TT BLOG

Clive Hayward – @Byehorse

Clive discusses the Gulls

Hornchurch (h)

The Boss summed it in five words better than any of us hacks: “We got away with one”.

Two lovely goals and a late consolation for the minnows, right? Not a chance. Saturday’s visit from The Urchins turned out to be a nervy affair, with the away side showing plenty of fight and enough quality to make it a long afternoon for a Torquay side who had to dig in and ride their luck for the three points we had all expected and craved on a day we remembered Tony Bedeau.

Finn Craske hit the half-volley of his life from an early knock-down and Matty Carson converted a sumptuous Jordan Young cross to give United a two goal lead at half time, but these had come either side of a Hornchurch penalty which James Hamon read right and pawed away, and the second half was, in Paul Wotton’s words, complete domination by the Urchins. Roared on by 120 fans who made the noise of three times that number, the pink-clad visitors made a tired team battle all the way for what was probably a slightly undeserved win. Paul Mulhern & Sam Swann told Radio Devon listeners that The Urchins looked the best away team to visit Plainmoor this season, and I have never seen so pleased to see only four minutes’ added time on “Fourth’s” board at the end.

Who Are Ya?

Matt Gorman, Rick Williams, Bob Cole and many other Supporters Trust heroes have put in countless hours first organising the phenomenally successful Community Share Issue and then co-ordinating the rewards package for investors. We are now at the back end of that process, and Saturday saw another opportunity for investors to pick up their envelopes from Boots and Laces.

Many of the people coming up to the TUST table were well known by sight but there were a few people I didn’t recognise- all of course having written their names into the history and onto the shirts of the club by their vital investment last year.

One of the ladies I met was Helen Worth. I have a tendency to reach for the obvious gag where a simple “Hello” would suffice, and I asked her: “I bet you get Coronation Street all the time?” Rather than inserting her envelope somewhere painful, she charmingly laughed it off: “Oh yes, but I’m nowhere near as grumpy as her.” I probably haven’t watched for 20 years, and for anyone else who may be interested, Helen’s miserable character Gail Platt has apparently upped sticks and left the cobbles of Wetherfield for the delights of Thailand.

Dream Academy (a)

The band is best remembered for their haunting 1985 hit “Life in a Northern Town”, looking back to the sixties with references to a Salvation Army band, John F Kennedy and the Beatles. Despite being a Devon lad, it tugs at my heartstrings, and was later sampled on Dario G’s rollicking and uplifting dance track “Sunchime” https://youtu.be/5UXnulANF8g https://youtu.be/0jQRYP2QWJM

What does any of this have to do with Torquay United, still less the Women’s team?

Well, nothing: except that Sunday’s fixture was a Devon Premier Cup match away to Marine Academy Plymouth Ladies. The ship-studiers had already beaten us at home and are 11 points ahead of Torquay at the top of the league, although Lee Mann’s outfit do have 4 games in hand.

It was a raw February afternoon on the crumb at Manadon Sports Hub. The venue does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a functional set-up, with changing rooms and a café together in a building which doubles as a cricket pavilion in the summer. The last time I visited was in a white coat, umpiring in the rain as the home team gave my club a good hammering.

Both teams fought hard throughout 90 minutes where they were probably at risk of hypothermia alongside normal footballing injuries. For the most part I thought the home team won the midfield battle (although Kate McKane tackled everything that moved). At the break, however, they only led 2-1 thanks to two goals gifted to them by a couple of unforced errors. Lucy Solloway’s equaliser had capped a battling display up front with a lovely first-time volley. MAPL’s third goal was either a screaming cross shot or a fluke, but the fourth was a great finish across Jasmine Read as the home side started to exploit a tiring defence. They were probably worth their 4-1 win in the end.

Taking Flight (everywhere)

I’ve never been to a movie premiere. Torquay’s version was too hot a ticket to turn down on Sunday night though. Boots and Laces laid on pizza and a big screen for Episode One of the Gulls’ new media project. Michael Westcott (does the bloke ever have a day off?) introduced it, explaining that the hope is for monthly episodes to raise United’s profile for the wider audience.

But of course, everyone at Boots was a diehard, and we aren’t bored with the story yet. Michael was filmed sitting on a train, and as the Exe Estuary and the Dawlish seawall glided past, he retold the story of his not so Brief Encounter with Neil and Sharon Warnock.

Torquay Talk’s very own Sam Swann is featured extensively, with a reflective walk and talk along the front of the Popside setting the scene. Lovely to see and hear Gulls Eye View clips from Chris Wade and my TT editor Dom Roman too.

It looks like Paul Wotton has landed the brooding, tortured genius role, and it will be a lot of fun seeing what Will Hancox and his colleagues come up with as they chronicle our first season with hope restored.

You can watch the first episode here: https://youtu.be/wwIFGvIrGnY