'Some people seem to think a year or two in the Conference won't be too bad for this club, if you cut to Conference budgets and hope for the best there is a danger that the club could fall further.
'There needs to be a realisation that we are 200 miles from the nearest footballing hotbed and there are players at that level earning two or three times what some of our lads are earning."
Those were the words of the then Torquay United manager Keith Curle speaking to Four Four Two magazine shortly after the Gulls' first relegation from the Football League at the end of the 2006-07 campaign.
Since Curle, who now manages of Carlisle United in League Two, gave this assessment, the Gulls have won promotion back to the Football League, experienced a second relegation to the newly renamed National League and - following yesterday's 1-1 draw with Hartlepool United - will be playing in the National League South next season.
They now have the unwanted accolade of being the first former Football League club to be relegated into the division.
After two years of pulling off last ditch 'great escapes' under Kevin Nicholson, his successor Gary Owers was unable to complete a third to make the story into a trilogy.
Nicholson's dismissal after four games left a lot of fans wondering whether he could have engendered the same spirit levels that saw the Gulls avoid the drop in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns amongst the squad that he assembled in the summer of 2017.
However, without the level of guidance similar to what Nathan Jones enjoys at Luton Town, with former Nottingham Forest boss Paul Hart as his assistant for example, Nicholson would more than likely have found a third 'Harry Houdini' act difficult.
What followed Nicholson's dismissal proved to be particularly damaging, as a six-match spell under the caretaker management of Robbie Herrera saw the Gulls drop a number of unnecessary points in fixtures - most notably against Guiseley away, Solihull Moors at home and Chester FC at home.
Against Guiseley two conceding in the last five minutes saw them lose 3-2 despite leading 2-1, and in their home fixture with Chester United led 1-0 only to be forced to settle for a point courtesy of a late equaliser from Ross Hannah.
Had a permanent successor to Nicholson been lined up straight away - instead of having to wait for six weeks for Owers to be appointed - could relegation have been avoided?
The culture of conceding late goals did continue under Owers - Barrow away, Dagenham & Redbridge away stand out as examples. A number of loan signings and free transfers came and went with varying degrees of success before Owers and assistant Martin Kuhl finally managed to find a winning formula.
However, it ultimately proved to be too little too late as United's record in their previous eight games following their draw at Hartlepool reads: played eight won four, drawn two and lost two.
In total the Gulls have used 41 players this season, a figure which includes 24 permanent signings and 17 loan signings, only in the 1995-96 campaign (43) - when they survived being relegated by Stevenage Borough's Broadhall Way home not being up to league standard - and the 2006-07 season (42), under the chairmanship of Chris Roberts, have they used more over the course of a regular campaign.
Owers had already said they are looking ahead to next season already, if they are to make an immediate return from what will be a level of football that they haven't played at since the 1926-27 season, then they need a team which has a similar level of ability to the one which they are finishing the current campaign.
As Curle said if they cut the cloth accordingly to the league that they are being relegated into - they will find it difficult to escape from.
