GARY JOHNSON'S FOUR YEARS AS TORQUAY UNITED MANAGER

Since he was appointed as Torquay United manager on September 13, 2018, Gary Johnson has taken the Gulls from 14th in National League South to the brink of a return to the Football League. In the 2018-19 season, he led United to the National League South title and two years later he followed up this achievement by guiding the Gulls to the National League Play-offs, where they lost out to Hartlepool United on penalties at Ashton Gate. 

Johnson is now of the longest serving United managers in recent times – having surpassed both Paul Buckle (June 2007 to May 2011) and Leroy Rosenior (June 2002 to January 2006). In addition to this, he is the fourth longest serving manager in the National League, behind Alan Devonshire (Maidenhead United), Luke Garrard (Boreham Wood) and Phil Parkinson (Altrincham). Also, only nine of the 92 managers in the Premier League and the Football League have been in their current roles longer than Johnson has been in charge at Plainmoor. 

In addition to this, his reign as United manager is third longest spell of his career, behind his first stint in charge of Yeovil Town, which lasted for four years and three months (June 2001 to September 2005), and his tenure as Bristol City manager of four years and six months (September 2005 to March 2010) – which is the longest spell of his career. 

• Games managed: 183 (33 in National League South, 129 in National League, ten in the FA Cup, nine in the FA Trophy, one National League Play-off semi-final, one National League Play-off final). 
• Goals scored (all competitions): 335 Goals against (all competitions): 217 
• Points won: 267 
• League titles won: 1 (2018-19 National League South) 
• Biggest win: 7-0 vs Lymington Town (A) FA Cup second qualifying round 2018-19 
• Biggest defeat: 2-6 Yeovil Town (A) National League 2019-20 
• Most number of games won in a row: 10 (13 November 2018 – 5 January 2019 – a club record).
• Longest unbeaten run in the league: 16 (22 September 2018 – 5 January 2019 – a club record).
• Highest individual goal scorer: Jamie Reid 66. 

Position on the list of the Gulls’ longest serving managers: 

1. Eric Webber 13 years and 7 months (October 1951 – May 1965) 
2. Frank Brown 6 years (May 1932 – May 1938) 
3. Mike Green 4 years and 2 months (March 1977 – May 1981) 
4. Gary Johnson 4 years (September 2018 – present) 
5. Paul Buckle 3 years and 11 months (June 2007 – May 2011) 
6. Leroy Rosenior 3 years and 7 months (June 2002 – January 2006) 
7. Frank O’Farrell 3 years and 5 months (May 1965 – October 1968) 

(All figures correct prior to United’s home fixture against Solihull Moors on September 13, 2022)