SEASON PREVIEW 2024-25: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

 It could be argued that Plymouth Argyle and Wayne Rooney are made for each other, after England's second highest goalscorer and appearance maker was appointed as Argyle manager in the summer. 

By following in the footsteps of Ryan Lowe, Steven Schumacher and Ian Foster, Rooney is the fourth Merseysider to manage the Pilgrims, and he also has the guidance of his former Everton youth coach Neil Dewsnip to call upon for guidance as director of football. 

In the wake of indifferent spells in charge of Derby County, DC United in the MLS and Birmingham City, Rooney is in search for a club where he can achieve some form of tangible success. He currently finds himself at a club who finished 21st in the Championship in the 2023-24 season and improving on that would be regarded as an achievement - certainly in the short term. 

Rooney also has a fairly young squad to choose from, including Welsh youth international Freddie Issaka who is being tipped to make a big impact in 2024-25. Then there are the slightly more mature talents such as Adam Randell, Bali Mumba, Michael Cooper and Morgan Whittaker, who will be looking to kick on after promising first seasons in the Championship. The latter two on that list have been linked with moves away from Home Park, Rooney will be keen to retain their services. 

One area where Rooney could come into his own as a manager might in the loan market, where he could use his contacts to good effect to bring talented younger players in need of game time to aid their development.With three loan players already recruited, Argyle have berths for two more in their squad.

His short term aim is to ensure that Argyle retain their status as a Championship club and it is a more than realistic ambition if everything falls into place for him. 

Player to Watch: Bali Mumba

While Morgan Whittaker attracted many of the headlines with his goal scoring exploits, joint record signing went under the radar a bit for the Pilgrims last season. However, 2024-25 could be the wing-back's season to shine. 

In: Nathanael Ogbeta (Manchester City), Darko Gyabi (Leeds United, loan), Muhamed Tijani (Slavia Prague, loan), Ibrahim Cissoko (Toulose, loan), Vic Palsson (DC United), Kornel Szucs (Kecskemeti)

Out: Callum Burton & Dan Scarr (Wrexham), Mikel Miller (Huddersfield Town), Jack Endacott (Tavistock)

 

 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

 1. A different test for the Gulls. 

After friendlies with Buckland Athletic and Tavistock so far in pte-season, facing Championship side Plymouth Argyle represented a different challenge for Torquay United - and it was a challenge that they coped with admirably. Although the Pilgrims looked more comfortable in possession, as you would expect who were four leagues higher, but the Gulls looked a solid outfit throughout. The backline looked particularly strong with Sam Dreyer and Jordan Dyer standing out in the centre of defence. 

2. Wotton versus Rooney. 

If you think back to 2004, Paul Wotton was captaining the Pilgrims to their Second Division title triumph, as they marked their return to the second tier for the first time in 12 years, and Wayne Rooney was playing a starring role for England in Euro 2004. As the pair embraced each other before kick off, the pair showed a mutual respect for one another, and Wotton also tipped Rooney to do well as Argyle manager in the build up to the game. It would probably be no surprise then if they maintain the relationship between the two clubs that has seen Adam Randell and Will Jenkins-Davies enjoy loan spells at Plainmoor in recent years. 

3. Cody Cooke makes a big impression. 

In his first outing for the Gulls since completing his move from Bath City, striker Cody Cooke made a positive impact from the bench after coming on at half time. In the 51st minute, he nodded a free-kick from Dan Hayfield wide. Moments later, he headed a corner from Matt Carson behind, but despite not finding the target, he added an extra dimension to United's attack and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him start their next friendly against Exeter City. 

4. A shout out to the Bryn Consortium. 

Before kick off, members of the Bryn Consortium including co-chairman Michael Westcott and Mark Bowes-Cavanagh were presented to the fans ahead of what was the first home fixture since they took ownership. Both Westcott and Bowes-Cavanagh made speeches to the crowd in which they paid tribute to the club's supporters, the Torquay United Supporter's Trust and to the Plymouth Argyle who came to support the club during 'Devon Day' last season. 

Since they brought the club out of Administration, United have been transformed on and off the field. With a virtually brand new squad, the appointment of Paul Wotton as manager with Neil Warnock acting as a football advisor to the board and Plainmoor has also been revamped. All of these ingredients helped to achieve a sell out crowd, and as Michael Westcott said: 'this is only the start of the journey.'

5. Stoppages for medical emergencies. 

Another talking point from the game on Saturday was the medical emergencies in the crowd which saw the game paused on multiple occasions. All incidents occurred on the Popular Side, two of which happened in the first half in the 19th and 39th minutes respectively. There was also another incident that occurred at half time and one towards the end of the second half, which resulted in a brief stoppage. 

Later on that night, the club released a statement saying that all four fans who suffered medical emergencies had recovered and didn't require hospital treatment.

JACK ROWLEY - THE MANCHESTER UNITED LEGEND WHO MANAGED PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

In addition to being the fourth ex-Everton player to have managed Plymouth Argyle, Wayne Rooney is also the second Manchester United player to taken charge of the Pilgrims after Jack Rowley. 

Like Rooney, Rowley is one of four players who have scored over 200 goals for the Red Devils. Rowley is fourth on the list with 211, behind Denis Law with 237,  Sir Bobby Charlton with 249 and Rooney with 253. One thing that is worth taking into account is that Rowley's haul was achieved despite him missing seven seasons due to the Second World War between 1939 and 1945. 

Rowley started his career with his hometown club Wolverhampton Wanderers without making a first team appearance before joining Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic in 1937, where he scored ten goals in first 11 appearances. His form brought him to the attention of several bigger clubs and he became a Manchester United player when they paid £3,000 for his services after only eight months on the South Coast. 

Like many players of his generation, Rowley saw his career interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939; he served in the army during the conflict. Nevertheless, he had managed to find the back of the net 18 times in 58 appearances. 

Once professional football resumed in 1946, Sir Matt Busby had been appointed as Manchester United manager and he converted Rowley from being an outside left. to a centre forward. 

He became an integral part of the club's first success under Busby when he netted twice in the 1948 FA Cup final in which they beat Blackpool 4-2. He also helped the Red Devils' to clinch their first league title under Busby in the 1951-52 season. During this time, he also made six appearances for England, scoring six goals.

In 1955, he arrived at Home Park as player-manager and saved the Pilgrims from relegation from the Second Division in his first season (1954-55), but he was unable to keep them up in his second campaign in charge (1955-56).

After going close to promotion in the 1957-58 season, he eventually led Argyle to the Third Division South title in the 1958-59 campaign. This would be the last league title that the Pilgrims would win until they lifted the Third Division in the 2001-02 season under Paul Sturrock. 

However, Argyle struggled to adjust to life in the second tier and Rowley was dismissed in March 1960. He then went on to have two spells as manager of Oldham Athletic (1960-1963 &1968-1969), the first would see him lead the Latics to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1962-63, Ajax, Wrexham and Bradford Park Avenue.  

 

ENGLAND HEAD INTO SECOND SUCCESSIVE EUROS FINAL - THANKS TO WATKINS

 Thanks in no small part to former Exeter City striker Ollie Watkins, England will be heading into a second successive UEFA European Championship finals. 

Watkins' late strike in the semi-final against the Netherlands ensured that Gareth Southgate's Three Lions will be following up their Euro 2020 final appearance against Italy with a date with Spain in the final of Euro 2024. 

Xavi Simons had given the Dutch the lead in the first half before Harry Kane equalised with a penalty that was awarded after the intervention of VAR, which ruled that Kane had been fouled by Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries. 

Then, just when the match appeared to be heading towards extra time, Watkins combined with fellow sub Cole Palmer and found the back of the net with a shot on the turn to seal England's place in the final. 

Watkins' late effort drew certain similarities with a goal he once scored for the Grecians on April 2, 2016, which helped them to defeat Plymouth Argyle in a Devon Derby at St James Park. 

Like England, City were trailing 1-0 after Jamille Matt gave the Pilgrims the lead before Watkins equalised in the 80th minute. He then struck again in injury time with a long range strike which found the top corner and seal all three points and a league double over Argyle. 

At the time, you couldn't thought it couldn't have been much better for Watkins, but his subsequent career with Brentford, Aston Villa and now England have seen him reach new heights. However, scoring the winner in a Devon Derby in those circumstances eight years ago would surely have played its part in helping him along the way.

NEIL WARNOCK - ARE YOU WITH ME? REVIEW

 The Princess Theatre in Torquay has played host to many pantomimes over the years, so it was quite apt that Neil Warnock - a football manager seen by many as a pantomime villain - was the star billing as his 'Are you with me?' show came to the Bay.

After guiding Torquay United to one of their many 'great escapes' during the 1992-93 season and having returned to Plainmoor to assist the Bryn Consortium as a football advisor, the Yellow Army are never much with Warnock in his current role with the Gulls, which was reflected with the turnout for the show.

The evening began with Talksport presenter, Comedian and United fan Charlie Baker acting as a warm up act with his own unique brand of Devon centric comedy. Also included in the opening period was the unveiling of two of the Gulls' latest summer signings in the form of Dan Hayfield and Joe Dyer, who joined from Bath City - complete with the videos that have accompanied each signing on social media. This was swiftly followed by the announcement that Dean Moxey had agreed a new deal to stay with the club as a player-coach. 

They were then joined on the stage by the rest of the squad, plus manager Paul Wotton and his assistant Mike Edwards, and Wotton said a few words before departing the stage exit right. 

Then to the main event with Neil Warnock, which was hosted by EFL football commentator Paul Walker, and took in Warnock's journey through professional football as both a player and a manager, which, of course, included his time in charge at Plainmoor that he spoke of fondly. At the time of his arrival at the Gulls, Warnock had recently been sacked by Notts County following their relegation from the top-flight, after he had led them to back-to-back promotions to reach the 'old' First Division, before the formation of the Premier League, and had grown disillusioned with management. 

However, steering United to safety helped to give him his passion for the game back and went on to win a record eight promotions as a manager. He also provided several insights into his managerial approach and spoke of his emphasis on man-management.

A question and answer session with former Soccer AM presenter, and Gulls fan, Helen Chamberlain followed before a mock fire was assembled and Warnock read a poem that he had written based on his career. This included a reference to every club he'd ever worked for,  which showed to be articulate and thoughtful - and belied his reputation for often being confrontational with opposition managers and referees. 

And there yet could be a couple of verses to add for his current role assisting Wotton with the Gulls.

 

 

 

TORQUAY UNITED NON-LEAGUE XI 2014-2024: PART TWO

We continue our look at the Torquay United non-league XI from 2014 and 2024 with a look at the midfield and attackers, as well as a glimpse at those who narrowly missed the cut.

Central midfield: Adam Randell 

Plymouth Argyle loanee Adam Randell made his debut for the Gulls on the opening day of the 2020-21 season against Stockport County and went on to make 48 appearances in all competitions. Although he was mainly used as a holding midfielder, Randell also appeared at right-back and right midfield, and appeared in the latter role in the 2021 Play-off final against Hartlepool United. 

His displays also helped him to win the clubs’ Young Player of the Year award and he has established himself as a first team regular with the Pilgrims on his return to Home Park, helping Argyle to reach the Championship.

Central midfield: Asa Hall

 The signing of Asa Hall in the summer of 2018 could be seen as a statement of intent to bounce back to the National League at the first attempt. However, it turned down to be a lot more besides. Hall emerged as one of the best Gulls’ captains in recent years – and he finished the 2020-21 season as top scorer in all competitions with 14 goals. He would also score the winning goal in United’s 2-1 win over Taunton Town in their penultimate game of the 2023-24 campaign, which helped the Gulls retained their National League South after losing ten points for going into Administration.

Attacking right midfield: Aaron Nemane

With clubs like Manchester City and Rangers already on his CV when he arrived at Plainmoor in December 2019, Aaron Nemane showed glimpses of his ability prior to the Covid-19 enforced suspension of the National League in 2019-20. However, once action resumed in the 2020-21 campaign, he became a first team regular before injury ended his season early.

Attacking central midfield: Connor Lemonheigh-Evans

 Connor Lemonheigh-Evans first joined United on loan under Gary Owers before returning twice more on loan under Gary Johnson before signing permanently in 2020. Lemonheigh-Evans’ arrival coincided with the time when the Gulls were relegated to National League South. However, he returned to help United win promotion at the first attempt as champions. During his second loan spell, he also appeared for the Wales Under-21 squad and scored twice for them against their Swiss counterparts before returning to Plainmoor to do the same for the Gulls in a 4-1 FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie with Winchester City.

He joined United permanently in the summer of 2020, and scored on the opening day of the 2020-21 campaign against Stockport County, and finished the season with 11 goals in all competitions as the Gulls agonisingly missed out on promotion to the EFL. He found the target another 11 times in the 2021-22 season, which included his first career hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Notts County, before joining Stockport in the summer of 2022.

Attacking left midfield: Ben Whitfield

Wideman Ben Whitfield joined the Gulls early in the 2019-20 season following his release from Port Vale and resurrected his career during his stay at Plainmoor. Capable of playing on either flank, Whitfield scored six goals and chipped in with 13 assists during the 2020-21 campaign before moving to Stockport County.

Centre forward: Jamie Reid

Torquay-born Jamie Reid had only scored 11 goals across his three separate spells with United, which included two loan spells from Exeter City before to him joining the Gulls permanently. Gary Johnson's appointment as successor to Gary Owers saw a change in his fortunes, as he finished the 2018-19 campaign with 32 goals to his name as United won the National League South title. He then found the back of the net a further 21 times in the 2019-20 season before it was curtailed by the outbreak of Covid-19. Reid later moved onto Mansfield Town and Stevenage and he has represented Northern Ireland at international level in 2024 and scored on his debut against Romania. 

Subs: 

Luke Young: 

 A stand-out performer in a struggling team during much of his stay at Plainmoor, Luke Young offered Gulls' fans a beacon of hope during what was a difficult time in the club's history. During his four years at the club, following his release by home-town club Plymouth Argyle in 2014, he was voted as the club's player of the year three times (2014-15, 2016-17 and 2017-18). His long range volley against Wrexham, the club he would later join in 2018, is regarded by many as one of the best goals ever seen at Plainmoor.

Armani Little: 

A previous foe of United’s when he featured for Woking against the Gulls in the 2018-19 season in National League South. Nevertheless, following United’s promotion success, he signed for United on a permanent basis and became a key figure in the Gulls’ midfield and finished the 2021-22 campaign as leading scorer with 15 goals, which earned him a move back into the EFL with Forest Green Rovers.

Joe Lewis: 

After a promising loan spell from Swansea City in the 2019-20 campaign, which was cut short by the outbreak of Covid-19, Joe Lewis returned to Plainmoor midway through the 2020-21 season on a permanent basis. He became a regular in the heart of the Gulls’ back four, as they missed out on promotion to the EFL. In the 2021-22 campaign, Lewis was United’s joint-third top scorer with six goals, including a memorable strike in a 5-0 home win over Wealdstone which saw him pick up the ball inside his own half before finding the back of the net from 25 yards. 

Dan Butler: 

 Despite only spending one season at Plainmoor, Dan Butler emerged as one of the best left-backs to have appeared for the Gulls in recent times. He played a key role in United’s first ‘great escape’ under Kevin Nicholson and wouldn’t have looked out of place in many of the Gulls’ more successful sides during the era in question. 

Ben Wynter: 

After a slow start to the 2018-19 season, Ben Wynter soon made the right-back spot his own for the next few seasons and grew into a leader in the process. He famously scored United's equaliser in their 'six-pointer' with Woking in April 2019 from 30 yards, which played a major role in sealing the National League South title for the Gulls. 

Ryan Bowman: 

Carlisle-born striker Ryan Bowman joined the Gulls from York City in the summer of 2014 and finished the 2014-15 campaign as top scorer with 13 goals before he joined Gateshead for £10,000.

Brendan Moore: 

One of only two Americans who have played for the Gulls, Brendan Moore initially joined on loan from Fleetwood Town in March 2016 before signing permanently in the summer of 2016. In October 2016, he produced a shot-stopping masterclass in the Gulls’ goalless draw with Aldershot Town.

TORQUAY UNITED NON-LEAGUE XI 2014-2024: PART ONE

 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.