KEVIN HILL AT 50

 Such is the passing of time that the majority of  Torquay United fans who were born after 2002 wouldn't have seen Kevin Hill make any of his record 474 appearances in all competitions for the Gulls. 

When he first joined United in the summer of 1997, few could have imagined that he would one day overtake Dennis Lewis’ seemingly untouchable club appearance record and become a bonafide Torquay United legend in the process.

As a youngster, he had been rejected by Exeter City for being ‘too small, not strong enough and couldn’t win headers.’ If you consider that he gained the reputation for being able outjump players far taller than his five feet nine inch frame, you begin to wonder just how wrong you can be about somebody!

I've often wondered how I would describe what kind of player Hilly, primarily a left winger - who also filled in at left-back, centre midfield, centre back and even centre forward, was. 

First of all, I would say that he was physically average; he was quick, without being super quick; he was strong, without being bulky and at standing at five feet nine, he certainly wasn't the tallest. 

However, the latter on the above list never stopped him from being able to outjump players far taller than him. Nevertheless there was more to him as a player than that, as well as having incredible work rate and stamina, he could deliver a decent cross and his knack of making runs into the box also helped him score a number of goals; he finished the 2000-01 season as United's top scorer with ten. 

Having got to know Hilly during my brief time working for the club as programme editor towards the end of his 11 years at Plainmoor between 1997 and 2008, I can also say he is the most positive person that I've ever known and a shrewd judge of character. Two traits that have served him well as a manager of Exmouth Town, who he has helped guide from the South West Peninsula League to the Southern League Division One South. 

I'll leave you now with a selection of five of his most memorable moments in a Torquay United shirt, many of which can be found on Youtube. 

1.      Versus Stockport County (H) New Year’s Day 2004.

On the stroke of half-time, with the game poised at 0-0, Stockport keeper Neil Cutler was poised to take a goal kick, but little did he know that Hilly was standing behind him.

Hilly then preceded to nick the ball off Cutler before calmly slotting home into an unguarded net to give United the lead with arguably the cheekiest goal ever scored by a Torquay United player.

2.      Versus Barnet (A) May 5, 2001.

United’s brief heading into their final day decider with Barnet at Underhill was simple: avoid defeat or face relegation from the Football League for the first time ever.

Playing down Underhill’s famous slope in the first half, the Gulls took the lead on ten minutes when Jason Rees found the back of the net with a 25 yard strike. In the 25^th minute, Hilly doubled the Gulls lead when he rose highest to head home a corner from the late Paul Holmes to give United an invaluable two-goal cushion. It was also his tenth goal of the season, which put him top of United’s goal scoring charts.

David Graham later added a third just before half time, but Barnet pulled two goals back before forcing the Gulls to survive a late onslaught and Hilly was one of a number of players who made several important blocks to keep the Bees at bay.

3.      Versus Carlisle United (A) April 29, 2006.

Once again, United found themselves looking to complete another ‘great escape’ and they headed to League Two champions elect Carlisle United needing a result to avoid what would be a second successive relegation.

After keeping the Cumbrians’ strike duo of former Sunderland and Leeds frontman Michael Bridges and Karl Hawley, who would later find his way to Plainmoor in his career, at bay before Hilly gave the Gulls the lead on eight minutes.

Jo Kuffour drifted out to the right and produced a cross which picked out Hilly and he leapt off the ground and headed home to score his ninth of the campaign, with what could be described as the nearest thing to human flight as he appeared to hang in the air momentarily!

Four minutes before half-time, Kuffour went from being provider to scorer with a shot on the turn following good work from Martin ‘Buster’ Phillips and Lee Thorpe. In the second half, Carlisle pulled one back through Zigor Aranalde, but the Gulls held on to secure an important win.

4.      Versus Macclesfield Town (H) January 24, 2004.

In the eighth minute, a corner kick from Alex Russell was flicked on by Steve Woods towards Hilly, who, with his back to goal, opened the scoring with a ‘bicycle kick’ over his head as United went on to win 4-1.

5.      Versus Exeter City (H) May 5, 2008, Blue Square Premier Play-off semi-final.

The Gulls lead 2-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg at St James Park and they led further on 58 minutes when Tim Sills crossed to Chris Zebroski on the right, and Zebroski – in turn – rolled the back into the path of Hill, who beat Grecians keeper Paul Jones from 10-yards with a left-footed strike.

It was Hilly’s first goal against Exeter and on the same day that he equalled Dennis Lewis’ club appearance record; the script seemed to perfectly written as his effort had put United closer to reaching Wembley and the chance to secure an immediate return to the Football League. However, it would all go horribly wrong as the Grecians came back to win 4-1 to reach the final against Cambridge United. 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS CHELMSFORD CITY

 1. Winless run goes on. 

United's defeat to Chelmsford City extends the Gulls' winless run to five games, which includes four defeats and a draw, and a team that 18 days previously sat top of National League South now sit fourth in the table, which ultimately has cost Paul Wotton his job as manager, 

This season and last has proved that the National League South to be the most unpredictable of divisions in English football, and United's recent run of form has left them needing a run which is the opposite of the run that have previously been on. 

2. Saturday-Tuesday can work to United's advantage. 

With United now facing a Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday routine which sees Farnborough and Salisbury FC visit Plainmoor for successive Tuesday night fixtures on March 3 and 10, with Saturday afternoon clashes with Ebbsfleet United away (March 6) and Chesham United at home (March 14). 

Therefore the Gulls have the opportunity to put things right very quickly, starting in what will be the first of Neil Warnock's interim reign as manager - however long that may be. 

3. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton. 

In recent weeks, central midfielder Sonny Blu Lo-Everton has emerged as one of United's key performers, and Saturday was no exception. Lo-Everton always looked to get on the ball and tried to make things happen and never hid. His efforts were recognised with being named as the sponsor's man of the match. 

4. Will Tizzard's cameo. 

Not included in the starting line-up due to his late arrival at the club, therefore he hadn't had a chance to get to know his new teammates properly, Sutton United loanee Will Tizzard made a promising cameo from the bench. He was part of a triple change by Wotton, which saw Matt Jay and Exeter City loanee Kieran Wilson enter the fray along with Tizzard in place of Jordan Thomas, Cody Cooke and Dylan Morgan. Wotton also switched the formation from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3. 

With first choice centre back duo Jordan Dyer and Sam Dreyer still injured, I would say it's dead cert that Tizzard will be named in the United starting XI against Farnborough on Tuesday night. 

PAUL WOTTON: SO NEAR, YET SO FAR

 It wasn't supposed to end this way, surely? 

When the Bryn Consortium were unveiled as the new owners of Torquay United after bringing the club out of Administration, with Neil Warnock being announced as football advisor and Paul Wotton appointed as manager, it really did feel like a dream team to take the Gulls forward again, following several years of stagnation. 

In Wotton, United appeared to have found an upwardly mobile managerial talent who would be the man to lead the club back into the National League challenge for a return to the Football League. 

After he finishing his playing career in his second spell with hometown club Plymouth Argyle, Wotton remained at Home Park as first team coach and assistant manager under John Sheridan and Derek Adams respectively before taking his first steps into management with Truro City in 2019. 

Following a couple of Covid-19 curtailed campaigns, Wotton eventually led the White Tigers to promotion from the Southern League Premier Division South through the play-offs in the 2022-23 season. This was then followed by a 16th place in National League South prior to his appointment at Plainmoor. 

Wotton went about building his squad in a pragmatic manner; for any former player who can count Warnock, Paul Sturrock and Tony Pulis amongst their former managers fitness and organisation were  always likely to be a given when they became a manager themselves, and so it proved with Wotton. 

He built a new squad virtually from scratch, with central defender Austen Booth the only player under contract at the time of his arrival. United started the 2024-25 campaign with a side that was set up to be tough to beat with a 3-5-2 formation that had a strong defensive trio of Jordan Dyer, Sam Dreyer and Jay Foulston. The three aforementioned names also formed part of a strong spine of goalkeeper James Hamon, his former Argyle charge Oscar Threlkeld in centre midfield and Cody Cooke up front. 

It was a move that paid early dividends as the Gulls won four of their opening six matches of the 2024-25 campaign. However, a set back would come in the FA Cup second qualifying round when they were beaten 3-0 by Bishops Cleeve of the Southern League Division One South. 

As his first season went to, Wotton added more flair to his squad with arrivals of Jordan Young and Dylan Morgan mid-season and they were followed in January 2025 by the capture of former Exeter City captain Matt Jay following his release by Colchester United. 

Despite a strong finish to the season, which included winning their last four games against Slough Town (h), Truro City (a), Weymouth (h) and Hemel Hempstead Town (a), United missed out on the title on goal difference to his former club Truro. Then, in the play-offs, the Gulls were beaten by a Boreham Wood at Plainmoor, who would go on to win promotion and are currently in the play-off places in the National League at the time of writing. 

Nevertheless, Wotton set about refreshing his squad for another crack at promotion to the National League adding to midfield with Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Matt Worthington, who had both won promotion from National League South with Yeovil Town in the 2023-24 campaign. Zimbabwean midfielder Monashe Sundire also joined with Tamworth and experienced attacker Louis Dennis arrived following his release by Bromley. Callum Dolan a loanee from the Gary Johnson era returned to the club on a permanent basis. 

At the start of the season, it seemed to be going to plan as United won their opening five home league fixtures for the first time since the 1982-83 season under Bruce Rioch. 

The Gulls' form in January 2026 also helped to earn Wotton the manager of the month award for January 2026, but their form in the next five games - four defeats and a draw - ultimately cost him his job. There were calls for him to go in his final game in charge against Chelmsford City, as there had been earlier in the campaign, but many supporters were prepared to back him until the end of the season. 

Injuries also conspired against him, against Chelmsford he was without influential centre back duo Jordan Dyer and Sam Dreyer after having already lost Callum Dolan for the remainder of the campaign. Cody Cooke also added himself to the list after going off with a shoulder injury. 

With a record in all competitions that reads played 87, won 44, drawn 20 and lost 23, Wotton can leave with his head held high, but his departure also reflects the levels of expectation at Plainmoor. Parallels can be drawn with managing a side who used to be in the Premier League, who were relegated from the Championship and then fell through to League One. Those expectations became increasingly higher after the Gulls went so close to winning the title in his first campaign in charge.  

In spite of his departure, the hope is that Wotton won't be lost to the game forever, and personally I think it's unlikely that will prove to the case. 

The challenge now is to revive United's fortunes in the final 13 games of the campaign, starting with Farnborough at home with Warnock in interim charge. 

CALDWELL REBUILT REPUTATION WITH GRECIANS

 Amongst his first words on returning as Wigan Athletic manager after leaving Exeter City were that we returns 'a better manager, a better person, far more experienced and ready for the challenge ahead.'

Caldwell has strong ties with the Latics, having captained the Latics' side that upset the odds to win the FA Cup against Manchester City in 2013 and then went on to lead them to the League One title in his first season as a manager in the 2015-16 campaign - his first full season in management. 

However, Caldwell was dismissed five months after leading Wigan back to the Championship and indifferent spells in charge of Chesterfield and Partick Thistle followed before he was appointed as Exeter City manager as successor to the Rotherham United bound Matt Taylor in 2022. 

At the time of his arrival the Grecians had just won promotion from League Two and were looking to re-establish themselves in the third tier with 14th, 13th and 16th placed finishes in the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons respectively. 

In addition to this, he also guided City to the fourth round of the FA Cup in 2024-25, where they were beaten by Nottingham Forest on penalties, which was the first time that the Grecians had reached that stage of the competition since the 1980-81 season. 

Whilst he never won a promotion with the Grecians, Caldwell will be remembered for being the guiding light in  one of the club's longest ever spells in the third tier in modern times. All of this was achieved at the backdrop of the Grecians' Supporter's Trust owned model coming under threat. The club's run of 479 games with an academy graduate in the Grecians' starting line-up came to an end on his watch, as the challenge of unearthing another Ollie Watkins, Ethan Ampadu or Matt Grimes became increasingly harder. 

Caldwell's immediate priority at the Brick Stadium will be to keep the Latics in League One, as they currently lie 22nd in the table - two points adrift from safety. With the Grecians currently on 39 points, his successor at St James Park also has some work to do to ensure that they will be playing League One football in the 2026-27 campaign. 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS MAIDENHEAD UNITED

 1. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton amongst the goals again. 

By being deployed further forward in the number ten role, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton has found himself amongst the goals as he took his tally for the season to three - and doubled his haul for the calendar year. 

Lo-Everton drilled home a strike from an angle on 41 minutes to give the Gulls what was at the time a richly deserved lead. 

It would some achievement if Lo-Everton managed to hit double figures for the 2025-26 season, but you wouldn't bet against him going close to it. 

2. Dan Hayfield a commanding presence in the centre of midfield. 

Dan Hayfield returned to the starting line-up in place of Jordan Thomas as Matt Worthington switched to right-back, and it was a decision that paid off for Gulls manager Paul Wotton as Hayfield produced a commanding display in the centre of midfield. 

He did the simple things well and came close to scoring on 26 minutes when he saw an angled effort parried away by Maidenhead keeper Jordi Van Stapperheof. 

With competition for places in central midfield hotting up after Matt Worthington and Monashe Sundire have returned from injury, Hayfield certainly staked his claim for one of the two starting berths. 

3. The penalty. 

Arguably the biggest talking point from Saturday was the penalty that wasn't given on 72 minutes for a challenge on Louis Dennis, which saw Dennis booked for diving. 

From a personal point of view, Dennis was bearing down on goal looking to score his 14th of the campaign and didn't need to dive in order to win a penalty. Whether referee Said Ouchane saw him fall at speed, which made his fall seem more unnatural, only he can answer. However, with no VAR available at National League South level, there was no way of having a second look at the challenge. 

Hopefully it will even itself out across the remainder of the campaign. 

4. Home and away. 

The Gulls' meeting with Maidenhead United was the 11th meeting between the two sides, but remarkably United's record against the Magpies is better away than it is at home. 

Torquay's away record against Maidenhead reads played five, won four, lost one, whilst their record against Plainmoor reads played six, won two, drawn two, lost two. 

If anyone knows of any other similar records, please get in touch. 

5. Still in contention. 

Despite drawing against Maidenhead, the Gulls are still in contention for automatic promotion from National League South. 

They dropped down to second place after Dorking Wanderers won 5-3 against Farnborough FC whilst Hornchurch moved to within a point of United after beating Tonbridge Angels 3-2. 

Dorking are due to face Hornchurch at the Meadowbank Stadium on Tuesday and all eyes will be on the outcome of that one. 

GULLS RETURN TO THE SUMMIT WITH A WIN OVER HORNCHURCH

 A second half brace from Jordan Young helped to earn Torquay United what could yet prove to be their most crucial victory of the season away to Hornchurch. 

United had trailed to an early curled effort from Angelo Balanta on nine minutes, but in the second half Young found himself in a one-on-one with Urchins keeper Arthur Nasta before slotting home the Gulls' equaliser on 50 minutes. Then, in the 69th minute, Young cut inside from the left and fired home to score his 15th goal of the campaign - which proved to be decisive. 

The result moves United to the top of the National League South table on goal difference ahead of Dorking Wanderers, who the Gulls are due to face at Plainmoor next Saturday. 

Had the outcome of the game gone against United, Hornchurch would have moved to the summit of the table instead of the Gulls, and they would also be five points clear of United with a game in hand. Therefore, come the end of the season in May, everyone could be looking back at this weekend as a turning point for Paul Wotton's side. 

With a midweek visit to Dover Athletic and next Saturday's clash with Dorking coming up, the Gulls have the potential to set themselves up for a strong finish to the campaign. 

THE NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH TITLE RACE HOTS UP FOR THE GULLS

 The National League South title won't be won or lost in the coming weeks, but the outcome of matches taking place within the next month could go a long way to deciding its outcome. 

As well as third placed Torquay United travel to league leaders Hornchurch on Saturday, second placed Worthing host Weston Super Mare before the pair meet again on the following Tuesday at Weston's Optima Stadium. 

Paul Wotton's Gulls also play on Tuesday night as they face a long trip to Dover Athletic (February 3) in a fixture re-arranged from January 3 ahead of a home clash with Dorking Wanderers (February 7). 

After seeing their midweek home fixture with Farnborough postponed due to the downpour following Storm Chandra, the Gulls head into this trio of fixtures with a near full strength squad with plenty of competition for places. 

Attacking midfielder Callum Dolan, who is a long term absentee, is unavailable. 

Despite still being without Louis Dennis, who still has two matches of his suspension to run, fellow joint leading scorer Jordan Young is available after missing United's recent 2-1 away win over Enfield Town. 

This gives Wotton arguably his biggest conundrum as he has to decide whether Young returns to the side in place of Exeter City loanee Kieran Wilson, scorer of United's decisive penalty against Enfield. 

Then Wotton also has plenty of options to choose from in midfield as Monashe Sundire continues his return to fitness, the United boss has the option of starting the Zimbabwean in the centre of midfield along with Matt Worthington or Dan Hayfield. Wotton could also move Sonny Blu Lo-Everton back from his 'number ten' role in a bid to incorporate both Young and Wilson. 

With United set to play Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday for much of February (the Gulls are set to travel to Chippenham on February 10 before hosting Maidenhead United on February 14 and later in the month head to Worthing on February 24 which precedes the hosting of Chelmsford City on February 28) - so rotation could be the key for Wotton to keep his squad fresh. 

By the time of United's re-arranged meeting with Farnborough on March 3, they will certainly have a clearer picture how the 2025-26 campaign will pan out for them.