Torquay United Plainmoor
Torquay 0-0 Wycombe Wanderers 22/4/11 att 4,009 with 497 from wwfc
Founded in 1899, their first season was spent playing friendlies before joining the east Devon league and moved into the recreation ground for the next four years. Plainmoor, at this time, was host to the rugby club. In 1904 TARUFC secured a lease on the recreation ground with Ellacombe taking over the lease of plainmoor leaving United homeless. They now were homeless for the first time in their history and it was during this time that they won their first honour winning the Torquay and District league in 1909. In 1910 they would merge with Ellacombe adopting the name Torquay Town and finally moving into plainmoor and it was shared with Babacombe town. Torquay went on to win the league, again, in 1911-12.
In 1920 with Exeter and Plymouth being elected into the newly formed 3rd Division of the football league and in 1921 seeing that a one team town was the only way forward for election, Torquay and Babbacome merged reverting back to Torquay United. They joined the Southern league alongside fellow teams such as Boscombe (A.F.C Bournemouth) and went to finish sixth that season. They applied for election into the football league but didn't gain a single vote, losing out to Boscombe. In 1927 Torquay would go on to win the western division of the southern league, and once again applied for election. They were Successful at the expense of the welsh team Abedare Athletic. After many years of playing in the same league as their reserves they were now in the same league as Exeter and Plymouth.
A stand from Buckfastleigh Racecourse was purchased for £150 for their inaugural season and changed to black and white stripes being dubbed the magpies. United's first match in the league took place on 27 August 1927 was aptly against Exeter City at Plainmoor. A crowd of 11,625 watched a 1-1 draw w, however the team's first season in the league was not a success, they followed up the draw with Exeter with a 9-1 thrashing away at Millwall and of the 48 games played that first season, Torquay won 8, drew 14 and lost 20 finishing bottom on 30 points and had to win re-election to remain in the league.
There was not much success between this period and 1956 when the club would finish the 1956 season as runners up, having changed their kit to blue and gold reflecting the town's resort, but the following season they were relegated to the newly formed Division 4. after being regulars in the fourth division and appearing in the third division from time to time on the 14th of April 2007 following a 1-1 draw with Peterborough United they lost their football league status of 80 years.Their first season in the conference started well from demolishing us at home 3-0 in early august and going unbeaten until the end of September. They were still top come the end of October, but in November and December their form plummeted which enabled Aldershot to go top five points clear. And to cut a long story sort Aldershot won the league on 101 points. The following season Torquay could only reach the play-offs, but this time re-gained football league status. After mid-table mediocrity last season, Torquay were now 5th this season up against third placed Wycombe.
For those that haven't been to Plainmoor before, it is situated in a large residential area on the outskirts of the town about two miles from Torquay Station. Plainmoor has a capacity of 6,104 and consists of four stands. behind one goal is the family stand which is a large seated stand which i would guess holds around 1,500. This has the main facilities with the club shop, offices and boardroom housed in this stand along with a bar and directors seats. To the left of the Family stand is the Popular terrace. This spans the length of the pitch and has 8 steps of terrace, and can hold approximately 2,800 and this has the camera above it. The opposite side is the Sparkworld terrace which is the away terrace with a capacity of 1,100 runs nearly the whole length but also houses the control room, the final stand is the main stand which is two stands that run two thirds of the length of the pitch and houses the changing rooms. This has a capacity of around 704. There are plans to redevelop this stand with a capacity of 1,750 similar to Bury's main stand
.The game it self was rather disappointing with neither the crowd nor the players really getting going, but in the second half Torquay hit the cross bar and their were some top draw saves from Nikki bull, who was 1 of 7 ex-Aldershot players on the pitch and 1 of 5 in Wycombe's starting line up. The game finished 0-0 which meant Chesterfield were promoted without even playing.
In 1920 with Exeter and Plymouth being elected into the newly formed 3rd Division of the football league and in 1921 seeing that a one team town was the only way forward for election, Torquay and Babbacome merged reverting back to Torquay United. They joined the Southern league alongside fellow teams such as Boscombe (A.F.C Bournemouth) and went to finish sixth that season. They applied for election into the football league but didn't gain a single vote, losing out to Boscombe. In 1927 Torquay would go on to win the western division of the southern league, and once again applied for election. They were Successful at the expense of the welsh team Abedare Athletic. After many years of playing in the same league as their reserves they were now in the same league as Exeter and Plymouth.
A stand from Buckfastleigh Racecourse was purchased for £150 for their inaugural season and changed to black and white stripes being dubbed the magpies. United's first match in the league took place on 27 August 1927 was aptly against Exeter City at Plainmoor. A crowd of 11,625 watched a 1-1 draw w, however the team's first season in the league was not a success, they followed up the draw with Exeter with a 9-1 thrashing away at Millwall and of the 48 games played that first season, Torquay won 8, drew 14 and lost 20 finishing bottom on 30 points and had to win re-election to remain in the league.
There was not much success between this period and 1956 when the club would finish the 1956 season as runners up, having changed their kit to blue and gold reflecting the town's resort, but the following season they were relegated to the newly formed Division 4. after being regulars in the fourth division and appearing in the third division from time to time on the 14th of April 2007 following a 1-1 draw with Peterborough United they lost their football league status of 80 years.Their first season in the conference started well from demolishing us at home 3-0 in early august and going unbeaten until the end of September. They were still top come the end of October, but in November and December their form plummeted which enabled Aldershot to go top five points clear. And to cut a long story sort Aldershot won the league on 101 points. The following season Torquay could only reach the play-offs, but this time re-gained football league status. After mid-table mediocrity last season, Torquay were now 5th this season up against third placed Wycombe.
For those that haven't been to Plainmoor before, it is situated in a large residential area on the outskirts of the town about two miles from Torquay Station. Plainmoor has a capacity of 6,104 and consists of four stands. behind one goal is the family stand which is a large seated stand which i would guess holds around 1,500. This has the main facilities with the club shop, offices and boardroom housed in this stand along with a bar and directors seats. To the left of the Family stand is the Popular terrace. This spans the length of the pitch and has 8 steps of terrace, and can hold approximately 2,800 and this has the camera above it. The opposite side is the Sparkworld terrace which is the away terrace with a capacity of 1,100 runs nearly the whole length but also houses the control room, the final stand is the main stand which is two stands that run two thirds of the length of the pitch and houses the changing rooms. This has a capacity of around 704. There are plans to redevelop this stand with a capacity of 1,750 similar to Bury's main stand
.The game it self was rather disappointing with neither the crowd nor the players really getting going, but in the second half Torquay hit the cross bar and their were some top draw saves from Nikki bull, who was 1 of 7 ex-Aldershot players on the pitch and 1 of 5 in Wycombe's starting line up. The game finished 0-0 which meant Chesterfield were promoted without even playing.