UNITED'S WEMBLEY WONDERS

May 31, 1991 saw Torquay United end their 19-year stay in the 'old' Fourth Division, with a Play-off final win over Blackpool which marked the next chapter of their recovery following the Bryn the Police Dog inspired 'great escape' four years earlier.

A header from Wes Saunders and a Dean Edwards helped the Gulls secure a 2-2 draw after normal time and extra time. However, the match would be decided on sudden death in a penalty shoot-out as Gareth Howells became the first goalkeeper to save and score a penalty at Wembley as United 5-4 triumphed 5-4.

The story of United's promotion success goes back to the summer of 1990 and in the wake of England's semi-final appearance at Italia 90, the English public were falling in love with its national game again.

It was a mood reflected at Plainmoor as following the takeover by local self-made millionaire Mike Bateson, who made serious funds available to United manager Dave Smith to sign Wes Saunders from Dundee for a fee of £60,000. This was also followed the signing of the legendary striker Tommy Tynan following his release by Plymouth Argyle.

After a pre-season which included a friendly against the future European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade, the Gulls hit the ground running as they set a club record for unbeaten league matches of 15 league matches which ended in with a defeat at Scarborough in November 9, 1990; This record would later be beaten Gary Johnson's National League South title winners in January 2019.

Sadly a mid-season slump saw United slid down the table, which resulted in Smith resigning as manager and the appointment of youth team coach John Impey as manager led the revitalisation of the Gulls' fortunes.A 5-0 win over York City on the final day of the regular 1990-91 campaign secured a place in the Play-offs where they would face Burnley over two legs.United overcame the Clarets 2-1 on aggregate, winning 2-0 in the first leg at Plainmoor and lost the second leg at Turf Moor by a single goal, to set up a final meeting with Blackpool - extingushing any hopes of an all-Lancashire final.

For the Gulls the occasion marked their second visit to Wembley in the space of three years; but for Blackpool their appearance in the final had a greater significance, as it would be the first time they had played at the home of football since the famous ‘Matthews Final’ in 1953.

Before kick-off a minute's silence was held in the memory of Stan Mortensen – who scored a hat-trick for the Tangerines in the ‘Matthews Final’ – after he passed away on the eve of their semi-final victory over Scunthorpe United.

The Gulls fielded four players who had appeared in the Sherpa Van Trophy final two years earlier against Bolton namely Dean Edwards, Mark Loram, Matt Elliott and Sean Joyce.

Skipper John Uzzell failed to recover from the hamstring injury that had kept him out both legs of the semi-final against Burnley, so Wes Saunders continued to captain the side in his absence.

Blackpool, who were wearing black armbands to mark the passing of Mortensen, settled more quickly than United and it was them who made the early breakthrough after seven minutes.

Mark Taylor cut in from the right hand side and picked out Paul Groves, who rolled the ball past Gareth Howells from seven yards out to score his 15^th goal of the season.

The Gulls then rallied as Saunders received a cut just above his left eye – following an aerial collision with Groves – that required close attention from United physio Norman Medhurst. 

Loram and Edwards both went close to finding an equaliser for Torquay, as they gradually gained a foothold in the match.

Their persistence paid off as they struck back to equalise in the 28^th minute when Loram picked out Saunders with an in-swinging cross and United’s stand-in skipper headed home from eight yards out.

On 37 minutes, the Gulls were awarded a penalty after Tangerines striker David Bamber was adjudged by referee George Courtney to have handled a cross from the left by Paul Holmes.

Edwards then stepped up to take the spot-kick for United, and sent Blackpool keeper Steve McIlhargey the wrong way to put the Gulls 2-1 up. In the process he also became the first Torquay player to score twice at Wembley, after scoring against Bolton in the Sherpa Van Trophy final two years earlier.

Six minutes later, United almost added a third as Mickey Holmes blasted over from 20-yards after the Tangerines defence had failed to clear their lines following a corner from Chris Myers so United went into the half-time break with a 2-1 lead.

In the second half, Stewart Evans had a close range effort turned behind by McIlhargey on 55 minutes after which the Gulls won a succession of corners as they continued to pressurise their opponents.

Shortly afterwards, Paul Holmes denied Tangerines’ winger Tony Rodwell with a goal-line clearance as Blackpool stepped up their search for an equaliser.

The Tangerines’ leveller came in the 69^th minute when David Eyres attempted an overhead kick which cannoned back off the cross bar and into the path of Chris Curran, who inadvertently turned the ball into the back of the net with an attempted clearance.

However, the scores remained level on 90 minutes and the game entered extra time.

In the first half of extra time, Bamber found the back of the net for the Tangerines – but he was ruled to have been offside by linesman Gareth Davis.

Arguably the Gulls’ best chance of the opening period of extra time was a shot from the edge of the penalty area by Loram, which sailed narrowly wide.

United came agonisingly close to securing that all important third goal in the 112^th minute when a free-kick from Chris Myers was flicked into the path of Elliott, who forced a fine reflex save from McIlhargey. The rebound then fell into the path of Evans, whose headed effort was cleared behind for a corner by Groves.

Two minutes later, Loram produced a low centre, which substitute Paul Hall was unable to fully connect with and the ball fell comfortably into the arms of McIlhargey.

However, neither side was able to find a decisive third goal so the final went to penalties.

Loram, the Gulls’ regular penalty taker, stepped up to take their first spot-kick, but McIlhargey guessed the direction of it correctly and saved it.

Stepping up first for Blackpool was Rodwell, who forced a save from Howells.

Torquay’s second penalty taker was Mickey Holmes, who slotted his spot-kick home to give United the lead. Taylor then levelled matters with Blackpool’s second penalty.

Gulls’ skipper Saunders, who equalised for United in the first half, restored Torquay’s lead.

Then Ian Gore stepped up to bring the Tangerines level once again.

United’s advantage was restored by Paul Holmes before Groves joined Saunders in scoring in normal time as well as in the shoot-out.

Myers then put the Gulls 4-3 up with the Gulls’ fifth spot-kick before Andy Garner struck for Blackpool to ensure the penalty contest went to sudden death.

Next up for the Gulls was goalkeeper Howells who calmly slotted home to become the first keeper to save and score a penalty at Wembley, but – more importantly – he put United 5-4 ahead.

It was then all down to Bamber to keep Blackpool in the final. Crucially he missed the target thus ensuring Torquay clinched promotion to the Third Division and ended their 19-year stint in the league’s basement division. Bamber had another claim to immortality as he inspired the name of the popular Gulls’ fanzine ‘Bamber’s Right Foot’ as a result.

Torquay United (4-4-2): Gareth Howells; Chris Curran, Matt Elliott, Wes Saunders, Paul Holmes; Mickey Holmes, Chris Myers, Sean Joyce, Mark Loram, Dean Edwards (Paul Hall 86), Stewart Evans (Andy Rowland 115)

You read more about this match and many others in Torquay United's history in Torquay United: A History in 50 Matches - which is available from https://torquayunitedahistoryin50.bigcartel.com/product/torquay-united-a-history-in-50-matches

PROMOTION AND RELEGATION COULD STILL APPLY IN THE EFL

Plymouth Argyle will be promoted from League Two if the 2019-20 season ends with promotion and relegation remaining as part of its framework.

League Two clubs had already formally voted to end the campaign in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic with the Pilgrims lying in third place in the league table behind leaders Crewe Alexandra and second placed Swindon Town in new plans which would final placings decided by PPG (points per game)

However, Ryan Lowe's men won't be popping the champagne corks just yet as the new regulations need to be implemented by the EFL and 51% of the league's 71 member clubs across the Championship, League One and League Two need to agreed to it. As part of the initial plans that League Two clubs had agreed there would have been no relegation, but if the new proposals are approved then bottom side Stevenage will be relegated to the National League.

If the proposals go ahead then Exeter City would have the opportunity to join them as they would be guaranteed a play-off spot alongwith Cheltenham Town, Colchester United and Northampton Town. If PPG were used to finish the campaign it has been revealed that they would have finished the season in fifth place and would have faced Colchester before a possible final date with either Cheltenham or Northampton.

However, if the play-offs do not no ahead then the EFL board will decide an appropriate course of action. 

FOOTBALL LEAGUE MOVE COULD HELP REID REALISE INTERNATIONAL AMBITIONS

For no player it could be argued that the appointment of Gary Johnson as Torquay United manager has had a bigger impact on than Jamie Reid.

Torquay-born Reid, 25, had hardly set the world alight following his move from Exeter City in September 2018. With ten goals in 92 appearances across three different spells at Plainmoor between 2015 and 2018 at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, which saw United relegated from the Vanarama National League, Reid's career which had started promisingly at St James Park appeared to be going nowhere.

A Gulls' fan since childhood and part of the club's youth set-up before it was disbanded in 2004 by then chairman Mike Bateson, a decision which saw him join the Grecians' own academy, few players would have been as keen to do well for United as Reid. He had initially joined United on loan under Chris Hargreaves before returning on loan under Kevin Nicholson in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns, and the second of these loan spells was turned into the permanent move by Gary Owers.

With only one goal to his name in the 2018-19 season in the National League South at the time United decided to part company with Owers, it appeared to be a case of 'here we go again' for Reid. However, under Johnson the difference in his form was almost like comparing night to day. Reid found the back of the net eight times in his first five competitive matches under Johnson - which included a brace at home to then leaders Woking and a hat-trick away to Eastbourne Borough. He then went on to finish the campaign with 32 goals in all competitions, which helped to earn him the Vanarama National League South player of the year award as the Gulls clinched the National League South title, finishing ten points clear of second-placed Woking.

Reid's own transformation mirrors that of Paddy Madden, who previously played under Johnson at Yeovil Town between 2012 and 2014.

Madden initially joined the Glovers on loan from Carlisle United, where he found the back of the net twice in 32 league appearances after moving to the Cumbrians from League of Ireland side Bohemians. However, under Johnson at Huish Park, Madden's form couldn't have been more different from his displays at Brunton Park as he found the back of the net 23 times in 39 appearances for the Glovers in all competitions as the Glovers won promotion to the Championship for the first time in their history beating Brentford in the 2013 League One play-off final. He was later called up to the Republic of Ireland squad by Giovanni Trappatoni for a friendly against Wales in August 2013.
Since leaving Huish Park in January 2014, Madden has since gone on to appear for Scunthorpe United and Fleetwood Town.

Reid also has international credentials of his own,  as earlier in his career he represented Northern Ireland at Under-21 level, who he qualifies to represent through his grandfather, and a move to the Football League at this stage of his career could help him to realise his own senior international ambitions.

At the time of writing, Northern Ireland look set to undergo a period of transition after Michael O'Neill recently stood down after nine years in charge to focus on managing Stoke City - O'Neill had initially been set to remain in charge for the province's Euro 2020 play-off matches, but they have now been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Whoever is apponted to succeed O'Neill, St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright appears to be the current favourite to take the role, is likely to be looking to freshen up the Northern Ireland squad with a couple of new faces, and a Jamie Reid finding the back of the net in the Football League on a regular basis will no doubt attract his attentions.

There will be many watching his progress from afar in South Devon, and if he could emulate another former Gulls' striker Jamie Ward in appearing at a major tournament (Ward appeared for the province in Euro 2016) then few would be happier for him than the Plainmoor faithful who witnessed the upturn in his fortunes under Johnson.

EIGHT TO STAY BUT REID AND KALALA TO GO

Torquay United manager Gary Johnson will be planning for life without Jamie Reid and Kalvin Kalala in the 2020-21 National League campaign, as the duo both turned down new offers to stay at Plainmoor.

Torquay-born Reid had previously enjoyed three spells on loan with his hometown club in the 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns before joining the Gulls on a permanent basis in September 2017. However, it was the arrival of Johnson as manager in September 2018 which Reid's career with the Gulls in an upward trajectory. He found the back of the net 32 times in all competitions as United clinched the 2018-19 National League South title, and he scored another 21 goals in all competitions in the 2019-20 campaign back in the National League.

Parisian Kalala, 22, had previously appeared for Johnson at Cheltenham Town and soon followed Johnson to Plainmoor and he scored 13 goals in 68 appearances for United - including the Gulls' fastest league goal after 10 seconds away to St Albans City on the final day of the 2018-19 season.

Of the released players, Ryan Dickson had already spent most of the season on loan at Truro City in the Southern League Premier South - a move that he will possibly make permanent in the close season. Local youngster Josh Baxter was at the club on non-contract terms and hadn't featured under Johnson whilst Lewington, who joined midway through the season from Tiverton Town, saw his progress hampered with a concussion injury but Johnson felt at the age of 25 he needed first team football.

The eight who have agreed new deals to stay with the club include goalkeeper Shaun McDonald, vice captain Kyle Cameron, Ben Wynter, Liam Davis, skipper Asa Hall, Ben Whitfield, Aaron Nemane and Matt Buse. Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Covolan, midfielders Armani Little and Jake Andrews and first year pros Louis Slough and Olaf Koszela were already under contract.

Agreed new deals: Shaun MacDonald, Ben Wynter, Liam Davis, Kyle Cameron, Asa Hall, Ben Whitfield, Aaron Nemane, Matt Buse

Released: Ryan Dickson, Josh Baxter, Jared Lewington

Turned down the offer of a new contract: Kalvin Kalala, Jamie Reid

Already under contract: Lucas Covolan, Armani Little, Jake Andrews, Louis Slough, Olaf Koszela

TO RETAIN OR NOT TO RETAIN

To retain or not to retain - that is the question currently facing many lower league managers at the end of the 2019-20 season amidst the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.

It is under these circumstances that Torquay United manager Gary Johnson is due to announce the Gulls' retained list this weekend.

Johnson currently has 17 players under contract, with four who have deals that runs until the end of the 2020-21 season who are believed to be Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Covolan and midfielders Armani Little and Jake Andrews and one another. Also midfielder Ryan Dickson, who spent a large part of last season on loan at Truro City, will be leaving the club.

In addition to this, the Gulls have six players on loan at Plainmoor, including Robbie Cundy and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans (Bristol City), Frank Vincent (AFC Bournemouth), Joe Lewis (Swansea City), Jackson Longridge (Bradford City) and Ade Azeez (Newport County). Several of those players could return next season.

Nobody knows how the current National League season will be resolved - the play-offs are now seemingly distant prospect as the Football League have indicated that they are looking for one team to replace Bury, who were expelled earlier in the campaign. That team looks set to be Barrow who were top of the table at the time that the league was suspended.

With many clubs having experiencing a drop in income since the outbreak started, as well as the rest of the nation's economy - which would have had a knock-on effect on the business interests of many directors - many clubs, including United, have furloughed their playing staff under the Government's Job Retention Scheme.

A number of clubs have already announced their retained lists, including League Two side Colchester United who have released four first team regulars that they had wished to retain in the form of Franck Nouble, Luke Prosser, Ryan Jackson and Brandon Comley. U's chairman Robbie Cowling stated at the time: "I won't gamble with other people's livelihoods or the club". Colchester were sixth in League Two, and firmly in contention for the play-offs and remains to be seen how many others follow suit.

With uncertainty also surrounding the start date for the 2020-21 campaign, widely tipped to be Saturday, August 8th, United's retained list, and the others that follow, are being easily anticipated and look set to be very revealing ahead of the most challenging close season in recent memory.

CLASSIC ENCOUNTERS #5 TORQUAY UNITED 3 HARTLEPOOL UNITED 0 1998-99

It is often said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and this proved to be true for Eifion Williams when he netted a hat-trick on his Torquay United debut against Hartlepool United on March 27th, 1999.

A Wales B international, Williams had arrived at Plainmoor for a club record fee of £70,000 from League of Wales side Barry Town and came with Champions League pedigree, having netted for the south Wales side against a Dynamo Kiev side featuring Andrei Shevchenko and Sergei Rebrov.

Williams was one of four debutants who appeared for the Gulls that afternoon, the other was Frenchman Jean Pierre Simb who became the first of a number of French players to join the Gulls and would prove to be something of a cult hero.The other two were experienced centre back Lee Russell who arrived at Plainmoor from Portsmouth and Gary Neil, a Scottish defender signed from Leicester City.

Another interesting fact about this match is that former Everton and Wales keeper Neville Southall kept goal for Torquay and ex Liverpool, Everton and Newcastle United striker Peter Beardsley was in the Hartlepool side.

The pair would have faced each other a countless number of times in a number of higher profile encounters, including Merseyside derbies and England versus Wales international fixtures. They were also team-mates at Everton between 1991 and 1993.

Very few modern day League Two fixtures in recent seasons have seen two players who were as highly decorated as those two line up against each other, and you would be hard pressed to find one in League One as well. 

Whilst Williams featured from the start, Simb entered the fray as a first half substitute for O'Neill Donaldson and had a hand in creating the first goal, as his cross was flicked on by Brian McGorry and Williams was on hand to open the scoring for the Gulls.

In the second half, Williams completed his brace for the afternoon when nodded home a left wing cross from deep from Robbie Herrera and later completed his hat trick by latching onto a precision pass from Simb to coolly slot home to mark his Football League debut with a treble.

It was real Roy of the Rovers stuff!

However, his time at Plainmoor never quite hit those heights again. Although he did score twice against Blackpool in injury time on August Bank Holiday Monday in 2000, Williams' highest goal return in a season for the Gulls was nine in the 1999-00 and 2000-01 campaigns.

Nevertheless, Williams' connections with Hartlepool didn't end there and then on that day, as Pools manager Chris Turner, who was also in charge of Hartlepool on the day in question, paid £30,000 to bring him to Victoria Park in March 2002. In the 2002-03 season, he helped them to win automatic promotion and two years later, he also helped them to reach the League One play-off final where they were beaten by Sheffield Wednesday on penalties.

Torquay (3-5-2): Neville Southall; Gary Neil, Wayne Thomas, Lee Russell; Steve Tully, Brian McGorry, Brian Healy, Mark Platts (Kevin Hill), Robbie Herrera; O'Neill Donaldson (Jean Pierre Simb), Eifion Williams (Leon Hapgood)

Attendance: 1,957

WHAT I MISS ABOUT PLAINMOOR

Since I started writing this blog to accompany my work as a freelance sports reporter back in 2010 Saturdays, whether they might be at Plainmoor, Home Park, Huish Park or St James Park, have been a big part of my weekly routine.

They have also been a major role in the weekly routine of many others who also attend matches at Plainmoor, which the shutdown of professional football since the Covid-19 outbreak has stopped in its tracks. Saturdays without football has taken a lot of getting used, just like it has not just for Torquay United fans, but for fans of other clubs up and down the country.

Attending matches has been a big part of life since I attended my first league game as a 7 year old when I witnessed United face Fulham in an 'old' Third Division on August 31st, 1991. The Gulls lost 1-0 on that occasion and my future Press box colleague John Uzzell featured for United; John would return to Plainmoor as match analyst for the Press Association until 2016.

The absence of attending games at Plainmoor as a reporter for the Non League Paper was probably most keenly felt by myself last Saturday, which would have seen Torquay United face Dover Athletic - the Gulls' last home fixture of the 2019-20 fixture calendar. The last home game of the season is usually something of an occasion, as you always try to savour your surroundings as you know it will be the last time you will experience a game at Plainmoor until the pre-season friendlies get underway until the following July.

Then there is the absence of the match-day routine of arriving at the ground, picking up my press pass from the club reception, walking up to the press benches in Bristow's Bench where the first face I usually come across is the Herald Express' Guy Henderson, who is either already in situa or arrives shortly after me, or any visiting press officers or reporters. Then we are later by Richard Hughes (Herald Express/Devon Live) and Dave Thomas (now Torbay Weekly) and whoever is commentating for BBC Radio Devon that day. As we move ever closer to kick off I normally glance over towards the Popular Side to check that United 'super fan' Paul Bastard is in attendance. Paul attends every Gulls' game home and away, and travels to every Plainmoor fixture from his home in Manchester. 

After the game there is Gary Johnson's post-match interviews which, as one of most media friendly of Torquay United managers in recent years, sees him regularly one up with one or two gems to fill your notebook with.

However, last Saturday the reality dawned on me that on a day that on the day which would have seen me attending Plainmoor for what would have been the last time for a while, I hadn't actually been there since the end of February.

Professsional football in England has taken a break when play was suspended for four seasons following the outbreak of World War One in 1914 (the 1914-15 campaign was the final league season contested before the suspension) and started again in 1919. The league once paused again in 1939 once World War Two commenced and would resume in time for the start of 1946-47 season.

In light of the recent announcement that the remaining regular league fixtures for the Vanarama National League for the 2019-20 season have been cancelled, we will now no longer see a ball kicked in anger until August 2020. When football returned in 1946 from its last hiatus, there was a surge in attendances as crowds increased by 32% as a 'feel good factor' surged around the country.

Whether a similar feeling will lead to a renewed interest in watching live sport once the Covid-19 pandemic is over remains to be seen. Nevertheless sport has the power to bring people together which few activities can match, and for many - myself included - the anticipation for that first live game once life returns to normal will no doubt match the excitement of attending that first ever match.

Which form or format that football will return as remains to be seen.