TT PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @steveharris84
Since he was appointed as Torquay United manager on September 13, 2018, Gary Johnson has taken the Gulls from 14th in National League South to the brink of a return to the Football League.
In the 2018-19 season, he led United to the National League South title and two years later he followed up this achievement by guiding the Gulls to the National League play-offs, where they lost out to Hartlepool United on penalties.
Johnson is one of the longest serving United managers in recent times – only Paul Buckle (June 2007 to May 2011) and Leroy Rosenior (June 2002 to January 2006) have spent more time in the Plainmoor hot seat this century. In addition to this, he is the fifth longest serving manager in the National League, behind Alan Devonshire (Maidenhead United), Luke Garrard (Boreham Wood), Phil Parkinson (Altrincham) and Alan Dowson (Woking). Also, only 16 of the 92 managers in the Football League have been in their current roles longer than Johnson has been in charge at Plainmoor.

THE GJ STATS
Games managed: 139 (33 in National League South, 89 in National League, 8 in the FA Cup, 8 in the FA Trophy, 1 National League Play-off semi-final, 1 National League Play-off final).
Goals scored (all competitions): 264
Goals against (all competitions): 159
Points won: 198
League titles won: 1 (2018-19 National League South)
Biggest win: 7-0 vs Lymington Town (A) FA Cup second qualifying round 2018-19
Biggest defeat: 2-6 Yeovil Town (A) National League 2019-20
Most number of games won in a row: 10 (13 November 2018 – 5 January 2019 – a club record).
Longest unbeaten run in the league: 16 (22 September 2018 – 5 January 2019 – a club record).
Highest individual goal scorer: Jamie Reid 66.
Position on the list of the Gulls’ longest serving managers:
1 – Eric Webber 13 years and 7 months (October 1951 – May 1965)
2 – Mike Green 4 years and 2 months (March 1977 – May 1981)
3 – Paul Buckle 3 years and 11 months (June 2007 – May 2011)
4 – Leroy Rosenior 3 years and months (June 2002 – January 2006)
5 – Frank O’Farrell 3 years and 5 months (May 1965 – October 1968)
6 – Gary Johnson 3 years (September 2018 – present)
(All figures correct following United’s away fixture against Solihull Moors September 14, 2021)
COYY – Steve
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THE GULLS WEEK 13th – 19th SEPT by Danny Burnell
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