TT GROUNDHOPPING

Alan Wills – @alanjwills

Alan looks back over 2025

Sat 4 Jan 2025 – Worthing (A) – L 1-5

It was an FA Trophy fourth round match to start the year. This was not where we expected to travel though, but Worthing were reinstated in the competition after losing the previous round to Gosport Borough on penalties. Gosport were thrown out of the FA Trophy due to fielding an illegible player in the round before that.

A visit to the windy seafront was followed by drinks in a chilly but cosy beer garden which looked like a vintage sitting room complete with a wrought iron fireplace.

Hopes of a win were brought back down to earth, first by there being no strikers in the team, Jordan Thomas missing a sitter, and a very spicy Mo Faal hat trick.

Jordan Young got the consolation goal with another worldie free kick.

To add insult to injury, it snowed on the way home. No wonder we were so cold during the match.

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 – St Albans City (A) – D 1-1

My first visit to St Albans was the final away match of the 2018-19 NLS Championship winning season, and I had also seen us win 1-0 in our first season back in the NLS.

Hoping for a hat-trick of wins, I drove the Musketeers and Buddy the blind bichon up to Hertfordshire.

A walk around the local park next to the stadium was followed by a visit to The Crown, meeting up with the usual suspects, including Tom Kelly and Clive Hayward for a few Guinness Zeroes.

United spurned a plethora of chances in the second half, and a goal from a corner was unjustly disallowed as it had been deemed to have curled out of play on its trajectory to the penalty area.

Two points dropped then this time around, but Buddy seemed to enjoy the match even though he cannot see!

Tue 21 Jan 2025 – Slough Town (A) – D 2-2

A short Tuesday evening train journey for me, and a great atmosphere at Arbour Park, with plenty of members of the Yellow Army making the journey, including a few familiar podcast and radio hosts.

Torquay took the lead with a goal from Jordan Young, before Slough equalised.

Then, substitute Dean Moxey scored what we thought was the winner late on, and an end to the away shirt curse, before we let Slough in for a gutting injury time equaliser.

Another two points dropped!

Sat 1 Feb 2025 – Maidstone United (A) – L 0-1

Pre-game drinks in the spoons and The Royal Albion where ale was a rarity.

A tight match notable for Jordan Dyer returning from injury, then coming off just before half time, before the Torquay defence being penetrated by Seaman in the second half for the eventual winner.

I rushed to get the train home straight after the final whistle, but ended up going to Maidstone West instead of Maidstone East station. Thank you Apple Maps! Other apps are available.

Sat 22 Feb 2025 – Chelmsford City (A) – L 2-3

A legendary away day where three Musketeers surrender their driving licenses to the Dott app in order to rent three electric scooters, and somehow navigate their way to the Melbourne Community Stadium in one piece.

Cody Cooke bags a penalty, Matt Jay scores a worldie from the halfway line, and The Gulls are cruising to victory.

It all went wrong into the second half, with Chelmsford scoring from a penalty, then getting an equaliser.

Sub Dylan Morgan being sent flying and falling awkwardly which ended his afternoon, and significantly his season, and Chelmsford nicking a late winner for an unlikely victory.

The only consolation was a ride in a party bus back to the train station, complete with flashing lights and a smoke machine accompanying a sound system blasting out Children by Robert Miles.

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 – Weston-super-Mare (A) – D 1-1

Another big turnout from the Yellow Army, again squeezed into the small standing area behind the goal.

Co-chairman Michael Westcott doing the rounds to assure fans that the signing of Congolese striker Offrande Zanzala could be the missing ingredient and take the pressure off talisman Cody Cooke. This proved not far from the truth with Cody taking a nasty knock to the head.

Matt Jay scored the equaliser from close range to gain a point on the night.

Sat 15 Mar 2025 – Dorking Wanderers (A) – W 1-0

This was what away days should be! A great selection of real ale pubs in the town close to the train station, and a fan zone as you enter the stadium.

There was a large and loud Torquay contingent of all the usual suspects and a lot of not-so-regulars.

Solid defending from our heroes in yellow and blue, and a header from Jordan Dyer in the last ten minutes lead to us securing an important three points.

The Dorking cock was silenced on this occasion.

Sat 29 Mar 2025 – Aveley (A) – W 1-0

A drive deep into the Essex countryside to almost relegated Aveley, and hopes were high.

However, it took a sending off in the second half and a late goal by supersub Cody Cooke to bag a vital win, and ensure that the Guinness was topped up for our merry band of regulars.

Fri 18 Apr 2025 – Truro City (A) – W 1-0

A train full of Gulls fans from Devon to Cornwall, a few beers at The Railway Tavern and a pre-booked taxi to the village of Threemilestone, where the Park and Ride and new Truro City “Stadium” were located.

In reality, most supporters in yellow were struggling to see the action in an area of flat tarmac behind one goal, but seemingly three miles away from the pitch.

The proper Cornish pasties were excellent, although they didn’t protect us from the inclement weather.

A timely winning goal from Matt Jay sent the crowd wild, and United held out to grab a morale boosting win…. Could we really do it?

The Yellow Army were clearly excited by the prospect, as the singing was jubilant on the train platform, and all the way home to Torquay.

Sat 26 Apr 2025 – Hemel Hempstead Town (A) – W 4-1

Somehow, our Co-Chairmen managed to secure a majority of the Focus Community Arena for the 2000-strong travelling Yellow Army hoping that St Albans City would do us a favour against Truro City and pave the way for another NLS Championship win.

The Crabtree Inn before the match was amass with Gulls fans in the beer garden, and they seemed to be taken by surprise as many potential patrons had to purchase their beers from a nearby shop, such was the pressure on the bar.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was something to behold, and the players did their part by cruising to a 4-1 win courtesy of a Cody Cooke hat trick, and the matchball for his house rabbits, Marley and BamBam,

However, Truro also got a big win over St Albans to win the Championship by two goals difference.

Fans were still upbeat though, and looking forward to the playoffs.