Glorious Gulls - An underdog story

It's tough following a small football team.  There are more lows than highs, there is more pain than joy, and there are more miserable Saturday afternoons than you would find in the average Manchester United or Chelsea household.  Following Torquay United, as I have done for the last twenty years (longer, if you include my six-year-old self's trip to Wembley's famous twin towers in the 1991 play-off final)  I think it's fair to say that I, along with many others in south Devon, have lived a never-ending rollar coaster cheering on the Gulls; and what better way to re-live all the delight and agony, than with a visit to Torquay Museum's latest exhibition, Glorious Gulls - An Underdog Story.

Of course, there's far too much in this packed-out little exhibition to mention here, for within is documented the life of the football club, from humble beginnings to the... erm... humble modern age.  The journey begins at the club's 1899 formation, carries the visitor through those faltering first few years, its election into the Football League in 1927, and its many achievements since that time, including promotions, Wembley visits, and cup ties against footballing royalty such as Tottenham Hotspur.

Torquay United in 1927.  Note the black-and-white stripes, which earned United their first nickname - The Magpies

FA Cup third round programme, 1965.  Torquay secured an amazing 3-3 draw in this match thanks to goals from Atkinson and Stubbs.  The replay at White Hart Lane was captured by the newsreels - you can see highlights by clicking here. 

One of my favourite aspects of the exhibition was the old photographs, blown up large for the information boards.  Prolific goalscorer Sammy Collins, signed from Bristol City in 1948, scored 219 goals in 379 games for the Gulls, and set a goal scoring record in the 1955-56 season with 40 League and two cup goals.  There's also a shot of Jim McNichol and police dog Bryn, famous to all Torquay fans.  On 9 May 1987, Torquay United hosted Crewe Alexander in the final league fixture of the season.  Finding themselves 2-1 down with moments remaining, United were heading out of the Football League.  Jim McNichol paced down the wing and whipped in a cross, in the process confusing Bryn the police dog, who promptly ran onto the field and bit McNichol on the leg.  Medical treatment led to several minutes of stoppage time, from which Torquay defender Paul Dobson somehow found the net, saving Torquay's position in the Football League at the very death, and propelling the German Shepherd to local stardom.  Quite simply, it could only happen that way at Plainmoor.

Sammy Collins scores again

Jim McNichol shakes the paw of Bryn

There is also plenty of memorabilia from within my memory of supporting the Gulls, starting with the shirt worn by Kevin Hill in the 2008 FA Trophy final, which marked the midfielder's record-breaking 474th appearance in yellow.  Hill was a bit of a cult hero when I was a teenager, an ever-present throughout the years and held in high regard by the Torquay faithful.  There's also a nod, in caricature form, to one of my favourite players, St Vincent international, Rodney Jack.  Jack was banging in the goals at around the time I started regularly attending Torquay matches, and largely through his goals, United reached the Division 3 play-off final in 1998.  After defeat to Colchester, Crewe signed him for £650,000, but fans like me never forgot those lightning performances in yellow-and-blue.

Kevin Hill's FA Trophy final shirt

Rodney Jack

There's so much more to see and remember; automatic promotion under Leroy Rosenior in 2004; ultimate relegation into non-league football, twice; all the ups and downs in one well-thought-out and colourfully put-together exhibition, which will thrill Torquay United supporters and anybody else interested in the history of local football.  Of course, our visit coincided with a match day, and what better way to round off a trip down football's memory lane than by taking a seat in the familiar old ground, the usual crowd, the colours, sights, sounds and smells of your home football team, and with a 1-0 win to boot!  Real Madrid it ain't, but it's just as historic, and just as important to its fans.  This visit reminded me just how much I love my football - now come on you Yellows!

You can see all the photos from my visit to the Glorious Gulls exhibition by clicking here.