TT BLOG

Steve Harris

@steveharris84

PSF PREVIEW

After the excitement of the Bryn Consortium’s takeover and the appointments of Neil Warnock and Paul Wotton as football advisor and manager, Torquay United fans will finally get the chance to see their new look side in action for the first time when the Gulls head to Homers’ Heath to face Buckland Athletic.

Whilst the likes of Jay Foulston, James Hamon, Oscar Threlkeld, Jaydn Crosbie, Sam Dreyer, Lirak Hasani, Roddy Collins, Ben Seymour, Ed Palmer, Matt Carson, Jordan Dyer and Dan Hayfield have all been introduced to the Yellow Army through the innovative use of social media videos filmed across the Bay, Friday’s evening visit to Buckland will be the first chance to witness them in a footballing sense.

It will also be the fifth time that United have faced Buckland in pre-season, and the first since 2022 when a first half strike from Olaf Koszela proved to be all that separated the two sides.

On this occasion, there will also be two ‘old-boys’ featuring as Gulls defender Austen Booth had a spell with Bucks earlier in his career and Buckland striker Jared Lewington appeared for the Gulls in the 2019-20 season.

Next up for the Gulls will be a trip to West Devon to face Tavistock AFC on the following Wednesday. The Lambs currently play in the Southern League Division South after having won the South West Peninsula League Premier Division in 2018-19 and the Western League Premier Division in 2021-22.

They also have a link with the Gulls as former United trainee Liam Prynn, who played a handful of games during the 2014-15 campaign, currently leads their forward line.

Neil Warnock has also brought a couple of his teams to Langsford Park for pre-season friendlies in recent years, including Middlesbrough in 2021 and Huddersfield Town in 2023.

Torquay United’s 2024-25 transfer business so far:

In: Jay Foulston (Taunton Town), James Hamon and Ed Palmer (Truro City), Oscar Threlkeld (Morecambe), Jaydn Crosbie (Mangotsfield Town), Sam Dreyer (Peterborough United), Roddy Collins (Chesham), Lirak Hasani (Gateshead), Matt Carson (Southampton), Jordan Dyer and Dan Hayfield (Bath City).

Out: Aaron Jarvis & Brett McGavin (Yeovil Town), Ethon Archer (Cheltenham Town), Jack Stobbs (Buxton), Asa Hall and Callum Thomas (Tiverton Town), Mark Halstead, Lewis Collins, Ross Marshall, Dan Martin, Ollie Tomlinson, Rhys Lovett