GULLS GO FOR WOTTON

 Torquay United's new owners has appointed a new manager just days after agreeing a deal to buy the club with it's Administrators.

The Bryn Consortium, which has agreed to acquire Torquay United subject to creditor approval, has confirmed the appointment of Paul Wotton as first team manager. The Consortium also confirmed that Neil Warnock will join the incoming new board at Plainmoor as Football Advisor.
 
 Wotton joins Torquay from Truro City where he enjoyed five successful seasons, including winning promotion to the National League South in 2022, as Southern Premier South play-off winners. He was formerly first team coach and assistant manager at Plymouth Argyle, where he worked under John Sheridan and Derek Adams after hanging up his boots. 

After making his debut for the Pilgrims as a teenager in the 1994-95 campaign, Wotton went on to captain the Pilgrims to their Third Division championship under Paul Sturrock in the 2001-02 season. Two years later, he also captained Argyle to the Second Division title in the 2003-04 campaign and remained a regular at Home Park until his release at the end of the 2008-09 season. 
Spells with Southampton and Yeovil Town followed before Wotton returned to Home Park midway through the 2011-12 season. When he returned to Home Park, the Pilgrims had just exited Administration themselves and were fighting to avoid being relegated from the Football League, but Wotton played a key role in helping the Pilgrims retain their place in League Two under Carl Fletcher.
 
 “Following a meticulous search, the Consortium Board agreed that Paul’s credentials and vision were most closely aligned with our own and he will arrive at Plainmoor as part of a restructuring of the football set up at the Club,”  said Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, in-coming co-chairman.
 
 Devon-based Wotton has signed an initial three-year contract and will formally take up his post once the Bryn Consortium assumes day-to-day operations of Torquay United upon creditor approval of the CVA.
 
 Neil Warnock has managed sixteen clubs from the Premier League to Non-League, including a spell at Torquay United in 1993 which saved the Gulls from relegation. Warnock holds the record for the most promotions, with eight, and  the most games with 1,626.
 
 “We are delighted Neil is joining the Board. He brings an unrivalled wealth of football knowledge and experience to Torquay United as we look to rebuild. There is a strong chemistry and mutual respect between Neil and Paul and  we are excited about their approach to building a squad and the uncompromising brand of football they want our team to play,” added Michael Westcott, co-chairman of the Bryn Consortium.

The make up of Wotton's backroom staff is yet to be announced, but former interim manager Aaron Downes has left the club.

PAUL HOLMES 1968-2024

 Former Torquay United full back Paul Holmes has passed away at the age of 56, following a battle with cancer. 

The son of former Chesterfield stalwart, Albert Holmes, Holmes started his career with Doncaster Rovers who signed for the Gulls from in 1988 alongwith his close friend Sean Joyce under the late Cyril Knowles. 

Over two spells with United, between 1988 to 1992 and 1999 to 2003, Holmes made 270 appearances, scoring six goals and he also made significant contributions in two of the biggest games in the club's history. 

In the 1991 Division Four Play-off final at Wembley, he was one of the Gulls' five successful spot-kicks takers as United beat Blackpool 5-4 on penalties after drawing 2-2 after normal time and extra time. 

Then, ten years later, Holmes was part of a Gulls' side who pulled off one of the club's many 'great escapes' - as they beat Barnet 3-2 at Underhill in a final day relegation decider; Holmes once again made a significant impact as it was his corner that was headed home by Kevin Hill to score United's second goal of the afternoon. 

In addition to this, he also won the club's player of the year award in the 1991-92 season and then earned moves to Birmingham City (£40,000), Everton (£100,000) who he appeared for in the Premier League and West Bromwich Albion (£80,000) before returning to Plainmoor for his second stint. 

His career with the Gulls not only spanned generations of fans,but also players as he has the unique distinction of being a teammate of Matt Elliott, Wes Saunders and Mark Loram as well as Alex Russell, Jason Fowler and David Graham. 

He can also claim to have been a teammate of Neville Southall for both Everton and Torquay United.

After he retired from playing, Holmes continued to live in South Devon and worked as a porter at Torbay Hospital. He still attended matches at Plainmoor from time to time and his former teammates gathered for a fundraising event in Boots and Laces last September, which was given the title 'An Afternoon for Holmesy' - he was also present at United's final home game of the 2023-24 season against Havant & Waterlooville.

Our sincere condolences go out to his family and friends; he helped to create memories that, for those who saw him in action, will last a life-time.

A MEMORABLE MEETING WITH NEIL WARNOCK

After Neil Warnock announced his retirement from management following his departure from Aberdeen earlier this year, your correspondent takes a look back at a memorable meeting with the former Torquay United and Plymouth Argyle when the Pilgrims faced Crystal Palace in January 2010. 

To this day, Neil Warnock is still held in high regard by Plymouth Argyle fans after leading the Pilgrims to promotion from Division Three in the 1995-96 season. 

He has always received a warm welcome when he has returned to Home Park and his name is continually linked with the managerial vacancy whenever the Pilgrims are on the lookout for a new manager.

His return with Crystal Palace in January 2010 was no exception, and the Eagles' side that he was in charge of were on the verge of going into Administration - and it was hoped that the sale of star striker Victor Moses could be the answer to their financial woes.

Ever since Ian Wright made his name with Palace in the late 1980s and early 1990s, every young striker to emerge from Selhurst Park has instantly been compared to him - and Victor Moses was no exception. 

A whole host of clubs had been linked with him and there was even speculation that La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid were keeping tabs on him. 

Nevertheless, on the basis of his showing for Palace against the Pilgrims, Moses had proved that he was worthy of the hype as he received the ball from Luke Hills on the left before creating space for himself in the Pilgrims' penalty area before firing past keeper Romain Larrieu with a shot on the turn on 17 minutes - on a what was a very heavy pitch, it was a goal to be proud of.

An achievement made even more impressive by the fact he had passed a late fitness test on a foot injury.

Argyle were showing the ill effects of a midweek FA Cup replay with Newcastle United, which involved a 800 mile round trip, and didn't register a shot at goal until the 35th minute when Ashley Barnes forced a routine save from Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni. 

Shortly after Barnes' chance, Darren Ambrose forced an acrobatic save from Larrieu, and the Frenchman was called into again in first half injury time as he denied Moses a brace with a stunning one-handed save.

Bizarrely Barnes was substituted at half time and replaced by Alan Gow. It would later proved to be his final appearance in a Plymouth Argyle and he was later loaned out to Torquay United and then to Brighton and Hove Albion, who he would later join on a permanent basis. 

In the second half, Argyle rallied towards the end of the game as Alan Judge flashed a close range shot just past the post - as Palace came away with all three points. 

After the game in his post-match interview, Warnock heaped praise on Moses - and when yours truly asked him how long he expected him to remain a Crystal Palace. "Probably for another 24 to 48 hours" came the reply from Warnock. "We have had three or four concrete offers that don't match our valuation."

A few more questions followed before I piped with a final one, which was along the lines of: "So Neil, as a manager who has won promotion through the play-offs on several occasions, are you looking forward to another play-off challenge this season?"

He then paused and replied: "How old are you, son?" - to which I responded with: "Old enough to remember you winning promotion here." 

The press room then erupted into laughter before Warnock said: "Well, if I manage to get this lot promoted, I'll walk across the River Thames and meet you on the other side."

However, there would be no play-off campaign for Warnock and the Eagles as 11 days later they were placed in Administration and docked ten points, which saw them drop from ninth place in the table to two points above the relegation zone. 

On the final day of the January 2010 transfer window, Moses completed a £2.5million transfer to Wigan Athletic before going on to represent the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham United and Inter Milan. 

Warnock would leave Selhurst Park shortly afterwards and was later appointed as manager of Queens Park Rangers in March 2010, who he would lead to promotion from the Championship as champions in the 2010-11 season. 

Crystal Palace would retain their Championship status with a 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the 2009-10 campaign, which condemned the Owls to relegation instead, under the guidance of Warnock's successor Paul Hart. 

The following summer they were brought out of Administration by a consortium headed by Steve Parish and three years later they won promotion back to the Premier League, with a play-off final victory over Watford under the guidance of another former Plymouth Argyle manager in the form of Ian Holloway.

 

ARGYLE SECURE CHAMPIONSHIP STATUS

 Plymouth Argyle retained their Championship status with a final day win over Hull City courtesy of a strike from skipper Joe Edwards. 

With the game still goalless with five minutes to go before half time, Edwards rose highest to head home a cross from Callum Wright which ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides. 

It was a timely win for the Pilgrims as fellow relegation rivals Birmingham City beat Norwich City 1-0, so it will them who drop down to League One instead of Argyle.

FINAL DAY DECIDER FOR ARGYLE

 For Plymouth Argyle, the brief is simple - the Pilgrims must equal or better whatever Birmingham City do in their home fixture with Norwich City when they host Hull City at Home Park on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign. 

Bottom side Rotherham United are already down and they look set to be joined by Huddersfield Town, who need a thumping win against second placed Ipswich Town to even stand a slim chance of avoiding the drop. Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town, who occupy 19th and 20th place respectively with 50 points and could still go down if they fail to win their final day fixtures and Argyle and Birmingham both win. 

What both the Pilgrims and the Blues have in common is that their opponents both need points to make their postions in the top six secure. The Tigers managed by Liam Rosenior, the former Torquay United loanee and the son of ex Gulls boss Leroy, are currently in seventh place and a win could see them leapfrog West Bromwich Albion who currently occupy the final play-off spot in sixth place. 

A win over Birmingham City would seal Norwich's place in the end of season showdown, but a heavy defeat for them and convincing victory for Hull could see the Canaries miss out altogether. 

One player who could be a difference maker for Argyle is Morgan Whittaker who requires one more goal to become the first Plymouth Argyle player to net 20 league goals in a campaign since Steve Castle in the 1993-94 season.

BRYN CONSORTIUM CHOSEN TO LEAD GULLS' FUTURE

 As a young reporter with the Herald Express in May 1987, Michael Westcott penned a colour piece following Torquay United's 2-2 draw with Crewe Alexandra which saw the Gulls famously retain their Football League status - with Bryn the Police Dog playing his part. 

The Alsatian had broken free of his handler, PC John Harris, and sunk his teeth into United defender Jim McNichol - and in the time added on to treat his injury Paul Dobson netted the Gulls' equaliser which helped keep them up. 

Now, 37 years later, Westcott - now an experienced media professional - is leading a consortium which bears the name of the Gulls' canine hero as he and his colleagues work to bring United out of Administration after being chosen as preferred bidders by the club's Administrators Begbies Traynor. 

The group, which also includes fellow local businessmen Tom Allen, Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, Rob Hawes and Simon Robinson, have enlisted the help of former Gulls caretaker manager Neil Warnock who has been present at a number of United home matches towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign. 

However, the top priority now is to get the deal finalised and bring the Gulls out of Administration before the National League AGM in June.

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE

 1. Local boys done good. 

There was a decidedly local flavour to the Gulls' display against Havant & Waterlooville as a number of local boys made a big impact in the game. 

Austen Booth opened his account for his hometown club on 27 minutes with a stunning half volley, whilst Torquay-born Plymouth Argyle loanee Will Jenkins-Davies took his tally for the season to eight with a first half brace. 

Then in the second half, first year pro Callum Thomas made a steady cameo appearance after replacing Dean Moxey and sub Jacob Wellington, who has been a stand out player in United's Under-18 side, had a hand in Arkell Jude-Boyd's fifth (more on that below) and also went close himself with a shot that went wide. 

2. Arkell Jude-Boyd takes his tally to six. 

Since he joined the Gulls on loan from Queens Park Rangers, Arkell Jude-Boyd has shown that he has all the attributes of a modern day full-back, in terms of athleticism and his ability on the ball who is very similar in style to Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Jude-Boyd has also chipped in with a number of goals and he took his tally to six with seven minutes to go, as he found the target after Jacob Wellington had seen his effort blocked. 

He is the latest in a series of loan signings who have appeared for United in recent seasons, a list that includes Sinclair Armstrong, Stephen Duke-McKenna and Dillon De Silva, and he also won the club's young player of the season award. 

3. Dean Moxey wins player of the year. 

Veteran Dean Moxey capped a campaign where he has proved to be one of United's more consistent performers by being voted as the club's player of the season award. 

Moxey, who turned 38 in January, has rolled back the years on numerous occasions this season and his reading of the game befits a player who has played at the highest level (he appeared for Crystal Palace in the Premier League earlier in his career). 

The question is 'will we be seeing him at Plainmoor next season?' 

4. Aaron Downes. 

After stepping in as interim manager following the departure of Gary Johnson following the announcement that the Gulls would be filing for Administration, Aaron Downes has done an admirable job in helping United avoid relegation from National League South. 

Not only did Downes have to deal with the ten point deduction which came with Administration, he also had to contend with seeing the Gulls deducted an additional point for fielding an ineligible player. 

However, with a record of played 13, won five, drawn 3 and lost 5, Downes led United to safety with a win over Taunton Town in their penultimate league fixture. Now the question is: 'what part, if any, will the Aussie be playing for the Gulls going forward?'

5. A first double of the campaign. 

United's win over Havant and Waterlooville ensured that they completed the double over one of their National League South opponents for the first time this season, having beaten the Hawks 2-0 at Westleigh Park last November. 

It is the first time that the Gulls have completed the double over one of their divisional opponents on the final day of a campaign since they beat Barnet 3-2 on the final day of the 2000-01 campaign. 

6. The fans. 

In the past there has been suggestions that Torquay United fans lack passion, but to that I say those who accuse others of lacking passion are those without passion themselves. 

With a crowd of 3,379 to witness what was a 'dead rubber' - as the Gulls had retained their National League South status against Taunton in midweek - and an average attendance of 2,404 in a season where they haven't been able to consistently maintain a promotion challenge, the fans have proved they undoubtably care about their football club. 

BBC Radio Devon commentator Paul Mulhern probably summed up the club best live on air when he said: 'It's where strangers become acquaintances and acquaintances become friends and in some cases friends become family, and the fact that they've been kept at arm's length for the last few years needs to change and needs to change quickly.'