There have been many highs and lows since Torquay United were relegated from the Football League at the end of the 2013-14 season. During this time, we've had the 'great escapes' under Kevin Nicholson in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Relegation to National League South followed in 2017-18, but this was swiftly followed by an immediate return as champions under Gary Johnson - the club's first title since the 1926-27 campaign.
Two years later, there was the disappointment of missing on that now infamous day at Ashton Gate in the National League Play-off final against Hartlepool United, which was then followed back relegation back to National League South in 2022-23.
However, the decade did see some outstanding players turn out for the club, including some exciting loan signings, many of whom deserved to be part of a team who won promotion to the EFL.
I have now taken on the arduenous task of selecting a best eleven from this period, which I've opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, and I will start with the goalkeeper and defence.
(The main criteria for inclusion in this team is no short term loan signings, no there is no Kieffer Moore, Rhys Healey, No Nico Lawrence or Sinclair Armstrong, but season-long loan signings are included).
Goalkeeper: Shaun MacDonald
Geordie goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald became a firm fans’ favourite across his two spells with the Gulls. A National League South title winner in the 2018-19 campaign, he opted to leave Plainmoor in the summer of 2021, but returned early in the 2021-22 season and went on to win the club’s Player of the Year award - becoming the first goalkeeper to win the award since Kevin Dearden in 2001-02.
Right-back: Durrell Berry
Durrell Berry’s first spell with Torquay United came in the 2014-15 season when he joined the Gulls on a non-contract basis after leaving Plymouth Argyle. However, United manager Chris Hargreaves was unable to offer him a full contract to due to budgetary constraints and he signed for Cheltenham Town instead. He re-joined United in the 2015-16 campaign in between Paul Cox's ten game spell in the charge and the arrival of Kevin Nicholson. Berry went on to become a regular for the Gulls in 'Great Escape 1' under Nicholson - with arguably his best game coming in their 4-1 win on Boxing Day in which he scored his only goal for the club. Sadly, a broken leg sustained in an away fixture with Dover Athletic towards the end of the 2015-16 season ultimately brought the curtain down on his United career.
Centre-back: Angus MacDonald
After enjoying two loan spells with the Gulls under Martin Ling, Angus MacDonald joined the Gulls on a permanent basis following their relegation from the Football League in 2014. Unfortunately, despite a promising start to the 2014-15 campaign, United floundered and they ended the season in 13th place. MacDonald then found himself playing under three different managers in a short space of time after Chris Hargreaves’ departure and Paul Cox brief stint in charge before Kevin Nicholson was appointed. MacDonald was handed the captain's armband by Nicholson and he proved to be another influential figure during Nicholson's first great escape. He was one of United's key performers, despite having the threat of a three-match ban for receiving a 15th yellow card hanging over him for much of the time towards the end of the 2015-16 season. His efforts later earned him a £100,000 move to Barnsley and he has since appeared for the likes Hull City and Aberdeen, and he featured for the latter in the Europa League during the 2023-24 campaign.
Centre-back: Nathan Smith
Nathan Smith became the first loan player to win the club's player of the year award in the 2015-2016 season whilst on a season-long loan from Port Vale. Although he was only five feet ten inches tall, Smith still managed to win numerous aerial duels with players who were far taller than him, which he combined with fabulous positional sense. Since returning to Vale Park, he has been a regular for the Valiants in both Leagues One and Two.
Left-back: Liam Davis
Despite missing the first 13 games of the 2017-18 season - due to a heel injury - Davis was an ever-present for the remainder of the campaign as United dropped into National League South. He then went on to be a key figure in a United side that won the National League South title - and not only did he only play in every game of the 2018-19 campaign, but he also played in practically every minute as well, as his overlapping runs helped to set up numerous attacks. An injury sustained in an FA Cup tie with Maidstone United in the 2019-20 campaign, which he never managed to recover from, brought his time at Plainmoor to an end.
