racon or Simon Ferry. It would then be a very difficult decision for Guy to opt to play both wingers - Andy Barcham & Ricky Holmes - in the same side. That could be seen to be a wee bit extravagant in this division. I do like Johnny Ertl as a person, but perhaps he shouldn't be an ever present first choice in midfield ? But then again, as 3rd eye says, we are a lower division team full of free transfers and rejects from other lowly sides - beggars can't be choosers ! Perhaps Guy has made some strange decisions this season, with both tactics, and timing and choice of substitutions, but he can only work with what he has got in his squad. We are on an unbeaten run, long let it continue
I don't think so much that they are rejects - maybe they weren't all Guy's first choice, he mentioned earlier on that he missed a lot of targets because of the late stage of the club ownership being sorted out, but some of them were definitely enticed by the "big-club" Pompey name rather than going to other clubs. However, that being said we do have a team of division 4 and division 3 players, and at least 1 conference player - at this level they take longer to get their act together, understand each other and they way they play, than prem or championship players. The difference in quality is evident. Agyemang couldn't get a game with Stevenage, but he's doing well for us, particularly when Connolly is his partner - but then they played together before so already have an understanding. Ertl works much better alongside Racon. I just think that at the level we are at now we're doing better than Avram Grant did with a premiership team, Cotterill did with a championship team and Appleton did with a league one team.
