FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS FC HALIFAX TOWN

1. The second coming of Ade Azeez.

By finding the back of the net with what turned out to be the crucial goal for the Gulls against FC Halifax Town, Ade Azeez made it a second debut to remember for Torquay United. In doing so, Azeez earned the distinction of having scored on his debuts in two seperate spells with United - he was also on target in his first debut for the Gulls against his current parent club Newport County in the 2013-14 season.

2. Little setback.

Losing midfield talisman Armani Little to a hamstring injury after 20 minutes was undoubtably a blow for Gulls manager Gary Johnson. However, with the Gulls' previously lengthy injury list now easing, Johnson had the luxury of being able to send on Jake Andrews as his replacement. And Andrews ended up playing a key role in United's winning goal, as it was free-kick that picked out skipper Asa Hall, whose header was parried by Halifax keeper Sam Johnson into the path of Azeez who headed home the winner in the 68th minute.

3. Defensively resolute.

United's clean sheet against the Shaymen was the third that they have managed to keep in the current calendar year and it was achieved after starting the game with a back three consisting of Joe Lewis (20), Robbie Cundy (22) and Kyle Cameron (23). The loan signing of the experienced Gary Warren from Exeter City had brought more stability to the Gulls' backline, but Lewis, Cundy and Cameron all produced assured displays which will bode well for United's future as well as their own individual futures.

4. Longridge shows why Johnson was keen to keep him.

After the week that saw him agree a loan deal to remain with the Gulls for the remainder of the 2019-20 season from parent club Bradford City, Jackson Longridge showed just why Gary Johnson was so keen to keep him at the club for the rest of the campaign. After starting the game as a left wing-back, but switched left-back following the introduction of Jake Andrews in place of Armani Little, but he maintained the same high standard of performance throughout the course of the match.


5. A second double for United.

In defeating FC Halifax, United completed their second double of the season - and also ended the Shaymen's seven-match unbeaten run in the Vanarama National League in the process. The result was also a small measure for the Gulls' exit from the FA Trophy at the hands of the Shaymen in January. AFC Fylde are the other side that United have defeated home and away.

DAVID GRAHAM AND MARTIN GRITTON - TORQUAY UNITED'S SCOTCH DOUBLE

The recent documentary Everton: Howard's Way tells the story of Everton's last great heyday in the mid-1980's which saw the Toffees lift four trophies between 1984 and 1987 under the late Howard Kendall.

Central to Everton's success during this period was their Scottish strike duo of Graeme Sharp and Andy Gray, who played a key part in helping to get the ball rolling for the Toffees as they both found the back of the net in their 2-0 win over Watford in the 1984 FA Cup final. This was soon swiftly followed by two league titles in 1985 and 1987 as well as the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1985.

For many decades Scottish football has had a big influence on the game in England and in 2002 another forward partnership featuring two players who both hailed from north of the border were performing a key role in helping to transform Torquay United from relegation strugglers into promotion contenders under the managerial reign of Leroy Rosenior.

Those two strikers in question were David Graham and Martin Gritton and although they were both compatriots – their respective journeys to Plainmoor were markedly different.

Edinburgh-born Graham had progressed through the youth ranks of Scottish giants Rangers and made a handful of appearances for the Gers – which included a UEFA Cup tie with Irish side Shelbourne and a substitute appearance in an Old Firm game against Celtic – and was capped eight times by Scotland at Under-21 level. After failing to break into the Rangers’ first team under Dick Advocaat, Graham joined Dunfermline Athletic – but several managerial changes saw him fall out of favour with the Pars and when Colin Lee signed him for United on non-contract terms in March 2001 his career was at a crossroads. Two goals in five games played a key part in helping the Gulls beat relegation – including United’s third in their infamous 3-2 final day decider against Barnet.

If Graham took the high road to South Devon then it could be argued that Gritton took the low road. His route to Plainmoor was not the one that would be considered to be orthodox for most professional footballers. A life-long Celtic fan, Gritton’s family moved from Glasgow to Cornwall when he was five years old and his footballing education came through playing for Porthleven in the Jewson South Western League. He combined this with University football – he graduated with a degree in Sports Science from the University of Portsmouth in 1999 – before joining Plymouth Argyle. Initially at Home Park he struck up a promising partnership with Ian Stonebridge, but found himself down the pecking order following the arrival of former Dundee United and Scotland striker Paul Sturrock as successor to Kevin Hodges. Gritton was loaned out to Yeovil Town and Shelbourne in the Republic of Ireland before becoming one of Rosenior’s first signings ahead of the 2002-03 season.
 
Owing to a suspension carried over from the previous season for Graham, which saw him miss the first three games of the season, there was a delay in the duo starting together on the opening day of the season against Bristol Rovers. Despite this it proved to be an occasion to remember for Gritton, as he headed home a cross from fellow debutant Neil Prince to score the Gulls’ equaliser on the stroke of half-time as United won 2-1 – with Alex Russell adding United’s second from the penalty spot in the second half.

The pair started together for the first time on September 7^th, 2002 in an away game against Oxford United which the Gulls drew 2-2 with Graham finding the target along with Tony Bedeau. Just under a month later, on October 5^th 2002, Graham and Gritton were on target in the same match for the first time in a 2-1 away win versus Carlisle United at Brunton Park.

Gritton’s goal against the Cumbrians was his first for United since the opening day of the campaign, and he then went on to finish the season with 16 goals in all competitions to his name whilst Graham ended the campaign with 15. Gritton’s efforts also saw him voted as runner-up in the club’s player of the year award – sandwiched between Jason Fowler in third and the overall winner Alex Russell.

If the 2002-03 season belonged to Gritton then the 2003-04 campaign was very much the property of Graham, as he found the back of the net 23 times - in all competitions, lifted the Gulls’ player of the year award and was named in the PFA Division Three team of the season for 2003-04. His impressive displays soon attracted the attention of clubs higher up the footballing food chain as Wigan Athletic paid United £215,000 for his services in the summer of 2004.

Gritton, however, would remain at Plainmoor a little longer as he left for Grimsby Town in December 2004 for a fee of £7,500, after finding the back of the net six times for the Gulls in League One. This included a brace in a 2-0 win over Stockport County that gave United their first away win in the third tier since the 1971-72 season.

The pair would return to the Gulls later in their careers on loan; Graham in the 2006-07 season and Gritton in the 2010-11 campaign. Both their respective loan spells saw them fail to find the back of the net, but the magic of their first spells will live long in the memory of those who witnessed them in action.

IS IT TIME FOR THREE UP, THREE DOWN BETWEEN LEAGUE TWO AND THE NATIONAL LEAGUE TO BE INTRODUCED?

As we enter a new decade for non-league football, one question remains whether the number of clubs promoted and relegated between League Two and the National League should be increased from two to three in the near to distant future.

Previously the popular wisdom on the idea of whether the number of teams promoted and relegated between the League Two and the National League should be increased has always been thus: if you finished second in the National League it's a good idea, and if you finished 22nd in League Two it's bad one.

Promotion and relegation between the old GM Vauxhall Conference and the 'old' Fourth Division was first introduced in the 1986-87 season - replacing the old re-election system - when Torquay United famously stayed up in no small part to Bryn the Police Dog's infamous bite on Jim McNichol, and Lincoln City instead became the first team to be relegated from the Football League.

A second promotion spot was introduced ahead of the 2002-03 campaign - 16 years after the one up- one down system replaced the old re-election system - which saw Yeovil Town finally end their 108-year wait for league football as Gary Johnson guided them to the Nationwide Conference title.

In its present form the National League could easily be described as a hybrid of a 'old' Division Four and GM Vauxhall Conference from the late 1980's-early 1990's. If you look back to the 1989-90 season, seven teams currently appearing in the National League featured in the 'old' Division Four (Aldershot, Chesterfield, Halifax, Hartlepool, Torquay and Wrexham) and five in the Conference (Barnet, Barrow, Chorley, Sutton and Yeovil). Also nearly all the teams within it are now full-time, as opposed to part-time.

Yours truly has long believed that it is easier to make a case for three teams winning promotion from the National League, as the quality of the division has improved over the years, than it is to argue for League Two to receive a third relegation slot.

In the 2013-14 season, Bristol Rovers were relegated from the Football League for the first time in their history despite only being in the League Two relegation zone for the last 56 minutes of the campaign. The subsequent 2014-15 season then saw the Pirates bounce back to the league at the first attempt after beating Grimsby Town in the final on penalties at Wembley. Had an extra automatic promotion spot from the division was available then Rovers, who finished second during the regular season, wouldn't have needed to go through the lottery of the play-offs. The Pirates then followed up this feat by winning a second consecutive promotion into League Two - making them one of eight teams to have achieved this feat.

Since then the National League have expanded their play-off system to include the teams who finish sixth and seventh, which now sees the sides who end the season between second and seventh place compete in a series of one-off matches with the final taking place at Wembley.

At the time of writing Yeovil and Notts County, both relegated from League Two in the 2018-19 season, are vying for an immediate return to the Football League. For the first time since the two up-two down system was introduced both teams relegated into the National League are now vying for an immediate return at this stage of the season. While in the current climate this might be seen as an anomaly, if it was to occur again in a few years then a re-think might be required - particularly amongst League Two clubs fearing the loss of league status.

However, in an era where many clubs in the National League are getting crowds that are equal or greater than many in League Two with playing budgets that are on par with that of league sides and nearly every club in the National League now operating on a full-time basis.

The question now is: have we now reached a stage whereby increasing the number of teams promoted and relegated between the two divisions to three is now a necessity?

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS EBBSFLEET UNITED

1. For Craig Taylor in 2002-03 and Guy Branston in 2009-10, read Gary Warren in 2019-20.

In the 2002-03 season, then Gulls manager Leroy Rosenior looked to shore up a porous defence with the loan signing of the experienced Craig Taylor from Plymouth Argyle. Fast forward to the 2009-10 campaign and Paul Buckle did the same when he brought in the much travelled Guy Branston from Burton Albion to add more experience to a central defensive roster that included Chris Robertson and Mark Ellis amongst others.

This season Gary Johnson has opted to go down the same route with the loan acquisition of Gary Warren from Exeter City and yesterday's encounter displayed the evidence that he is having the same impact in 2019-20 as messrs Taylor and Branston in 2002-03 and 2009-10 respectively. Warren produced a calm and authoritative display in the centre of the Gulls' defence and made a number crucial blocks and interceptions to keep Ebbsfleet at bay. After Taylor and Branston made their loans permanent the Gulls went on to enjoy successful seasons; in the 2003-04 campaign automatic promotion was achieved and in 2010-11 the Gulls reached the League Two play-off final at Old Trafford where they lost to Stevenage, so if Warren can turn his loan deal into a full time deal then another successful campaign could follow in 2020-21.

2. The irony of the National League's two worst defences producing a goalless draw.

On paper it would have seemed that with the National League's two worst defences (Torquay 57 and Ebbsfleet 60) yesterday would have seen a goal fest, possibly in the favour of the Gulls - who are the division's fourth highest scorers with 52. However, the opposite proved to be the case as it ended goalless.

3. Joe Lewis and Jackson Longridge produced solid displays at full-backs.

With Ben Wynter and Liam Davis remaining long-term absentees through injury, right-back Joe Lewis and left-back Jackson Longridge were amongst United's stand out performers. Both players performed well defensively, and also provided an extra ammunition in an attacking sense - Lewis' 39th minute cross was agonisingly headed wide by Ben Whitfield being an example of this.

Longridge also had his moments as well as a possible element of good fortune just before half-time as Fleet midfielder John Goddard was adjudged to have dived after going down under a challenge from the Bradford City loanee.

4 Ebbsfleet embargoed.

In his post-match interview, Ebbsfleet manager Kevin Watson revealed that his side went into the game under a transfer embargo over an unpaid bill. This meant that Watson was unable to name new signing Michael Timlin in his matchday squad and went into the game with only four players on the sub's bench. Watson told the assembled media: "“We are under an embargo, he (Michael Timlin) was signed, his registration was put before the FA who allowed it to go through but the National League put a block on it for reasons I prefer not to go into, but it’s not down to me it’s an internal issue regarding our club– a bill needs paying."

5. An opportunity missed for the Gulls perhaps?
 
At the start of the day, the Gulls were five points off the play-off zone and eight points clear of the relegation places. At full-time that remained the case for Gary Johnson's men and partly due to United's own results, and other results elsewhere. Had they managed to beat Ebbsfleet, they would have been three points off the play-offs instead.
 
Footnote: United's crossbar challenge winner provided arguably the best half-time entertainment seen at Plainmoor for many a year as he managed to hit the crossbar twice in three attempts.
 

 

ONCE A CHAMPION, ALWAYS A CHAMPION

It could be said that life following Torquay United is like riding a roller coaster, so it was perhaps apt that the Gulls would sign the nephew of Irish singer Ronan Keating.

However, United did indeed secure the signature of Ruairi Keating and his time at the club proved to be a series of highs and lows.

Having appeared as a forward for a series of clubs in the Republic of Ireland including Sligo Rovers, Galway FC and Finn Harps, he decided to try his luck with the Gulls as he signed for then manager Kevin Nicholson in February 2017 on non-contract terms.

Ruairi made his debut for the Gulls as a late substitute for Brett Williams against Macclesfield Town on February 11th 2017, but it wasn't long before he made his first significant contribution in a United shirt. A month later, he came off the bench to score a late winner against Southport after initially not travelling with the squad due to illness and only travelled on the day to make up the numbers. The win moved the Gulls out of the relegation zone.

Towards the end of the campaign, he then went on to form a useful strike partnership with the mercurial Brett Williams as the Gulls pulled off a second successive 'great escape'. Ruairi netted two further goals against Aldershot Town and champions elect Lincoln City away, and proved to be excellent foil for Williams, who scored four times in United's final three matches.

After securing their survival, Ruairi agreed a new deal with the Gulls but United didn't get off to the best of starts to the 2017-18 campaign and Nicholson, the manager who signed him, was sacked following a 4-2 home defeat against Boreham Wood - a game that saw Ruairi net both of the Gulls' goals. Unfortunately Nicholson's successor Gary Owers was unable to stop the rot as United were relegated to National League South at the end of the season.

Despite the Gulls' relegation, Ruairi remained at Plainmoor and played a key part in helping United adapt to life at a new level as he netted twice in the Gulls' 2-0 home win over East Thurrock United in their second home game of the season, which helped United to clinch seven points from a possible nine in their opening three National League South fixtures.

Sadly the Gulls weren't able to build on this start and Owers was sacked in the following September in the wake of a 1-0 home defeat to Chippenham Town. Within days of his departure, former Yeovil Town, Bristol City and Cheltenham Town manager Gary Johnson was unveiled as his successor.

Johnson's arrival galvanised a struggling team who were 14th in the National League South as United went on a club record run of 16 league games unbeaten, which culminated in a 4-0 win over Slough Town - and Ruairi was amongst the scorers. A month later, his late winner away to East Thurrock, which secured United a 2-1 win also proved to be an important moment in the context of the season.

Under Johnson, Ruairi often found himself deployed in a new position on a right-wing, a role which he adapted to fairly well. Before his substitution in the Gulls' 3-3 draw with Woking in April 2019, a result that was crucial in helping them to secure the National League South, Ruairi had provided the assists for six of United's previous seven goals - including an exquiste pass that set up leading scorer Jamie Reid up for the Gulls' opener that afternoon.

Back in the National League, Ruairi found himself in and out of the United starting line-up, but still managed to chip in with three goals - including a stunning strike from distance in the Gulls' 4-1 win over Woking on December 28th, 2019 in their final match of the decade.

His desire for first team football has prompted his impending move to National League North outfit Gateshead, managed by former United defender Mike Williamson, but as Johnson said following United's 2-0 win over Eastbourne Borough: "they can call each other champions for the rest of their lives'.

And Ruairi can certainly do that.

FYLDE WIN COULD BE TURNING POINT FOR GULLS

If when looking back on the 2019-20 season the Gulls faithful find one result that proved to be a turning point for Torquay United and manager Gary Johnson then AFC Fylde away is a very strong candidate.

Despite falling behind to an effort from Tom Walker, who had previously tormented United during their 5-1 home defeat to Stockport County last November- for whom he was on loan from Salford City, the Gulls rallied as skipper Asa Hall equalised with his fourth goal of the campaign two minutes later.

In the 29th minute Jamie Reid fired home his 20th goal of the season in all competitions - which also proved to be his first in 2020 - to give the Gulls a lead which they held until the half-time interval.

In the second half, United further extended their advantage on the hour mark after Reid's shot was palmed away by former Gulls keeper Dan Lavercombe and fell invitingly to Ben Whitfield, who slotted home his seventh goal of the campaign - which makes the Gulls' second top scorer outright.

However, leading scorer Jordan Williams pulled one back 12 minutes from time for the Coasters to ensure a nervy finish - but ultimately it wasn't enough to signal a comeback for Jim Bentley's men, as United completed their first double of the season.

The win lifts the Gulls up to 13th place in the Vanarama National League table, which leaves them five points off the play-off spots and eight clear of the relegation zone. Had they lost then the opposite would be true. Meanwhile the Coasters, under the command of Bentley, who took charge at Mill Farm after over eight years at Morecambe, now find themselves three points adrift from safety with a game in hand.

WINDOW WATCH 2020

With the January 2020 transfer window having passed the midway point, Plymouth Argyle have so far been the busiest movers having seen two players arrived and one depart so far.

Midfielder Tyreeq Bakinson and striker Ryan Hardie have arrived on loan from Bristol City and Blackpool respectively to boost Ryan Lowe's squad as the Pilgrims continue to strengthen their promotion challenge. Experienced striker Billy Clarke has left Home Park and has signed for former Argyle boss Ian Holloway at Grimsby Town.

Exeter City manager Matt Taylor hasn't had any incomings at St James Park, but the Grecians have seen central defender Gary Warren join near neighbours Torquay United on loan and central midfielder Jordan Tillson has headed north of the border to join Ross County.

As National League clubs, Torquay United and Yeovil Town aren't restricted by the January transfer window in the same way as Plymouth and Exeter are, but Gulls manager Gary Johnson has delved into the market. As well as the signing of the experienced Warren to play in the centre of defence, Johnson has also drafted in left-back Jackson Longridge from Bradford City on loan. Experienced midfielder Ryan Dickson has extended his loan spell with Truro City until the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Glovers' manager Darren Sarll has so far re-signed midfielder Jimmy Smith on loan from Crawley Town and vastly experienced striker Marc Richards has recently put pen to paper for a deal until the end of the season. However, Sarll has lost the services of loan signing James Tilley, after a permanent deal was agreed between Grimsby Town and his parent club Brighton and Hove Albion.

Torquay United:

In: Gary Warren (Exeter City, loan), Jackson Longridge (Bradford City, loan)

Out: Ryan Dickson (Truro City, loan)

Exeter City:

In: None

Out: Gary Warren (Torquay United, loan), Jordan Tillson (Ross County)

Plymouth Argyle:

In: Tyreeq Bakinson (Bristol City, loan), Ryan Hardie (Blackpool, loan)

Out: Billy Clarke (Grimsby Town)

Yeovil Town:

In:

Out: James Tilley (loan ended with Brighton and Hove Albion after securing permanent move to Grimsby Town)