HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A NEW TIER

After waiting over 90 years for one league title, Torquay United are now mounting the challenge for a second in the space of three years amidst one of the most challenging periods in modern history. 

The Gulls head into 2021 with an 11-point lead at the top of the Vanarama National League table, as they bid to secure a return to the Football League under Gary Johnson - two years after winning the 2018-19 National League South title, United's first championship winning season since the 1926-27 campaign. 

Against some other events in the club's history such as the intervention of Bryn the Police Dog against Crewe Alexandra in 1987 and Leroy Rosenior's infamous ten-minute managerial reign in 2007, winning a league title in a season where for the most part fans aren't allowed inside the stadium due to Covid-19 restrictions wouldn't pale in comparison.

While yours truly hasn't witnessed a game at Plainmoor in what can be described as normal circumstances since February 29, 2020, when United beat Chorley 2-0 - whether that date is coincidence or not who knows? - a limited number of spectators have been allowed into Plainmoor for their last few fixtures. However, following Torbay's move (alongwith the rest of Devon) from Tier 2 to Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions, the Gulls will now revert back playing games behind closed doors for the foreseeable future. 

Watching games via the many streaming services offered by National League clubs will now become the preferred viewing method of choice again.

Another factor in addition to the reduced capacity of Plainmoor which could be regarded as strange is the fact that by this stage of the season the Gulls would normally have played over half their fixtures. United have only played 16 league games so far in the 2020-21 campaign, whereas in previous seasons they would have competed in the region of 28 league encounters. 

Nevertheless this shouldn't deflect from the job that Gary Johnson has done at Plainmoor. Should the Gulls secure a return to League Two in the summer of 2021, it would be Johnson's seventh promotion as a manager, and his third from National League level, which would see him trail Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock by one (Warnock currently has eight). 

Every achieved by Johnson has been done in the wake of losing his leading scorer Jamie Reid to Mansfield Town in the close season. Reid found the back of the net 21 times in the 2019-20 campaign, but the opportunity to test himself in League Two saw him uproot himself from South Devon to North Nottinghamshire, but the goals have been spread more evenly throughout the team in the current season. 

Summer signing Danny Wright is United's current top scorer with eight goals, but trailing him in joint-second place with five each is Asa Hall, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Ben Whitfield. This is in contrast to 2019-20, where Whitfield was the Gulls' highest scorer with seven and Jake Andrews was in third place with six. 

Given the events of the previous year, it will be a brave person to predict what will happen in the next 12 months. However, that doesn't mean that it won't be interesting to see how it all pans out.

SIX TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS YEOVIL TOWN

 1. Armani Little's free-kick. 

When Armani Little first joined United in the summer of 2019, he scored two sweetly struck free-kicks in pre-season against Plymouth Argyle and Swansea City's Under-23 side respectively. Unfortunately injuries have prevented Little from having a regular run in the side, but Little reminded the Plainmoor faithful of his aplitude for striking dead balls in the fifth minute, after he was felled on the edge of the area by Yeovil's Charlie Lee, to open the scoring for United. Unfortunately his afternoon was cut short in the 34th minute when he limped off and was replaced by Josh Umerah. However, Umerah made an immediate impact when his persistence to keep the ball in play helped to enable Aaron Nemane to score the Gulls' fourth of the afternoon on 36 minutes. 

2. The joy of six. 

It would be easy just to describe each of the six goals that Torquay United scored against Yeovil, but to score six goals with six different scorers is a very rare occurance in United's history. To underline the  rarity of this feat, United's previous 6-1 victory in a league fixture came on April 19, 1988 against Newport County, in a game that saw four different goal scorers find the target. Lee Sharpe, who had just agreed his transfer to Manchester United, and Paul Dobson both scored braces while Roger Gibbins and Jim McNichol were the other scorers. 

3. Half century for Whitfield. 

United boss Gary Johnson wasn't the only member of United's playing personnel involved on Boxing Day with previous connections with the Glovers. Central defender Gary Warren spent the 2018-19 season at Huish Park and left winger Ben Whitfield made 34 appearances and scored three goals whilst on loan with the Glovers from AFC Bournemouth in the 2016-17 campaign. Whitfield, who was on target against Yeovil in United's 6-2 reverse on Boxing Day, chipped in two assists on what was his 50th appearance for the Gulls. He also provided the cross for Danny Wright's second goal in the 9th minute and he also teed up Connor Lemonheigh-Evans for the Gulls' fifth on 53 minutes, following good work from Aaron Nemane. 

4. Biggest ever win. 

As well as avenging their 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Glovers on Boxing Day 2019, United also recorded their biggest ever win against Yeovil Town. The Gulls' previous highest winning margin came on November 10, 2007 when they beat the Glovers 4-1 in an FA Cup first round tie which was broadcast live on BBC One. 

5. Spare a thought for the Glovers. 

After reaching the National League play-offs last season, United's opponents Yeovil Town now find themselves in a position that the Gulls frequently found themselves in between the years 2015 to 2018. The Glovers are currently second from bottom in the National League and they will be hoping that manager Darren Sarll can turn things around.

6. Mind the gap. 

With second placed Sutton United and third placed Notts County seeing their respective Boxing Day fixtures called off due to covid cases, United have now increased their lead at the top of the National League to nine points. 

CLASSIC BOXING DAY ENCOUNTERS: TORQUAY UNITED 4 FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1 26 DECEMBER 2015

The winter of 2015 had proved to be one of discontent as far as Torquay United were concerned on the eve of their Boxing Day fixture with high-flying Forest Green Rovers. 

Earlier in the 2015-16 season, Paul Cox resigned after only ten games in charge - after working on an expenses only basis after succeeding Chris Hargreaves in the summer of 2015. United director of football Dean Edwards and Cox's assistant John Ramshaw both had brief spells in caretaker charge before the Gulls' board headed by Dave Phillips, who had taken over from Thea Bristow's consortium in the close season, appointed Kevin Nicholson as player-manager. 

With money tight at Plainmoor, it proved to be struggle for Nicholson at first and as United headed into their festive clash with Forest Green on the back of a 4-0 away defeat to Chester FC the omens didn't look particularly good. Nicholson was also yet to oversee a home win at Plainmoor, Luke Young was still sidelined with a knee ligament injury sustained in pre-season and the signings of the likes of Shaun Harrad, Nathan Blissett, Danny Racchi and Josh Rees who would prove to be so influential in keeping the Gulls in the National League hadn't arrived.  

Then there was the small matter that United were second from bottom in the National League table and Rovers were second place behind a Cheltenham Town side managed by Gary Johnson and captained  by Aaron Downes.

After a promising start, Forest Green finally made the break through on 20 minutes. Winger Keanu Marsh-Brown found the top corner from the edge of the penalty area, with a shot that had Gulls' keeper Dan Lavercombe well beaten, after Torquay’s stand-in skipper Courtney Richards headed an Elliot Frear corner straight into his path.

The Gulls’ response to going behind was both sharp and swift as a cross from Andre Wright picked out Tyrone Marsh who, in turn, found the target with an angled effort. Initially it had looked as though he had been denied by the reflexes of Rovers’ keeper Steve Arnold, but the linesman on the far side ruled that the ball had crossed the line.

Torquay edged ahead in the 37^th minute when an unmarked Marsh headed home a cross from Richards, following a short corner routine, to complete his brace.

Six minutes after the re-start for the second half, Kurtis Guthrie looked well placed to equalise for Forest Green, only to be denied by a fine reflex stop from Lavercombe.

With seven minutes to go, substitute Louis Briscoe looked well placed to score for the Gulls, after being sent through by Dan Butler, but he was twice denied by Arnold before the ball fell invitingly to Durrell Berry who slotted home to score his first goal for the club, which ended the game as a contest.

Then, in the 88^th minute, Wright burst clear of the Forest Green defence to add a fourth as United wrapped up their first league win since October 2015. It was also their first victory in front of the Plainmoor faithful since they defeated Macclesfield Town 1-0 in Cox's first game in charge on the opening day of the season. 

As late Christmas presents go it wasn't too bad and, although it only provided United with a temporary respite, it gave the Gulls a genuine belief that they could avoid the drop into the National League South with a few additions. 

And those additions would come in the January transfer window as messrs Harrad, Blissett, Racchi and Rees all arrived alongwith the returning Toby Ajala and Iffy Allen also joined from Yeovil Town.Later on in the season, Luke Young would even return for Eventually the corner began to turn for United, as a 1-0 win at Boreham Wood in early February 2016 proved to be the start of a revival that would culminate in a 2-0 win away at Bromley in April 2016. It was mission accomplished for Nicholson as the 'great escape' of 2015-16 was complete. 

The United XI that won 4-1 against Forest Gren  (4-4-2): Dan Lavercombe; Durrell Berry, Ben Gerring, Nathan Smith, Kevin Nicholson  (Josh Carmichael 86); Aman Verma, Simon Heslop, Courtney Richards, Dan Butler; Tyrone Marsh  (Louis Briscoe 74), Andre Wright

GARY JOHNSON'S GULLS OF 2020-21 ARE AMONGST THE BEST STARTERS IN UNITED'S HISTORY

With their place in the FA Trophy fourth round now assured, Torquay United manager Gary Johnson heads into the Gulls' festive fixtures with Yeovil Town - home and away - and Weymouth after overseeing one of the best starts in the club's history.

United have taken 32 points from a possible 42 points from their opening 14 National League fixtures - a feat which has only ever been achieved twice before. 

It was a record first set in the 1990-91 season when, under the guidance of Dave Smith, United went on an unbeaten run of 14 games, which included nine wins and five draws. This was also part of a then club record run of 15 league games unbeaten, which included a 1-1 draw at home to York City on the final day of the 1989-90 campaign. That record was eventually beaten in January 2020, as the Gulls went 16 games without defeat under Johnson enroute to winning the 2018-19 National League South title.

The last team to complete the feat was Paul Buckle's then new look Gulls' side of the 2007-08 season, who made a flying start to life in the Blue Square Premier. Like Johnson's current crop, Buckle's class of 2007-08 also won ten, drew two and lost two of their opening 14 league fixtures, as the club looked to bounce back from relegation from the Football League in 2007 at the first attempt. 

These figures are by far and away United's best points return after 14 games since three points for a win were introduced in 1981. Remarkably the next Gulls' side on this list in terms of points won is Chris Hargreaves' team of the 2014-15 season. Under Hargreaves, who captained United to promotion under Buckle in 2009, United won eight, drew three and lost three of their opening 14 National League encounters, which saw the Gulls pick up 27 points. This raised hopes of an immediate return to the Football League, following a second relegation from the Football League in 2013-14, before fading to a 13rd place finish. 

Hargreaves' men are followed on this list by a side managed by another former promotion winning captain. Wes Saunders, who captained the Gulls to play-off glory in 1991, oversaw a points return of 26 from 14 games as United fell short of reaching the play-offs in the 1999-00 season.

The late Cyril Knowles' two-legged play-off finalists of the 1987-88 campaign and Leroy Rosenior's team of the 2002-03 season, his first campaign in charge, are next on the list with 24 points. 

If the three points for a win criteria had been introduced when the Gulls were first elected into the Football League in 1927, other sides in United's history would feature higher in this list. Eric Webber's team of the 1959-60 season, who secured United's first promotion as a Football League club, won ten of their opening 14 Division Four fixtures, and drew one and lost three of the other four. This return would have translated to a points haul of 31, if three points for a win been applied to the campaign. 

Three years earlier in Webber's reign, in the 1956-57 season, United missed out on promotion from Division Three South to Alf Ramsey's Ipswich Town on goal average. The foundation of their title challenge came from a strong start to their campaign, which saw United win seven, draw five and lose two of their opening 14 fixtures, which earned them 19 points - a figure that would translate to 26 points using three points for a win.

Webber's successor Frank O'Farrell oversaw a run of nine wins, two draws and three defeats from United's opening 14 games of the 1965-66 season, which would amount to 29 points using modern calculations. Another promotion was sealed at the end of the campaign, United wouldn't be promoted automatically again until the 2003-04 season, and it proved to be start of the most successful era in the club's history.

In the 1990-91 campaign, United won the 1991 Division Four play-off final Blackpool on penalties under Smith's successor John Impey, while Buckle's men of 2007-08 would lose in the play-off semi-finals to Exeter City. However, Johnson will be aiming to ensure United can go one better in the 2020-2021 season and clinch the National League title.