ON THIS DAY

Dom Roman

@DomRoman

CHESTERFIELD (H) 2009

The 8th August 2009 was a red letter day for the Gulls. It was a day to celebrate the start of Torquay’s 74th season in the Football League, and our first game back since our sad but inevitable relegation in April 2007. In the intervening two years Torquay United had found their mojo. New zip, new energy and momentum propelled by local ownership, dynamic manager Paul Buckle and a gathering of players who helped the Yellow Army rediscover the joy that Football could bring to our lives!

During the summer of 2009 the squad had remained much the same, with centre back Kieran Charnock and striker Scott Rendell the only notable additions, joining the well-established likes of Mansell, Hargreaves, Carlisle, Nicholson, Sills, Bevan and Stevens at Plainmoor. At the start of this season Bucks wanted to be loyal to those who had got his team out of non-league on that afternoon at Wembley and in fairness we weren’t complaining.

So onto a wonderful sunny day in August, just under 4k turned up to see United in action against the Spireites, and we would not be disappointed. After 15 minutes Peterborough loanee Scott Rendell showed what he was all about, finishing off smartly from close range after good work by Nicky Wroe. Then after 71 minutes Rendell turned provider, flicking on a cross from Wayne Carlisle and it was Lee Mansell who finished it off gleefully with a header. It was everything we had hoped to see, and one of those splendid days that goes perfectly to plan at Plainmoor.

Unfortunately this game did not set the scene for what was to come, as the team lost 7 out of the next 8 league games, and before long with heavy hearts we said goodbye to the talismanic duo of Tim Sills and Chris Hargreaves, whilst Chris Zebroski returned and a certain Guy Branston turned up to provide a whole load of reassurance to the dressing room. Eventually with the confident Pickler in place a new Torquay United started to emerge, with players like Eunan O’Kane and Mustapha Carayol adding attacking sparkle, the team becoming more progressive in their approach and the defence stiffening up to such an extent that they did not concede in the last 7 league games!

Crisis what crisis! In truth the opening day win had been glorious, but a red herring as United settled into new surroundings. Moving onto 2023, is the draw at Dover a real indicator of what our 23/24 will look like? I doubt it. This NLS squad was strong before we arrived at Crabble and it’s still strong now. That’s not to say expectations shouldn’t be high this season, or that drawing 2-2 to a team patched up in the previous fortnight isn’t a kick in the teeth, however one good win over Worthing and it’s all quickly forgotten.

But whatever happens on the 1st fixture of the season at Plainmoor, it won’t compare to that afternoon in 2009 that’s for sure, now that was a proper Torquay United we could be proud of.