Fan Zone 04/10/2026
FAN ZONE
By Nick Brodrick, TUST's Chair and TUFC board member.
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MANCHESTER CITY FALL-OUT SET TO RUN AND RUN AND ARE TORQUAY ON A CUP RUN?
BUT IT'S DISAPPOINTMENT FOR UNITED'S WOMEN BEATEN IN THEIR FA CUP GAME
IT'S SEVEN HEAVEN FOR THOMAS TUCHEL'S ENGLAND
Against the backdrop of the continuing fall-out of the Manchester City bombshell into the picture riding to the rescue, well at least something else to talk about, the Magnificent Seven England’s Nations Cup win over Croatia.
Oh, and let’s not forget United’s FA Cup run!
I think winning two consecutive FA Cup wins counts, certainly in this part of Devon, as a cup run as the Gulls go into the 4th Qualifying Round for the first time in four years.
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But first back to the most talked about football story of well, almost all time. Manchester City’s guilty verdict has become political with apparently relationships between the UK and UAE who, according to press reports are threatening to pull billions of investments out of the UK, close to a diplomatic row.
Meanwhile speculation grows by the day as to what punishment(s) are likely to be dished out ranging from thrown out of the Premier League to a 200 points deduction. Maybe even starting again in non-league.
Torquay United v Manchester City? Surely not, that can’t be possible, can it?
What does appear to have happened this week is that all the other Premier League clubs have been consulting legal experts, including barristers, to explain the details of Manchester City’s guilt.
One Sunday paper wonders if by expelling City from the Premier League this will lead to the resurrection of a European Super League.
With City appealing, the punishment to be announced, it’s clear this story is going to run and run.
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Prime Minister Harold Wilson is credited with ‘a week is a long time in politics’ and that phrase is equally applicable to football which can change in the blink of an eye.
With Thomas Tuchel still being blamed by many for England’s World Cup defeat to Argentina, he oversaw the total annihilation of 14th in the world Croatia who suffered their heaviest defeat ever as England hit seven and it could have been more.
You have to feel sorry for those 6,000 school children, the only ones allowed in the stadium. They were only inside the stadium as other spectators were not watching due to previous crowd misbehaviour.
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So, back to Torquay United. It certainly wasn’t pretty, in Jimmy Ball’s words “it was ugly” and the team had to battle and scrap but the result justified the means.
For United, two FA Cup wins is a run with every member of the Yellow Army dreaming of a kind cup draw tomorrow.
You can listen on TalkSport at 2pm Monday as the 4th Qualifying draw is made live.
To date the club have picked up £9,000 in prize money with the winner of the next round claiming £9,375.
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Fans on the supporters’ coach last Saturday at Billericay will be aware that loyal fan Jeanette Howard was taken ill and after being checked over in hospital is recovering at home and on Tuesday she had a surprise visitor as Jimmy Ball went to see her. All of us at TUST send her our best wishes.
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Cup shocks and the FA Cup go hand-in-hand and lower teams beating higher tier ones always makes headlines so step forward Brentwood Town dumping out Dagenham & Redbridge, Sholing knocking out Ebbsfleet and locally Horsham going out to Plymouth Parkway.
Meanwhile, in the National League ex-Gull Omar Mussa rescued a late point for his side Sutton United against his former manager, Paul Wotton’s Kidderminster.
Non-League Crowd Watch: Southend 8,371, Hartlepool 4,219, Yeovil 3,140, Aldershot 2,935.
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United’s Women were in FA Cup action this afternoon in the 3rd Qualifying Round playing a Keynsham side who they beat 3-1 in the league last month.
After hitting the bar and a post United went into the break a goal down but Sarah Stacey equalised into the second half only for the home side to regain the lead on 73 minutes and that’s how it stayed with the women out of the cup.
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Last week I asked about the Prime Minister’s suggestion for lifting the ban on drinking alcohol in the stands from the Premier League down. This has divided opinion.
Member Dave Sellman says football is the only sport where there’s a ban and he reckons it’s about time that changed while Neil Luscombe thinks lifting the ban isn’t a good idea although concedes that trying it in the National League and League 2 might be worth trying.
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Have you voted for your Forever Yellow September Player & Goal of the month yet? If not, you can do so here.Voting finishes at Midday on Thursday 8th October with the awards set to be handed out to our winners by a TUST member chosen at random, just leave your name and email address when voting to be entered into the draw!
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