TT BLOG

Alan Wills – @alanjwills

All Yellow Shirts & Promotions

Six of the Best

The disappointing Boreham Wood playoff game coincided with me completing my collection of modern Torquay United promotion shirts, by acquiring the 2003/04 home shirt I had been missing. After getting home from the game, I hung them all up together, and something immediately struck me. It turns out Torquay United have only ever won promotion when our home shirt has been all yellow.

I did some research, and since the formation of the fully professional Torquay United in 1920/21, we have only had 6 promotions (in 105 years). It’s debatable whether our election to the Football League Division 3 South in 1927 was actually a promotion, but I’m not counting it as such here, as it was decided by votes, rather than points (or goal difference!).

1959/60 – Magpies to Gulls

Our first promotion was in the 1959/60 season, the first year we wore an all yellow shirt, completing the transition from the black and white kits we wore from 1921-1954. We did have yellow shirts with blue sleeves (and black shorts!) between 1954-1959, but 1959 was the first season with yellow sleeves as well (and blue shorts).

Source: http://www.historicalkits.co.uk

1965/66 – Swinging Sixties

Our second promotion was in 1965/66, returning to the 3rd Tier after relegation, and again we wore an all yellow shirt. This time with a round neck in blue trim, which was fashionable at the time.

Source: http://www.historicalkits.co.uk

1970-1989 – The Dark Decades

During the 70s and 80s we often wore all white, and also all blue as the home kit, and as far as success goes it was a barren period.
We returned to the yellow shirt for our first visit to Wembley in 1989, and we haven’t worn an all blue or all white home shirt since.

1990/91 – Bamber’s Right Foot

People will remember our 3rd promotion on penalties in the playoffs at Wembley in 1991 for the classic yellow and white striped Matchwinner shirt, but throughout that season, our home shirt had been the Ribero all yellow jersey.

2003/04 – Leroy’s Legends

Our 4th promotion in 2003/04 under Leroy Rosenior saw us wearing an all yellow home shirt, with some blue trim, but the main body and sleeves were classically yellow.

HPL00736_TNA_026 SPORT.13/7/03.Photo by Paul Levie. Alex Russell TORQUAY V FULHAM

2008/09 – The Mask of Zorro

Two years following relegation from the Football League, we got our 5th promotion, at Wembley again in 2008/09, where Tim Sills can be seen in his Zorro mask wearing the white away shirt. But our home shirt was all yellow again (Yes, I know this is the previous season’s shirt, but only the sponsor changed!).

2018/19 – Ben Wynter Day

Our 6th and final promotion was ten years later in 2018/19 where after two relegations, we were Champions of the National League South. We wore a bright all yellow home kit all season.

2024/25 – The Palm Tree Curse

Much has been said about the kits this season. We failed to win any of our matches in the pink palm tree away shirt, or the white “investors” 3rd shirt. However, perhaps an underlying reason why we didn’t win promotion is because the home kit was not all yellow, it was yellow and blue hoops? I’ll leave that to you whether you believe there is anything in this.

Either way, I’m hoping that the home kit for 2025/26 is all yellow! If not, I back us to break the curse.