Fan Zone 28/03/2026
- TUST
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
FAN ZONE
By Nick Brodrick, TUST's Chair and TUFC board member.
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JIMMY’S HAVING A BALL AS HIS TORQUAY UNITED TAKES SHAPE
UNITED’S MATCH-UP WITH LEADERS DORKING WAS A RIGHT DING-DONG
YOUR’E NEVER TOO OLD TO BE A FOOTBALL MANAGER
It might have been a wet and windy Tuesday night but United played their part in a mesmerising evening matched by a Dorking Wanderers clearly wanting three points to cement their hold on the top spot.
New Torquay boss Jimmy Ball making his Plainmoor debut summed it up perfectly, “Two very good sides having a ding-dong.”
That almost 4,000, including around 200 from Dorking, were inside the ground on such a miserable night underlined the importance attached to this re-arranged fixture.
Marc White, the visitors’ manager/owner in his pre-match interviews had given the impression that he was fielding a depleted side but with players wearing shirts with numbers 41 and 46, for example, showed the strength in depth of his squad.
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After going into half-time a goal down the match was turned on its head following the introduction of Callum Dolan, back from his long-term injury thanks to his lone, personal recovery programme including regular gym sessions, netting two quality strikes inside a minute. If there had been any justice his Man of the Match award would have been outshone by taking home the match ball for a superb hat-trick.
In the end only a desperate goal-line clearance stopped new striker Deon Moore from not only opening his Torquay account but winning the game.
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All agreed it was a great advert for National South football and as Jimmy Ball has said these were two sides of Football League quality.
What was heartening was, at the end, hearing the Popside singing, ‘Jimmy Ball’s Yellow Army’. If you need confirmation, you should watch a real ‘fly on the wall’ documentary from John Sinclair who calls the Yellow Army ‘real fans’, look at John Sinclair TV on YouTube https://www.youtu.be/AkXD35q1sbw?si...
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Anyone who may have doubted Ball’s appointment cannot help being impressed with his interviews. He speaks much sense and you can tell that he’s a real football person. He’s building an impressive and important backroom staff adding an assistant in ex-Bath City manager Darren Way (at the moment only to the end of the season), a strength & conditioning coach as well as welcoming back Louie Birkenshaw as his video analyst.
He has, of course, been helped by having returning players from injury with Dolan and Louie Dennis while Jordan Thomas is close and Matt Worthington now has completed his three- match suspension.
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In his Thursday press call, Ball talked about six cup finals ahead the first of which is Saturday’s Plainmoor fixture against Horsham.
From listening to Ball, he is the type of manager who plans meticulously ensuring his players are fully prepared. His style is to be aggressive, on the front foot and attack. The target must surely to be not only in the play-offs come April 25th but also as high up as possible. If we can’t be promoted outright, finishing either second or third gives precious home advantage.
Ball’s first game in charge came last Saturday, coupled with Andy Carroll stepping up as interim Dagenham manager, helped swell the crowd to over 2,000 – higher than their usual attendances.
By all accounts a goalless draw would have been a fairer result but when a direct corner goes in against you it’s a poor goal but when you score one (Sonny-Blu Lo Everton’s versus Farnborough) it’s a brilliant piece of skill!
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Today it’s Horsham who are the visitors and both sides have made additions beating Thursday’s transfer deadline.
United have extended Will Tizzard’s loan from Sutton United and added Reading forward Reece Evans and midfielder Charlie Osborne from AFC Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, Horsham have sent much travelled striker Rhys Murphy on loan to Farnham Town but have brought in two loan signings from Barnsley, Ashton Ellard and Lewis Gould plus non-contract Isaac Brown from Westfield.
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Nearly 4,000 inside Plainmoor on Tuesday, can we match that on Non-League Day? With this being an international weekend, no Premier or Championship matches plus Argyle with no fixture, the club have a £10 deal for the Wollens Terrace this afternoon.
Non-League Crowd Watch: Saturday: York City 6,540, Carlisle 6,450, Woking 4,993, Hartlepool 4,176, Sutton 3,943, Bury FC 3,685.
Midweek: Southend 7,381, Scunthorpe 4,898, Torquay 3,917.
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Thanks to an 89th minute strike from Tee Kaptein United’s women grabbed a home point against visitors Forest Green in what was a battle between two sides with aspirations to be champions come the end of the season.
Tomorrow the women travel to Gloucester City for a League Cup semi-final.
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Have you bought your tickets? TalkSports Charlie Baker is bringing his brand-new tour GO GET IT to the Babbacombe Theatre on May 21st 2027 and tickets are now on sale.
TUST members get a special 10% discount when you use code GOGETIT27.
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For those of us now at a certain age we can still do a job. For example, at 77 Neil Warnock still knows how to manage a football team and now 78 year-old Roy Hodgson, sacked 44 years ago by Bristol City, has returned to Ashton Gate. Age is just a number!
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Back to this afternoon, Jimmy Ball praised Tuesday’s support saying the atmosphere was amazing so let’s lift the lid off Plainmoor again.
Finally, don’t forget the clocks go forward one hour tonight.
COYY
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