TT BLOG
Steve Harris
@steveharris84
On the 5th anniversary of his appointment as manager, Steve looks back at Gary Johnson’s time at Torquay United so far.
Five years ago, on September 13, 2018, Gary Johnson was unveiled as the new manager of Torquay United in succession to Gary Owers.
Johnson arrived with five promotions on his CV from his spells with Yeovil Town (twice), Bristol City, Peterborough United, Northampton Town and Cheltenham Town; he had been dismissed by the latter just four games into the 2018-19 season.
It was a time when the Gulls needed a lift, as an indifferent start to their first ever National League South campaign had left them in 14th position – ten points behind the then leaders Woking.
2018-19
In Johnson’s first game in charge away to Hungerford Town, United won 2-0. This was then swiftly followed by a resounding 7-0 win away against Lymington Town of the Wessex League, a game that was streamed live on the BBC’s red button service.
His first home game against league leaders Woking laid down another marker. United trailed the Cards 2-0 at half-time, and Johnson made two substitutions before the break as he replaced Ruairi Keating and Chris Regis with Saikou Janneh and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans – both signed on loan from Bristol City who his son Lee was in charge of at the time – which showed he wasn’t afraid to make big decisions. It was a move that paid off as Janneh set up Jamie Reid for his second goal of the afternoon to secure a creditable 2-2 draw.
For no player could the transformation of the club by Johnson be more evident than it was for Reid. The one-time Northern Ireland Under-21 international had only found the target once in the 2018-19 campaign and is goal-to-game ratio in the region of one in eight across his Gulls’ career. However, under Johnson’s guidance, he finished the season with 32 goals to his name in all competitions, which saw him scoop the National League South Player of the Year award.
The records then began to tumble as the Gulls set a new club record for unbeaten league games of 16, which ran from Johnson’s first game in charge against Hungerford to a 4-0 home win over Slough Town in early January before it was ended a week later at a 3-2 defeat away to Bath City. Their victory over Slough also saw them complete another record – as they sealed their 10th successive league win.
It was then a case of mission accomplished on April 13 2019, when a 2-0 win over Eastbourne Borough, with goals from Lemonheigh-Evans and Jake Andrews sealed the National League South title, as they finished ten points clear of second placed Woking, who they had previously trailed by the same margin.
League finish: 1st in National League South
Top scorer: Jamie Reid (32)
2019-20
Back in the National League, Johnson added Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Covolan, central midfielder Armani Little and winger Ben Whitfield to his squad as United geared up for what would ultimately prove to be a season of transition.
United started the 2019-20 campaign with a 2-1 win over Boreham Wood. It would be a season that would throw up several inconsistencies for the Gulls – partly due to injuries – as United recorded 4-2 wins against eventual champions Barrow and play-off winners Harrogate Town. Nevertheless, they would also lose 5-1 to Stockport County at Plainmoor in November 2019 and were thrashed 6-2 to Yeovil Town on Boxing Day 2018. Bizarrely the heavy defeat to Stockport occurred around a month after the Gulls had beaten the Hatters 4-0 at Edgeley Park – making the aggregate score from both fixtures 5-5.
The Covid-19 enforced suspension of the National League saw United end the campaign after 36 matches. The outcome of the season was decided using PPG (points per game) to calculate the league’s final placings, which saw the Gulls finish in 14th place.
League finish: 14th in the National League
Top scorer: Jamie Reid (21)
2020-21
In the extended close season before the start of the delayed 2020-21 campaign, Johnson was busy in the transfer market, as Danny Wright, top scorer in his National League title winning side with Cheltenham, joined as a replacement for the Mansfield Town bound Reid. Other notable new arrivals included Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Gary Warren, who joined the Gulls permanently following successful loan spells from Bristol City and Exeter City respectively, and experienced left-back Dean Moxey also arrived from Exeter. On the eve of the season, Johnson also made three loan signings in the form of Adam Randell (Plymouth Argyle), Sam Sherring (AFC Bournemouth) and Louis Britton (Bristol City).
United started the campaign with a 1-0 home win over pre-season favourites Stockport, with Lemonheigh-Evans netting a last-minute winner, in a match played behind closed doors – due to coronavirus restrictions. They followed this up with a number of other impressive results, including a 5-0 win away to Hartlepool United on October 31, 2019 (which was broadcast live on BT Sport), as the Gulls established themselves amongst the league’s front-runners.
Other memorable results included a 6-5 FA Cup first round exit to Crawley Town, a 6-1 drubbing of Yeovil Town on Boxing Day and a 4-0 away victory over Boreham Wood in the FA Trophy fourth round – which marked Johnson’s 100th game in charge.
Over the course of the campaign, United would score a number of late goals in what became as known as ‘Gary time’.
The remainder of the season saw the Gulls remain neck and neck with Sutton United, with both sides sharing the lead at various stages. The title race itself was decided in their penultimate game of the season, as United drew 2-2 with Barnet and Sutton beat Hartlepool United (more on them later) 3-0 to claim top spot.
Nevertheless, United could at least console themselves with their highest ever finish in the National League of second place – the Gulls’ finished third and fourth in the division under Paul Buckle between 2007 and 2009 – as they prepared to face Notts County in the play-offs. The Magpies were promptly dispatched 4-2 after extra time to set up a final with Hartlepool United.
The final was played at Ashton Gate to avoid clashing with matches from the delayed Euro 2020 matches that were being staged at Wembley. In addition to this, the final also took place with a social distanced reduced capacity of 6, 2000.
United appeared to have taken the lead on eight minutes through Kyle Cameron, however referee Simon Mather deemed Cameron to have impeded Hartlepool goalkeeper Brad James – even though the replay of the incident showed that contact appeared to be minimal.
On 36 minutes, the Pools were in front when Luke Armstrong found the target when he capitalised on a rebound, after strike partner Rhys Oates had been denied, with a shot that went in off the cross bar.
In the second half, Cameron had another effort disallowed for a foul on James, but just when it seemed as though Hartlepool would hold onto win, goalkeeper Lucas Covolan went up for a corner and headed home an equaliser for United to force extra time.
There were no further goals in extra time, as the final went to penalties. Despite Covolan saving two Hartlepool penalties, misses from Billy Waters and Danny Wright meant the Gulls remained level at 4-4 after Asa Hall, Joe Lewis, Armani Little and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans all converted.
Ryan Donaldson then made it 5-4 to Hartlepool before Matt Buse had his spot-kick saved by James, as the Pools secured their return to the Football League at the expense of the Gulls.
League finish: 2nd in the National League
Top scorer: Asa Hall (14)
2021-22
The close season saw a number of players leave Plainmoor as Ashton Gate hero Lucas Covolan earned himself a move to the EFL with Port Vale. Kyle Cameron and Aaron Nemane both moved to Notts County and Ben Whitfield joined Stockport County.
New arrivals included goalkeeper Mark Halstead from Morecambe, central midfielder Tom Lapslie from Colchester United and a number of young prospects, who included Dan Martin (Cardiff City), Ali Omar (Barnsley), Keelan O’Connell (AFC Bournemouth) and Klaidi Lolos (Plymouth Argyle).
Johnson also brought in a number of players following pre-season trials, including Dan Holman, who served under him at Cheltenham Town, and winger Gabby Rogers, a former United youth team player who had been released by Yeovil.
United made a slow start to the 2022-23 campaign, losing their opening three home games of the campaign against Altrincham (1-3), Woking (0-4) and Grimsby Town (1-3). However, a 1-0 victory over Southend United in September courtesy of a late winner from Connor Lemonheigh-Evans got the Gulls up and running at Plainmoor. The Southend win also marked goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald’s return to the club, after turning down a new contract in the summer.
For the remainder of the season, they would only lose two more home league fixtures (against FC Halifax Town and Solihull Moors).
Johnson also used the loan market to good effect, bringing in Sinclair Armstrong and Stephen Duke-McKenna from Queens Park Rangers and Stephen Wearne from Sunderland.
Memorable results from the campaign included completing a first ever league ‘double’ over Yeovil Town (3-0 on Boxing Day at Plainmoor and 2-1 in the return at Huish Park on January 2, 2022) and a 5-1 win over Notts County which saw Lemonheigh-Evans bag his first career hat-trick.
In the end, United finished 11th – only falling out of contention for a play-off spot with three games to go.
League position: 11th in the National League
Top scorer: Armani Little (15)
2022-23
The summer of 2022 saw a number of departures as Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Joe Lewis both signed for League Two side Stockport County and Armani Little and Shaun MacDonald also headed to the EFL to sign for Forest Green Rovers and Cheltenham Town. Amongst others leaving for pastures new were the long serving Ben Wynter and the experienced Danny Wright.
New arrivals included Kieron Evans on a season-long loan from Cardiff City, strikers Aaron Jarvis (Scunthorpe United) and Corie Andrews (AFC Wimbledon), midfielders Brett McGavin (Ipswich Town), Ryan Hanson (Dover Athletic) and Shaun Donellan (Maidenhead United), centre backs Ross Marshall (Stevenage) and Ollie Tomlinson (Plymouth Argyle) and right-back Dylan Crowe (Ipswich Town).
However, the first half of the season saw the Gulls get off to a slow start. They didn’t win their first home game in the league at Plainmoor until the eighth attempt, when United beat Aldershot Town in emphatic style, winning 6-1 with Aaron Jarvis becoming the sixth Gulls’ player to score a hat-trick under Johnson’s reign. United also experienced a number of heavy defeats, losing 4-1 at home to Solihull Moors, 6-0 away to Wrexham, 4-0 away to Notts County and 5-1 at home to Chesterfield.
A combination of injuries and poor form saw Johnson dip into the loan market, as Mark Ellis and Stephen Wearne returned for their second spells at the club, Dillon De Silva followed in the footsteps of Sinclair Armstrong and Stephen Duke-McKenna in joining on loan from QPR and central defender Lucas Ness came in from Charlton Athletic.
The FA Cup offered them some respite, as they reached the first round where they memorably drew 2-2 with Derby County at Plainmoor before losing the replay at Pride Park 5-0. Both games were screened live on ITV and the BBC respectively.
Nevertheless, United remained in trouble and Johnson once again looked again to loan signings to strengthen his side. Experienced midfielder Kevin Dawson, who served under Johnson at both Yeovil and Cheltenham, arrived from Gloucester City, Jack Stobbs and Lewis Collins joined from Oldham Athletic and Newport County to provide the squad with more width and young centre back Nico Lawrence signed from Southampton. They were also joined by experienced Frank Nouble, who counted the likes of West Ham United and Wolves amongst his former clubs.
A run of five straight wins in late March and April (Boreham Wood a 1-0, Scunthorpe United a 1-0, Eastleigh h 2-0, Maidenhead United a 3-1 and York City h 3-2) lifted the Gulls into contention for survival. However, a 5-1 defeat away to Chesterfield and draws in their last two games – 2-2 away to Altrincham and 1-1 at home to Wrexham – saw United’s relegation to National League South confirmed on the final day of the campaign.
League position: 21st in the National League
Top scorer: Aaron Jarvis (18)
2023-24
During the summer of 2023, Johnson secured the signatures of Kevin Dawson, Jack Stobbs and Lewis Collins on a permanent basis as the Gulls looked to bounce back to the National League at the first attempt.
They were joined by striker Brad Ash, who signed from Weymouth, young defender Finley Craske signed from Plymouth Argyle and Torbay-born midfielder Will Jenkins-Davies arrived on loan from the Pilgrims. Dillon De Silva also returned to Plainmoor on a permanent basis after he was released by QPR.
A draw at Dover Athletic and a defeat against Worthing at Plainmoor left the Gulls with one point from their opening two National League South fixtures. Nevertheless, a run of six wins from seven points have lifted United firmly into promotion contention.
STATS
Gary Johnson’s record as Torquay United manager:
Games: 238
Wins: 111
Draws: 49
Defeats: 78
Trophies won: 2018-19 National League South title
Position on the list of the Gulls’ longest serving managers:
- Eric Webber 13 years and 7 months (October 1951 – May 1965)
- Frank Brown 6 years (May 1932 – May 1938)
- Gary Johnson 5 years (September 2018 – present)
- Mike Green 4 years and 2 months (March 1977 – May 1981)
- Paul Buckle 3 years and 11 months (June 2007 – May 2011)
- Leroy Rosenior 3 years and 7 months (June 2002 – January 2006)
- Frank O’Farrell 3 years and 5 months (May 1965 – October 1968)
COYY – STEVE
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Number 6 is Percy Mackrill 2/7/25 to 1/3/29. Three years and eight months.
Frank O’Farrell left in December 68, not October.
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