TT PREVIEW

Amy discusses Buckland Athletic

ABOUT ME

I am Media Manager at the club, responsible for the design and management of our X, Facebook and Instagram platforms.

PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GULLS

The partnership between Buckland Athletic and Torquay United has many different components. The first, and what most people think of is on the field. We’re able to offer a pathway right through from youth football to senior football and onto professional football. However the pathway also works backwards with the potential for loanees, coming back from injury etc. Away from the field, the two clubs have already collaborated on numerous occasions with having joint relationships with suppliers, using facilities, sharing equipment, supporting youth tournaments and many more. The partnership enables a robust relationship to exist with the clubs, supporting one another to raise the profile of South Devon football within our combined communities.

FIXTURE INCOME

Of course – the income is important, valued and appreciated. However, we are a club that is financially stable and not solely reliant on one particular source of income – as that’s unsustainable. The focal point and main attraction of this friendly is to unite two ambitious local clubs and hopefully put on a day for fans to enjoy, all being less than 5 miles up the road. It solidifies the growing relationship between the two clubs.

EXPECTATIONS/AMBITIONS FOR 25/26

Ambitions for the club this season are still high but with a new management team at the helm, we don’t want to create too much pressure on ourselves. We want to be successful but that doesn’t necessarily mean the target is to win the league. Our new manager Matt Cusack has laid out his ambitions for the side this year and the club aligns to those. Of course, the focal ambition remains to achieve promotion to the Southern League but also enjoy success in our domestic cups.

THE SQUAD

Without wanting to name names, the squad has undergone some recruitment during the summer with 8 new signings coming in. Our game with Torquay is our first pre-season at The VX3 Stadium – Homers Heath this campaign and so the first opportunity for many of our home supporters to see our new faces.

FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS

More of the same! We have a fantastic fleet of Hospitality Staff who will be on hand to feed and water all of our visitors at the weekend. I would ask to be patient with them as we anticipate a large crowd and so at times, there may be some queues for our amenities. However, Homers Kitchen will be serving hot food including chips, pasties, mozzarella sticks and more! We will have a BBQ for burgers and hot dogs. Homers Treats is our one stop shop for sweets and club merchandise and finally, we will also have an Ice Cream Van on site. So across all four areas, we’re confident we’ll be able to cater for all.

INVITES FOR THE YELLOW ARMY!

Yes! We have moved our midweek fixture night to a Wednesday so that we do not collide with Torquay midweek games, enabling fans to watch us both! Similarly, when Torquay play away and we’re at home, we offer a discounted entry price for TUFC season ticket holders.

STEVE HARRIS – MATCH PREVIEW

Match details: Buckland Athletic versus Torquay United

Venue: The VX3 Stadium, Newton Abbot

Date: Saturday 12th July, 2025

Kick-off: 12.30pm

Buckland Athletic fact file:

Year founded: 1977

Nickname: Bucks

Notable honours:

South West Peninsula League Premier:

Winners: 2009-10, 2010-11

St Luke’s Devon Bowl:

Winners: 2010-11, 2011-12

Manager: Matt Cusack

Matt Cusack joined Buckland Athletic as manager in the summer from Helston Athletic, who he led to promotion to the Southern League Division One South as Western League champions. A UEFA B licence holder, Cusack has also had spells in charge of Saltash United and Plymouth Parkway.

Player to watch: Jared Lewington

A familiar face to Torquay United fans from his brief spell with the Gulls in the 2019-20 season, Jared Lewington re-joined Buckland in 2023 from Taunton Town, when he became the club’s first ever contracted player. Since his first spell with the club, Lewington has also had spells with Truro City, Tiverton Town and Plymouth Parkway. Torquay United transfer business:

In: Monashe Sundire (Tamworth), Louis Dennis (Bromley), Callum Dolan (Fleetwood Town), Sonny Fish (Crawley Town), Jordan Thomas (Yeovil Town), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (Yeovil Town)

Out: Dean Moxey (Tiverton Town), Offrande Zanzala (Chester FC), Lirak Hasani (Truro City), Brad Ash (Bath City), Ben Seymour (Taunton Town season-long loan), Omar Mussa, Oscar Threlkeld, Finley Craske