Conference Torquay United

[Steve Gilbert]

Torquay have today gone into administration and Gary Johnson has stepped down as manager.

Torquay United to go into administration

Torquay United are to go into administration after owner Clarke Osborne says he can no longer fund the National League South club.

www.bbc.co.uk

Sad to see any club go into administration but I’ve always had a soft spot for Torquay after having some great weekends down there when we used to play them in the league.

Hopefully they will be able to survive and make their way back up the leagues.

 

[38yearsofpain]

Torquay have today gone into administration and Gary Johnson has stepped down as manager.

Torquay United to go into administration

Torquay United are to go into administration after owner Clarke Osborne says he can no longer fund the National League South club.

www.bbc.co.uk

Sad to see any club go into administration but I’ve always had a soft spot for Torquay after having some great weekends down there when we used to play them in the league.

Hopefully they will be able to survive and make their way back up the leagues.

Agree a sad day, always a very friendly club.

 

[Underfaker]

I used to live in torquay, saw many great games there, very sad to see this.

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

Great little club.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

I used to live in torquay, saw many great games there, very sad to see this.

Their supporters bar was always a cracking little place to go for a pre match pint and a good away end that kept the noise in.

When I was at university at Preston I drove down with a stoke fan to watch us play there, 7 hours there, 8 hours back, 3-0 up at half time only to then draw 3-3. My Stoke supporting mate said it was one of the best games he had been to, for me it was a very very long journey back!

 

[mickbrownsconscience]

Jack Midson's finest hour must have been that brilliant hat-trick in the 4-3 win at Torquay.
Should never have....

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Jack Midson's finest hour must have been that brilliant hat-trick in the 4-3 win at Torquay.
Should never have....

It was also the ground where Maclean stood on the ball mid game and show boated to a different level!

 

[SGP]

Clark Osborne .. what can I say , land development is what all he is about , Eastville Stadium , Groveway Stadium , Smallmead Stadium , Abbey stadium almost gone , now he has taken Torquay to near oblivion promises a new stadium just wants land to build on , nothing but distaste for the man & his company

 

[unification]

If I was to make up a list of mainstays of fourth tier clubs, Torquay would always be there. Rochdale, York and Cambridge would all be there too. Fun to play for a season or two - especially Torquay over a bank holiday weekend - but you’re happy not to see for a few seasons.

It's sad to see the Devon side so low down nowadays. I hope they can survive the administration.

Amazingly Gary Johnson wasn’t sacked after they were relegated. That’s such an old fashioned thing to do.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

If I was to make up a list of mainstays of fourth tier clubs, Torquay would always be there. Rochdale, York and Cambridge would all be there too. Fun to play for a season or two - especially Torquay over a bank holiday weekend - but you’re happy not to see for a few seasons.

It's sad to see the Devon side so low down nowadays. I hope they can survive the administration.

Amazingly Gary Johnson wasn’t sacked after they were relegated. That’s such an old fashioned thing to do.

I’d add in Chesterfield, Macclesfield, Bury and Southend into that list too. 3 of those have dropped due to dodgy owners and Rochdale are also close to going into administration.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

I’d add in Chesterfield, Macclesfield, Bury and Southend into that list too. 3 of those have dropped due to dodgy owners and Rochdale are also close to going into administration.

Macclesfield will always be a conference/ National league for me tbh .
Now ...Orient , Doncaster , Chester , Halifax all proper div 4 sides

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Macclesfield will always be a conference/ National league for me tbh .
Now ...Orient , Doncaster , Chester , Halifax all proper div 4 sides

If you include Macclesfield as a conference side then I’d say you have to class Chester as the same.
Chester being my local side for the last 10 years, I have to say that their fans deserve to have non league football, they aren’t the nicest bunch of fans and are very entitled.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

I vividly remember going to the FA Cup game at Chester in 2000, where we went 2-0 up and lost 3-2. I was about 12 at the time and went with my dad on the LRC. After the game as we were driving away from the stadium, a very fat man mooned us and his mate slapped him on the a**e.

To hell with them - they deserve only misery.

 

[Carlislehotdog]

Maclean, Beano, Alfie and Easty (first time around) were all on the bench that day.

Beano scored an absolute belter at Torquay one year - think it was the start of the Kitson/Wilder/Waddock debacle season. Can't find a video of it but he lashed in a cracker from the corner of the box in front of the away fans.

 

[Ox4Eva]

I have always disliked Torquay, not sure why, but can't stand them

But sad to see, but this is going to be happening to lots of clubs down the leagues.

 

[m]

If I was to make up a list of mainstays of fourth tier clubs, Torquay would always be there. Rochdale, York and Cambridge would all be there too. Fun to play for a season or two - especially Torquay over a bank holiday weekend - but you’re happy not to see for a few seasons.

It's sad to see the Devon side so low down nowadays. I hope they can survive the administration.

Amazingly Gary Johnson wasn’t sacked after they were relegated. That’s such an old fashioned thing to o.

Wash your mouth out for omitting Northampton!

 

[m]

I’d add in Chesterfield, Macclesfield, Bury and Southend into that list too. 3 of those have dropped due to dodgy owners and Rochdale are also close to going into administration.

Southend probably belong in tier 3 tbf.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Do Torquay own their stadium?

 

[unification]

Wash your mouth out for omitting Northampton!

A purely empirical exercise, I’ve devised the ultimate fourth division. Clubs that just give the vibes of being in the EFL but nearly always in the lowest division of it. If you told me that any two of these sides were playing each other this weekend, it would so feel like a fourth-division fixture.

In no particular order:

1. Torquay
2. York
3. Carlisle
4. Bury
5. Macclesfield
6. Rochdale
7. Northampton
8. Exeter
9. Leyton Orient
10. Shrewsbury
11. Wrexham
12. Grimsby
13. Scunthorpe
14. Hartlepool
15. Mansfield
16. Crewe
17. Walsall
18. Cambridge
19. Cheltenham
20. Doncaster
21. Newport County
22. Stockport
23. Hereford
24. Darlington

Honourable mentions:

• Hull City but only before the move to the KC Stadium. Boothferry Park was so fourth tier. Likewise Swansea at the Vetch Field who could fly through the divisions and then fall back just as quickly.
• Barnet could well qualify for yo-yo status between the fourth tier and NL.
• Wycombe’s recent history has seen them steer clear of the list. I ummed and ahhed whether they should be there. Colchester and Lincoln also have too many non-league vibes.

 

[RgYellows]

A purely empirical exercise, I’ve devised the ultimate fourth division. Clubs that just give the vibes of being in the EFL but nearly always in the lowest division of it. If you told me that any two of these sides were playing each other this weekend, it would so feel like a fourth-division fixture.

In no particular order:

1. Torquay
2. York
3. Carlisle
4. Bury
5. Macclesfield
6. Rochdale
7. Northampton
8. Exeter
9. Leyton Orient
10. Shrewsbury
11. Wrexham
12. Grimsby
13. Scunthorpe
14. Hartlepool
15. Mansfield
16. Crewe
17. Walsall
18. Cambridge
19. Cheltenham
20. Doncaster
21. Newport County
22. Stockport
23. Hereford
24. Darlington

Honourable mentions:

• Hull City but only before the move to the KC Stadium. Boothferry Park was so fourth tier. Likewise Swansea at the Vetch Field who could fly through the divisions and then fall back just as quickly.
• Barnet could well qualify for yo-yo status between the fourth tier and NL.
• Wycombe’s recent history has seen them steer clear of the list. I ummed and ahhed whether they should be there. Colchester and Lincoln also have too many non-league vibes.

That’s a bloody good list.

I wonder what percentage of football supporters would put us in the Championship version, given some here think that’s our “natural” level.

I expect 0% outside an OX postcode.