Fan Zone 27/10/2026
FAN ZONE
By Nick Brodrick, TUST's Chair and TUFC board member.
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IT’S A SAD FAREWELL TO THE PRINCE OF PLAINMOOR BUT THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
THE STONES ROLLED INTO PLAINMOOR TO SNATCH A POINT TO THEIR SATISFACTION
OUR FOREVER YELLOW FUND HITS £89,000 TOWARDS £100K TARGET
In 1965 I was an impressionable football mad 14- year- old having moved to Torbay from Hampton during the Christmas holidays, my father being a bank manager taking over the then Martins Bank in Torquay’s Fleet Street.
With it still being the school holidays and living in temporary accommodation in the Toorak Hotel my dad bought two tickets for a forthcoming FA Cup Third Round tie between local side Torquay United and First Division (no Premier League in those days) Tottenham Hotspur with its team of glittering international stars.
It was that afternoon in January inside a packed Plainmoor standing roughly in front of the now food kiosk by Bristows that not only did I ‘fall in love’ with the Gulls, to become a life-long fan, but to watch a certain player become my No 1 football hero.
Every tribute I’ve read names Robin Stubbs as their boyhood hero. It was such sad news that came through over the weekend that he had passed away.
The club’s tribute, the one written by Dave Thomas for the Torbay Weekly and one I wrote on behalf of TUST and all Torquay United supporters lists his amazing goalscoring record. And those of us who were fortunate to watch Robin play have our own special goals we recall as if they were scored only yesterday.
Living in Ridgeway Heights in my summer holidays I would walk down all the steps to Meadfoot Beach for a spot of sunbathing in the afternoons and invariably there was Robin always surrounded by a bevy of bikini clad girls. He was Torbay’s Number One Pin-Up Star.
In his later years he sat right behind me in his seat in the Directors’ Box and on one occasion I reminded him about his beach appearances – he just grinned with that persuasive smile of his.
His last few years had not been kind but with the support of his wife Jo and son Ben they came to as many home games as possible sitting in Bristows. And I was pleased to have played a minor part in January 2025 by celebrating the 60th anniversary of that cup game 3-3 with Tottenham by publishing in my TUST column in the matchday programme a special poem written by Nick Wotton.
Nick has written a new poem of which these are the last two verses:
'I want to thank you dear Robin for being my hero
And giving all you gave to my cherished team
Harry Topping all those years ago, gave me your old split boots
I repaired them and played and lived my dream.
I saw you up in your seat watching from the stand
I could see that sadly you weren’t really at your best
The time has moved on, you remain my hero Robin
And always will be, as you now take your rest.'
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The Stones came rolling into Plainmoor on Saturday with United just six minutes from sending the South’s league leaders away with No Satisfaction. It was almost All Over Now but they found a Route 66 way of snatching a point. But Come On, although I am probably biased, I thought this was the kind of Torquay United performance we want to see week in and week out.
Although there may be some who want to Paint It Black. Had the penalty gone in it most likely would have been a different game – and result. But credit goes to Maidstone’s assistant manager who watched the last five penalties taken by Cody Cooke all of which have been low to the keeper’s left so Lenny Holden went that way.
It was a pretty horrid afternoon with relentless wind and rain and those on the pitch could have been forgiven for saying Gimme Shelter.
Yes, another home draw but the talk afterwards was all about Harry Shield and with more performances like that the scouts will be queuing up to watch him.
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And it’s goodbye to Nashe Sundire who has returned home to await the birth of his first child. A really modest guy off the pitch with a wicked smile but a terrier on the pitch although he did seem to be a little injury-prone. Today he joined Slough Town having played for them previously in 2023.
The Louis Dennis saga also ended with his departure by mutual consent.
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Top National North & South Average Attendances: Torquay 3,690, Hereford 3,514, Macclesfield 2,585, Chester 2,537, Hednesford 2,402.
Saturday’s Non-League Crowd Watch: Southend 8,044, Scunthorpe 4,236, Dagenham & Redbridge 3,734, Hartlepool 3,703, Macclesfield 3,235, Yeovil 3,120, Torquay 3,003.
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Every game at the moment is seen as a crucial one and tonight’s at AFC Totton is no exception as Jimmy Ball returns to his old club for the first time. Those who choose can watch it on DAZN in Boots & Laces.
Then United’s Women have a home league fixture at Plainmoor against MAP, 7.45pm kick-off.
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Forever Yellow is edging closer to our £100,000 annual target for Torquay United.
A huge thank you to every Forever Yellow member, from Bronze upwards, for supporting your club. And a special thank you to the 630+ members who have upgraded their memberships, helping us to get closer to our target.
Your support is making a real difference to the club from the First Team to Youth Development and improvements around Plainmoor.
Our current total is £89,000 – thank you.
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This Saturday it’s back on the road to visit a new ground and team, Walton & Hersham.
COYY
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