As we enter December, we look ahead to the upcoming weeks events.
What’s happening this week……
Monday – FA Trophy Third Round draw
Torquay will find out their Trophy opponents when the draw for the third round of the FA Trophy is made. The draw will be published around 1pm and the match will take place on the weekend of the 18th December, where the likes of Truro or Plymouth Parkway could be awaiting the Gulls.
Saturday – Weymouth v TUFC @ Bob Lucas Stadium (15.00 KO)
United make the relatively short trip to Dorset to face a Weymouth side who sit just below them in the league table. Torquay will be looking to end a bad run of away form which has yielded just one win from their 9 outings, which occurred back in September at Maidenhead.
Torquay conquered last season at Weymouth in a pulsating 4-3 win, which saw Lemonheigh-Evans net in the final minutes. More of the same please…
Saturday – TUFC Youth U18’s v Bath City U18’s @ South Devon College (10.30 KO)
The young Gulls will look to make it 6 wins from 8 in the league as they host a Bath side sitting in mid-table. The game ended goalless when the two last met back in October.
Sunday – AFC St Austell Ladies v TUFC Women @ Poltair Park (14.00 KO)
The ladies will be looking for revenge as they host a St Austell side that knocked them out the FA Cup a couple of weeks back. They will be looking to get back to winning wins after a 1-1 draw last weekend with Bishops Lydeard.
Sunday – TUFC Women Development v Teignmouth Ladies @ Paignton Community & Sports Academy (14.00 KO)
Going from strength to strength, the young Gulls will look to make it 6 out of 6 wins in the league, as they host a Teignmouth side near the foot of the table.
Birthdays
Asa Hall – 35
Happy Birthday to our skipper who turns 35 on Monday. The Gulls have sorely missed his leadership on the pitch, and a return to the side, may yield a return to form. He still remains the only Gulls player to captain a side to a league title. Have a good one Ace!
Derek Dawkins – 62
The former Gull will celebrate his birthday on Monday. ‘The Dude’ remains etched into Torquay folklore for his winner against Spurs back in 1987, and was part of the team on that glorious ‘Bryn’ day against Crewe.
Keelan O’Connell – 22
The Gulls winger will turn 22 on Tuesday. The youngster has played a big part in GJ’s plans since signing from AFC Bournemouth in the summer. Have a good one Keelan!
Neil Warnock – 73
United’s ex-manager turns 73 on Wednesday. He may have only been at Plainmoor for a few months, but he saved them from relegation in 1993 and remains a popular figure at Plainmoor. He recently left Middlesbrough after breaking the record of having manged the most amount of games in English professional football (1,602!)
Billy Kee – 31
The ex Gulls striker will turn just 31 on Wednesday. The likeable figure played a big part in the 2010/11 season before moving to Burton & most notably Accrington Stanley. The striker was formidable with Stanley before he retired from professional football due to his mental health. He now plays part time for Coalville Town in the Southern Premier League Central.
Brett Williams – 34
Another ex striker and popular figure, ‘Willow’ will celebrate his 34th on Wednesday. He had two spells at Plainmoor and scored some vital goals to help us fight relegation. He is currently on the books at AFC Totton.
On this day……
1st December 2020 – A fantastic week for the Gulls as they beat Wealdstone 2-1 thanks to a Billy Waters double. 4 days later, United ease past Wrexham with a 3-1 home win.
30th November 2019 – Torquay suffer humiliation at Plainmoor, as Stockport brush them aside 5-1. Just two months previous, Torquay themselves out-classed Stockport with a 4-0 win at Edgeley Park.
29th November 2016 – The Yellows record just their second away win of the season, and in doing so, complete the double over Dagenham. A solitary Kieffer Moore wins the game.
3rd December 2011 – Torquay travel to Bramall Lane in the FA Cup 2nd round. After a valiant attempt, which saw Ren Howe score after 3 minutes, Sheffield United eventually win 3-2.
2nd December 2008 – After being unbeaten in 17, Torquay lose their first game since the 4th September, as they are beaten in the Setanta Shield (remember that!) 1-0 by Forest Green.
29th November 2008 – Torquay 2-0 Oxford in the FA Cup 2nd round. With that, the Gulls make it a record breaking 17 games unbeaten. See ‘A trip down memory lane’.
2nd December 2006 – Lubos Kubik’s first game in charge ends in a 1-1 draw against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup 2nd round.
1st December 2001 – Jason Fowler makes his Torquay debut after signing from Cardiff. Gulls lose 2-1 at home to Macclesfield.
29th November 1969 – Phil Sandercock becomes United’s youngest ever player as he plays against Brighton. He was just 16y 162d, and the record stood until 1993.
3rd December 1910 – Torquay Town suffer their first ever FA Cup defeat. In a season which saw them debut in the world’s famous cup competition, ‘Town’ had beaten Green Waves, Sherwood Foresters, Branksome Gasworks, Boscombe & Oxford City to set up a 5th qualifying round with Accrington Stanley. Unfortunately, Torquay slipped to a 4-0 defeat.
A trip down memory lane..
Torquay 2-0 Oxford
Saturday 29th November 2008 – FA Cup 2nd Round
Venue: Plainmoor
Attendance: 2,647
United line up: Bevan, Mansell, Woods, Hodges, Nicholson, Carayol, Wroe, Hargreaves, Dsane, Sills, Thompson
United made it 17 unbeaten in all competitions, a run stretching all the way back to 7th September. The Gulls breezed through the 4th Qualifying round with a routine 4-1 victory over Chipstead, before a 2-0 win at Plainmoor in the first round over Evesham.
Torquay took on the Conference division and promotion rivals at Plainmoor, knowing a 3rd round clash was up for grabs. Benyon fired the Gulls in front 4 minutes before the break, only for Roscoe D’Sane to get sent off on the stroke of half time for an apparent slap on the U’s goalkeeper. However, with United in tremendous form and showing no signs of letting up, it was Benyon who again notched home 7 minutes from time to give the record breaking Gulls a place in the third round of the FA Cup.
TORQUAYTALK 
3 thoughts on “THE GULLS WEEK 29th NOV – 5th DEC by Danny Burnell”