With seven wins in eight pre-season friendly games, Torquay United will be looking to hit the ground running in the 2010-11 season. This sequence of form follows an impressive run-in at the end of the 2009-10 campaign that saw the Gulls keep a record seven consecutive clean sheets in their final seven matches.
Despite loan signings Michael Poke and Scott Rendell moving on to pastures new and Mustapha Carayol joining Lincoln City, Paul Buckle has been able to secure the services of experienced centre back Guy Branston on a permanent basis. Another former loan signing winger Lloyd Macklin has also made a permanent switch to Plainmoor after he was released by Swindon. Northern Ireland Under-21 striker Billy Kee has joined from Leicester City and goalkeeper Danny Potter signed from Cambridge to provide competition for Scott Bevan between the sticks.
The return of Martin Giritton on a six-month loan deal from Chesterfield adds more experience to the Gulls forward line as well as providing a link with the lasr Torquay side to win promotion in the 2003-04 season.
Former Norwich City midfielder Damon Lathrope was snapped up following a successful trial spell and joins a midfielde roster that already includes skipper Nicky Wroe, Lee Mansell who is now the Gulls longest serving player and talented Northern Irish youngster Eunan O'Kane.
In my final assessment, I feel that Paul Buckle has assembled what is probably Torquay's most exciting squad since they won promotion under Leroy Rosenior in 2004. If he can find a 30-40 goal a season partnership from last year's leading scorer Elliot Benyon, Gritton, Kee and Chris Zebroski, then the Gulls will most certainly have a big say in the promotion and play-off race.
