TUST

TUST FAN ZONE

UNITED RIDE THEIR ENFIELD LUCK AS LOANEE WILSON RIFLES TORQUAY TO THREE POINTS

WHAT A WEEKEND AS UNITED’S WOMEN HIT THE TOP TEN

MERVO REMEMBERED WITH A NUMBER OF HEARTFELT TRIBUTES

Enfield, the name synonymous with rifles and motorbikes, for their second season running are facing the prospect of relegation from National South, so were difficult opponents last Saturday after their pitch passed an early morning pitch inspection.

Although on the following Tuesday their match at home to Dorking was called off – waterlogged pitch.

United found their opponents hard work with once again coming back from a goal down to win the match late on. An early start for both the team and the Yellow Army, who helped swell the attendance to 1,114, were rewarded with those oh so vital three points.
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On Saturday Torquay were indebted to Exeter loanee Kieran Wilson, not only for his 88^th minute penalty but also for his teenage rampage (apologies to The Sweet) causing the home side all kinds of problems and deservedly named in both the Non-League Paper Team of the Day and the Enterprise National South Team of the Week.

United may also be grateful to ex-Gull Will Jenkins Davies whose two goals for Bath City put a big dent in Worthing’s automatic promotion hopes. Worthing appear to have hit a loss of form as they went down 1-0 at Hampton in mid- week.

With most sides having either nineteen or twenty fixtures left the race for the title is beginning to look rather like last season.
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United’s opponents tomorrow, Hornchurch, are back on top but the four leading teams are only separated by two points.

Until Tuesday, when they lost 3-0 at Maidstone, Ebbsfleet had sneaked up the table with five straight wins. So, the side which holds its nerve will more than likely grab that top spot.

In this week’s press call Paul Wotton maintains his squad is the best in the league – we all hope he is proved correct.
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Frustratingly, Tuesday’s home match with lowly Farnborough the visitors, was the first Plainmoor game called off due to waterlogging for several years, mind you the pictures of Westcountry flooding confirm the amount of rainfall that has fallen.
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It was though a memorable double weekend success as United’s Women were the perfect ten, sinking Saltash 10-1 at Coach Road with the goals spread across five different players plus an own goal. That victory propelled United to the top of the table.

During the week manager Ryan Perks added a goalkeeping coach, George Hamill, who has moved to Plainmoor from Exeter City.
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Non-League Crowd Watch: York City 6,477, Scunthorpe 5,215, Rochdale 3,239.

Hats off to the 23 Braintree Town fans who made the 700- mile round trip to Truro on Tuesday night for the National League Cup Quarter-Final. Truro won 3-0 on penalties after Braintree’s on loan West Ham keeper scored a dramatic equaliser in the 95^th minute of normal time.
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This week there have been a number of heartfelt tributes to Mervyn Scoble the former TUFC webmaster with Michael Westcott and Jon Gibbes leading the way. ‘Mervo’ was obviously a character to whom Torquay fans, especially exiles, owe a huge debt of thanks for providing a vital online forum. His vision has now spawned a myriad of forums.

Let Westcott sum up, “Rest in peace, Mervo – and thank you for keeping so many of us connected to the Gulls, to South Devon and to each other.”
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Regular readers of this column reading it for five years in the Herald Express will know that I wrote at length about the possible dangers of heading.

The BBC reported this week that an inquest has found repeatedly heading a football is “likely” to have contributed to the brain disease which was a factor in the death of former Scotland and Manchester United footballer Gordon McQueen.

McQueen, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia, died in 2023 aged 70. The coroner concluded that the repetitive head impacts, sustained by heading the ball while playing football, contributed to the chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

In recent years the FA has introduced new rules, in 2022 heading was stopped in matches at Under-12 level and in 2024 began to phase out heading in youth games.
For those who would like to know more you can go the charity Head Safe at hello@headsafefootball.gov.uk.
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Could there be a trend developing? After United won 7-0, visiting Eastbourne players refunded their travelling supporters their entrance fees and then more recently Manchester City players offered to pay their supporters’ match tickets after a woeful loss against Bodo/Gliant in Norway.

Now what about the England cricket team’s supporters who travelled to Australia for the Ashes?
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TUST’s sponsored player Joe Hatch has seen a number of members pledging donations when he appears or scores. You can join them and pledge any sum to www.tust.co.uk. Many thanks to those who have done so.

Safe travels to those going to Essex tomorrow.