The year 2022 won't be remembered as a vintage one by Torquay United fans; the Gulls ended the 2021-22 season with an 11th place finish in the National League with exits at the first stage of both cup competitions.
It was also the year that the Gulls' automatic promotion success under Leroy Rosenior in the 2003-04 campaign officially became closer in time to United's Bryn the Police Dog inspired 'great escape' in 1986-87.
However, despite that achievement slowly disappearing into the midst of time, there is still something that Jimmy Ball's modern day Torquay United can learn from Rosenior's class of 2004 - namely the importance of developing strong partnerships all over the pitch.
One of the most crucial of these partnerships was the pairing of Steve Woods and skipper Craig Taylor at centre back. Taylor had made a big impression during a loan spell at Plainmoor from Plymouth Argyle in the 2002-03, and he returned to the Gulls on a permanent basis in the summer of 2003. Taylor proved to be an excellent foil for the more cultured Woods, who was more comfortable on the ball than your average lower league centre-back - although Taylor could play a bit himself.
On the left hand side of defence, Brian McGlinchey made the left-back position his own after joining on loan from Plymouth Argyle in September before signing permanently in January 2004, and linked up well with left winger Kevin Hill. With Hill not being an out-and-out pacey winger, he would often set up Northern Irishman McGlinchey for a number of overlapping runs where he provided plenty of ammunition to United's forward line of David Graham, Jo Kuffour and Martin Gritton in the form of crosses.
Hill's own crossing ability was an underrated aspect of his game, but his ability to outjump unsuspecting opponents taller than his own five foot nine inch frame made him a valuable asset, and he could be relied upon to chip in with the odd goal.
In contrast, the right hand side of the pitch saw a number of different combinations, as United started the season with Lee Canoville as right-back, with Jason Fowler on the right of midfield. However, an injury to Canoville saw centre-back Reuben Hazell fill in for him. Meanwhile, issues with injury which would later force Fowler to retire in February 2005, which saw his position filled at different times by the late Tony Bedeau and Liam Rosenior, son of Leroy, who joined on loan from Fulham.
The season before, 2002-03, had seen Fowler playing the centre of midfield alongside another midfield maestro in the form of Alex Russell. With two PFA team of the season nominations (2002-03 & 2003-04), a player of the year award win in 2002-03 and, of course, promotion in 2003-04, Russell must surely go down as the club's most decorated player of all-time?
Alongside tough-tackling local lad Matt Hockley, Russell played some of the best football of his four years at Plainmoor, as the 'conductor of the Torquay United orchestra.' Hockley's role in the side would often see him win the ball for Russell and then make himself available receive it, which Russell would regularly do. This helped him to raise his own personal levels as he enjoyed the finest season of his eight years with the Gulls.
Up front, United enjoyed the benefits of having two 30 plus goal-a-season strike partnerships in the form of David Graham and Martin Gritton in 2002-03, with 15 and 16 goals respectively, and Graham and former Arsenal trainee Jo Kuffour in 2003-04 with respective tallies of 23 and 11.
The partnership of Graham and Kuffour wasn't your typical lower-league forward pairing. Neither were a conventional target man, Graham's touch and movement was also so good that could play the role of a target man. Both men also possessed a level of pace and trickery which was often difficult to handle for most Division Three defences. Although Gritton fitted the bill of a target man, he had a 'good touch for a big man' and tirelessly pressed opposition defences to create space for teammates.
Whilst certain partnerships within the current United squad were already in place when Jimmy Ball arrived, and there are new ones which are still developing.
Nevertheless, when they all come together, they will so to good effect - just as they did in 2003-04.
