2007–08 Torquay United F.C. season

Overview

Having been a Football League team for 80 years, Torquay United were finally relegated at the end of the 2006–07 season. After the most chaotic and disastrous season in Torquay's history, chairman Mike Bateson eventually sold the club to an eight-man consortium with Alex Rowe appointed as the new chairman and former-Gull Colin Lee returning as chief executive. Although Leroy Rosenior had previously been announced as the new manager, the consortium decided to go in a different direction and install ex-Torquay midfielder and current Exeter City assistant manager Paul Buckle as the new boss. With only a handful of players still on the club's books, Buckle had to work fast to build a new team in time for Torquay's first season in the Conference.

Despite a slightly nervous 0–0 draw with Grays Athletic in their first ever Conference match, the Gulls soon established themselves within the division and quickly became the team to beat. Buckle had managed to create a particularly potent strike force with new signings Tim Sills, Chris Zebroski and Lee Phillips combining to score nearly 50 league goals between them and Torquay were never out of the play-off spots all season. United were also enjoying more TV coverage than ever before with Setanta Sports now televising live Conference games and the BBC even coming to Plainmoor to broadcast the 4–1 FA Cup first-round victory over League One side Yeovil Town. Yeovil had themselves previously inflicted a cup 'upset' over Torquay in 1992 when they were a non-League side, so it was sweet revenge for the Gulls now that the two team's fortunes had been reversed.

After eventually finishing 3rd in the Conference, Torquay met their local rivals Exeter City in the play-off semi-final. Despite coming away from St James Park with a 2–1 lead in the first leg and going 1–0 up in the return match at Plainmoor, Exeter managed to score four goals in the final 18 minutes of the match to condemn Torquay to a 5–3 aggregate defeat and another season in the Conference. There was the possibility of a consolation for Torquay just a few days later as they had reached the final of the FA Trophy which entailed a trip to the new Wembley Stadium. However, a 1–0 defeat by Ebbsfleet United resulted in another disappointing day for the Gulls. Maybe the only highlight of the day was a late substitute appearance from Kevin Hill who made his 474th and final appearance for Torquay United, breaking the all-time appearance record which had been set by Dennis Lewis back in 1958.

Although Torquay United were perhaps a club who were fortunate to even still be in existence after the débâcle of the previous season, this was a campaign which had promised to deliver so much but had ultimately ended in disappointment. Having failed to return to the Football League at the first attempt, Torquay would now have to make sure they achieved it at the second time of asking.

League statistics

Conference National

Main article: 2007–08 Football Conference#Conference Premier

Results summary

Results by round

Season diary

• 1 August: Darren Mullings joins after his release from Bristol Rovers
• 1 August: Chris Zebroski joins on loan from Millwall
• 12 August: Torquay play their first ever game in the Conference, a 0–0 draw away to Grays Athletic
• 14 August: Ishmael Welsh joins on loan from Yeovil Town
• 20 September: Scott Laird joins on a month's loan from Plymouth Argyle
• 21 September: Defender Mark Ellis joins on loan from Bolton Wanderers
• 11 November: Torquay beat League One Yeovil Town in an FA Cup First Round televised live by the BBC
• 1 December: Torquay lose at home to Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup second round
• 19 December: Mark Ellis extends his loan stay until the end of the season
• 22 December: Torquay exit Conference League Cup in Fourth Round after defeat away to St Albans City
• 3 January: Winger Leslie Thompson joins on loan from Bolton Wanderers as a replacement for Ishmael Welsh who was recalled by Yeovil from his loan spell
• 4 January: Manager Paul Buckle signs a new two-and-a-half-year contract
• 7 January: Goalkeeper Michael Poke joins on loan from Southampton
• 17 January: Goalkeeper Simon Rayner joins Boston United on loan
• 24 January: Loanee Leslie Thompson returns to Bolton Wanderers
• 27 January: Kaid Mohamed joins on loan from Swindon Town
• 27 January: Steve Adams joins from Swindon Town on a free transfer
• 27 January: Roscoe D'Sane joins from Accrington Stanley
• 31 January: Danny Stevens signs new two-and-a-half-year contract
• 31 January: Danny Wring leaves Torquay by mutual consent
• 26 February: Mikkel Andersen joins on loan from Droylsden
• 29 February: Jody Banim joins on loan from Droylsden
• 29 February: Tony Bedeau joins Weymouth on loan
• 5 May: Torquay exit Conference play-offs at semi-final stage after 5–3 aggregate defeat by Exeter City
• 10 May: Torquay lose in final of FA Trophy to Ebbsfleet United at Wembley Stadium
• 10 May: Kevin Hill breaks club appearance record
• 13 May: Tony Bedeau, Matthew Hockley, Paul Hinshelwood and Darren Mullings released on free transfers
• 16 May: Lee Phillips joins Rushden & Diamonds for an undisclosed fee
• 19 May: Michael Brough joins from Forest Green Rovers
• 20 May: Tyrone Thompson joins from Crawley Town on a two-year contract
• 21 May: Mark Ellis joins from Bolton Wanderers on a two-year contract
• 21 May: Lee Mansell signs new two-year contract
• 28 May: Roscoe D'Sane signs a new one-year contract
• 28 May: Nicky Wroe joins from York City for an undisclosed fee
• 2 June: Matt Green joins from Cardiff City on a two-year contract
• 3 June: Former Torquay player and manager Paul Compton appointed head of Torquay's new youth system
• 11 June: Simon Rayner and Chris Robertson placed on transfer list
• 13 June: Lee Hodges joins from Wycombe Wanderers
• 30 June: Simon Rayner leaves to join Crawley Town

Match results

All friendly matches and first team games in Conference National, FA Cup, FA Trophy and Conference League Cup are listed below. Reserve matches and regional cup competitions are not included.

Conference National

Conference National play-offs

FA Cup

FA Trophy

Conference League Cup

Player statistics

As of final game of the season on 10 May 2008

Notes

References

References

1. (2007-05-24). "Takeover is completed at Torquay". [[BBC Sport]].
2. (2007-05-25). "Lee back in new role at Torquay". [[BBC Sport]].
3. (2007-05-21). "Gulls set to reveal Rosenior exit". [[BBC Sport]].
4. (2007-06-02). "Buckle named as new Torquay boss". [[BBC Sport]].
5. (2007-08-01). "Torquay sign ex-Pirates youngster". BBC Sport.
6. (2007-08-01). "Torquay swoop for Lions striker". BBC Sport.
7. (2007-08-12). "Torquay 0-0 Grays". BBC Sport.
8. (2007-08-14). "Man Utd youngster joins Glovers". BBC Sport.
9. (2007-09-20). "Plymouth loan out Laird to Gulls". BBC Sport.
10. (2007-09-21). "Second loanee for Buckle". NonLeagueDaily.
11. (2007-11-12). "Boss hails Torquay's cup success". BBC Sport.
12. (2007-10-29). "BBC to show Torquay-Yeovil game". BBC Sport.
13. (2007-12-01). "Torquay 0-2 Brighton". BBC Sport.
14. (2007-12-19). "Torquay extend Ellis loan stay". BBC Sport.
15. (2008-04-04). "Setanta Shield results 2007-08". BBC Sport.
16. (2008-01-03). "Torquay get Bolton winger on loan". BBC Sport.
17. (2008-01-04). "Gulls boss Buckle agrees new deal". BBC Sport.
18. (2008-01-07). "Torquay sign Southampton goalkeeper". BBC Sport.
19. (2008-01-17). "Torquay's Rayner loaned to Boston". BBC Sport.
20. (2008-01-24). "Thompson heads back to Bolton". BBC News.
21. (2008-01-27). "Torquay complete triple signing". BBC Sport.
22. (2008-01-31). "Stevens pens new Torquay contract". BBC Sport.
23. (2008-02-26). "Gulls sign Dane Andersen on loan". BBC Sport.
24. (2008-05-12). "Gulls sign Banim as Bedeau leaves". BBC Sport.
25. (2008-05-06). "Gull's heartbroken by loss - Todd". BBC Sport.
26. (2008-05-10). "Ebbsfleet 1-0 Torquay". BBC Sport.
27. (2008-05-12). "Hill's bitter sweet Wembley day". BBC Sport.
28. (2008-05-13). "Bedeau among four leaving Torquay". BBC Sport.
29. (2008-05-16). "Torquay striker moves to Rushden". BBC Sport.
30. (2008-05-19). "Torquay sign Forest Green skipper". BBC Sport.
31. (2008-05-20). "Torquay sign Crawley midfielder". [[BBC Sport]].
32. (2008-05-21). "Midfield pair sign Torquay deals". [[BBC Sport]].
33. (2008-05-28). "D'Sane signs new Plainmoor deal". [[BBC Sport]].
34. (2008-05-28). "Torquay sign Wroe from York City". [[BBC Sport]].
35. (2008-06-02). "Green switches to Devon". NonLeagueDaily.
36. (2008-06-03). "Former boss returns to Plainmoor". [[BBC Sport]].
37. (2008-06-11). "Torquay pair put on transfer list". [[BBC Sport]].
38. (2008-06-13). "Torquay bag ex-Argyle man Hodges". [[BBC Sport]].
39. (2008-06-30). "Crawley bag Torquay keeper Rayner". [[BBC Sport]].
40. Cup games include the [[FA Cup]] (including the FA Cup 4th round qualifying match not reported by Soccerbase), the [[FA Trophy]] and the [[Conference League Cup]] but not any other competition. Conference play-off appearances are included within Cup Apps