Fan Zone 09/08/2026
- TUST
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
FAN ZONE
By Nick Brodrick, TUST's Chair and TUFC board member.
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UNITED’S OPENING DAY DRAW WAS NOT WHAT EVERYONE HOPED
SO WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THE SEASON?
THE TORQUAY FOOTBALL FAMILY RALLIES AROUND
ROXY THOMAS
United fans have waited over 90 days after that day at Hornchurch to get the 2026-27 season under way and fans woke up on another bright sunny day full of hope and expectation. Pre-season had gone ok and importantly we were told the players were fit with no serious injuries.
4,219 streamed into Plainmoor, the highest league attendance for an opening game for 23 years, what could go wrong?
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Sitting next to Jimmy Ball inside the Eastern Eye Newton Abbot Indian restaurant for an Evening With Jimmy Ball, he explained how when manager of Totton his instructions to his players when he brought them to Plainmoor was “this was a free hit, just go out and enjoy yourselves in front of the biggest crowd you’re likely to play in front of at this level.”
Darren Way, who was also there echoed those sentiments as manager of Bath.
Mentioning these comments is not intended to be excuses just explanations.
Horsham, whose FA Cup exploits in recent seasons underline their ability, didn’t leave at 7am, some of their players had to leave home even earlier, to come all the way to South Devon to make up the numbers.
Whilst the entertainment level wasn’t great, both sides had their chances to win the game in which United picked up four yellow cards in the first half.
Referees are on a hiding to nothing but Mr Swan did himself no favours with some pretty awful decisions for both sides but mainly non-decisions.
Was Dom Bernard’s cross in or out of play when Isaac Westondorf headed home the ‘winner’? If the linesman had been in line with the goal line fair enough but he wasn’t and like many officials he guessed.
To be fair these incidents happen in a matter of seconds and officials at this level do not have the advantage of replays in slow motion.
An opening home draw was certainly not what was anticipated and many would have gone home ‘disgruntled’.
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It’s back! Non-League Crowd Watch: Carlisle 8,394, Hartlepool 5,830, Scunthorpe 5,111, Torquay 4,219, Woking 2,680, Morecambe 2,579, Maidstone 2,201.
Next up is a trip to Tonbridge Angels who hit four at Braintree. Nobody said getting out of this league was going to be easy.
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As I wrote last week, there’s always a surprise team which comes to the fore. Who predicted Salisbury would be the first league leaders?
In the excellent Torbay Weekly special Torquay United supplement ‘Time To Fly’ (leaving the Herald Express in the distance) Dave Thomas put his reputation on the line with his predictions: Champions Chelmsford City, Play-Off Winners Torquay United, Play-Offs Dagenham & Redbridge, Dorking Wanderers, Truro City, Chesham United and Farnborough.
So, here goes, here are mine: Champions Torquay United, Play-Off Winners Dagenham & Redbridge, Play-Offs Dorking Wanderers, Farnham Town, Folkestone Invicta, Farnborough, Chelmsford City.
What’s your prediction? Send to fanszone.tu@gmail.com.
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We often talk about the ‘football family’ and this came closer to home with the bombshell news that United Women’s player, 18-year-old Roxy Thomas had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
There was a show of togetherness on the pitch on Saturday with Matt Worthington holding aloft Roxy’s number 3 shirt and many players have posted their support on X.
Roxy is in hospital in Plymouth awaiting the result of her biopsy and we all wish her a total recovery.
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The FA as we all know is an unpredictable organisation but bizarrely on the eve of the beginning of the new non-league season they announced the results of their consultation on perimeter walls.
Clubs in the National League System must remove brick or concrete walls around pitches or use padding to cover them.
‘Any existing solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers must be removed as soon as reasonably practicable or covered with suitable protection if they cannot be removed for structural reasons.’
It remains to be seen what will happen at Plainmoor. I understand there is an FA and Premier League Stadium Fund of up to £25,000 available.
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Since news of the Forever Yellow membership scheme had helped fund the signing of Harry Shield there was an increase in new members joining TUST and some existing members upgrading their tier.
I was delighted to thank those who have supported us at half-time on the pitch on Saturday setting the challenge to help us reach our target of £100,000 by the end of the month.
If you were there on Saturday, I hope you spotted our new Forever Yellow advertising boards, especially those either side of the directors’ box.
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August’s 1899 Lotto draw is upcoming this week, Friday 14th, are you in the draw? There are great cash prizes. Go to https://draw.ourclublotto.co.uk/tufc/.
Have you contributed to the club’s Fan Survey? Your views are required and you have until midnight on Tuesday August 11th. Go to www.torquayunited.com.
This week we launched Junior Gulls for 5-16 year-olds and this is something we really want to get off the ground and build for the future. Go to www.tust.co.uk/juniorgulls.
COYY
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