It's just over two and a half years since they last made the journey to Victoria Park to face Hartlepool United, but Torquay United will be heading to the North East port town under very different circumstances to their previous trip.
The Gulls' 1-1 draw against the Pools in April 2018 saw them condemned to relegation to the National League South - thus ensuring that they would be playing regional non-league football for the first time since 1927.
However, the appointment of Gary Johnson five months later started a chain of events that led to a rapid turnaround in United's fortunes. The National League South title was claimed at the first attempt in the 2018-19 campaign, and after a season of consolidation they now head to Hartlepool as National League leaders for a fixture that could be described as a 'six-pointer'.
From the Gulls' side that featured that day only Connor
Lemonheigh-Evans, who was in his first loan spell from Bristol City, is
the only survivor from that occasion who is likely to be lining up for
the Gulls; Liam Davis featured that day at left-back, but he is still
currently sidelined with injury.
Hartlepool themselves faced difficulties of their own that season, as a takeover by former Darlington chairman Raj Singh saved them from administration and possible liquidation. Like the Gulls, the Pools are now on track for a shot at a return to the Football League and they currently lie fourth in the National League table and they are unbeaten in all competitions so far this season. The appointment of former AFC Fylde boss Dave Challinor in November 2019 has helped to galvanise them.
It's also nearly 30 years since the Gulls and the Pools both won promotion from the 'old' Fourth Division in the 1990-91 season. Torquay went up as play-off winners that season, following a sudden death penalty shoot-out win over Blackpool at Wembley, while Hartlepool went up automatically with Alan Murray steering them over the line after the late Cyril Knowles, who had managed the Gulls several years earlier, was taken ill with the brain tumour that would later claim his life.
Could history repeat itself again 30 years later and see both sides promoted together again?
