DREAM TEAM

Paul Hepworth – @paulhep91

Paul chooses his ultimate Gulls team

My love for Torquay United began as an 8-year-old when on one of many family holidays to Torquay I took in my first ever professional football game, which was between Torquay and Mansfield (which ironically is only 7 miles away from where I grew up and have lived my whole life). As regular as possible matches were taken in up and down the country in the years that followed, which hasn’t always been as easy as I’d have liked as a ‘not-even-exiled Gull’ but as a lifelong Derbyshire-based Torquay fan, but the now 25 years of following Torquay has certainly seen the occasional ups and more than its fair share of downs.

GOALKEEPER – BOBBY OLEJNIK

Although he only had 1 season with us, he made a massive impact and is the first name to come to mind when I think of great Torquay keepers that I have seen live, 20 clean sheets and a place in the Team of the Year, also made the club a pretty profit when he moved on, and 13 years later is probably the last player to do that.

LEFT BACK – KEVIN NICHOLSON

One of a handful of players that I would consider as ‘club legends’ during my time supporting, a massive part of the team that regained Football League status and excelled in League 2 in the couple of years that followed. Gave everything to the cause.

RIGHT BACK – BEN WYNTER

Joined us at our previous lowest ebb but was consistently one of our better players during his time at the club and forever in Gulls folklore, I can’t think of any other Torquay player to have a specific day named after them!

CENTRE BACK – JOE LEWIS

Another one who wasn’t around for long enough, but another one who made a big impact in the time that he was. I really liked him as a player, one of my favourite Torquay players, it was clear that he would play at a level much higher than we could match, as is now being proved.

CENTRE BACK – CRAIG TAYLOR

The first Gulls defender that I can remember really admiring, the captain and an absolutely key part of the greatest Torquay side that I have witnessed as we went up to League 1.

LEFT MIDFIELD – KEVIN HILL

Although I don’t remember it specifically, he scored the first Torquay goal that I saw live (v Mansfield, 25/10/00). The absolute definition of ‘club legend’, who gave absolutely everything to the club year in year out, and what an incredible leap and header he had on him for someone who played on the wing.

CENTRE MIDFIELD – ASA HALL

In my time supporting the Gulls, I cannot think of another player who was as important and influential to the team they played in as Asa. Captain fantastic, we were always a better team when Asa was on the pitch, the scorer and creator of numerous crucial goals, Torquay United will always need and search for an Asa Hall in their midfield.

CENTRE MIDFIELD – ALEX RUSSELL

Just a player of immense quality, he was also the first player whose name I had printed on the back of a Torquay shirt. Key part of the team that got us into League 1 and it was a massive shame when he moved on.

RIGHT MIDFIELD – TONY BEDEAU

Could also have put him up front but I remember him featuring a lot on the wing, and he just needed to be in here. Another absolute legend of the club, year in year out gave his all, another part of the greatest Torquay side that I’ve seen, he is really greatly missed.

STRIKER – RENE HOWE

Another one in here who wasn’t with the Gulls for a long time, but one of my favourite Torquay strikers. He made a massive impact, was leading scorer in his 2 seasons, scorer of several big goals, and was always causing problems for any opposition defence.

STRIKER – DAVID GRAHAM

It’s impossible to have this list without David Graham on it. His goals helped us win promotion to League 1, but he was so much more than just goals, he always gave off an aura of quality to me whenever I watched him play, and who knows what might have been if we’d have managed to keep him in League 1.

SUBS

Scott Bevan – A commanding figure and a very good keeper, played during a successful couple of years of which he was a big part, first choice keeper until an injury very late on in the season in the promotion winning side of 2009 but regained the spot in League 2.

Steve Woods – Alongside Craig Taylor at the heart of the defence during that promotion to League One side, later becoming captain in his own right and a key member of the squad for eight seasons.

Chris Robertson – He pushed Joe Lewis all the way for a place in the first XI, a player that I absolutely loved, played a massive part when we didn’t concede a single goal in the league for 5 whole months (the fact that there was a pre-season in there is totally irrelevant!).

Matt Hockley – He sticks out as ‘Mr Torquay United’ to me, tenacious, hard working, determined, versatile and so much more. I always felt like he didn’t always get the recognition that he deserved but he is someone who certainly more than played his part.

Eunan O’Kane – Probably the most naturally talented footballer I’ve seen at Torquay, he could seemingly do anything on a football field and I always thought we were incredibly lucky to have him with us. He was always destined for bigger and better things, and playing in the Premier League and internationally is testament to that.

Lee Mansell – Another one who is worthy of the title ‘club legend’. Sixth all time appearance holder for the Gulls, he was a massively influential member of all the squads he played in and was a massive miss when he eventually left.

Jamie Reid – It’s always special when a local lad turns out for a club like ours and Reidy was something special. A massive part of the NLS winning squad in 2018-19 with an incredible goal ratio, it was gutting but sadly inevitable when he did leave but he’s forged himself a more than decent career in the EFL. Hopefully we will see him gracing the Plainmoor turf in a yellow shirt again one day before he hangs up his boots.

Scott Bevan – Photo courtesy of Herald Express

MANAGER – LEROY ROSENIOR

The leader of the greatest Torquay side that I have seen, and the man who took the club to heights that are difficult to see being replicated any time in the immediate future, and was so close to keeping us in League 1 against all the odds. But even with his footballing achievements aside, a thoroughly decent person as well.

Honourable mentions here as well for Paul Buckle who built an exciting team from scratch and regained our Football League status and nearly got us into League 1. Just a shame that his time with us ended in the fashion that it did. Also for Martin Ling, I am a massive fan of his time with us and what he achieved, it’s really sad that it ended in the way that it did as I am certain that there were more good times to be had under him, he built a very competitive squad under difficult circumstances, and I feel like if things had worked out differently that we could have achieved promotion under him.