Fan Zone 17/04/2025
- TUST
- Apr 18
- 4 min read
FAN ZONE
TUST's Chair and TUFC board member, Nick Brodrick's column in this week's Herald Express - updated for the latest news.
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UNITED INVOLVED IN AGATHA CHRISTIE DRAMA IN TITLE RACE
CROSSBAR AND POST CHALLENGE DRAMA DURING MATCH AND HALF-TIME
LEARN ABOUT TORQUAY BORN STAR SID CANN’S FOOTBALL JOURNEY
On the day the specially commissioned statue of Agatha Christie together with her pet dog Peter were unveiled on the Torquay Marina as part of the £4m harbourside plaza refresh, Torquay United were putting smiles back on faces at Plainmoor.
The South Devon Tourist Board and Torbay Council must be hoping that the Christie statue will become a major visitor attraction and for the football club to gain promotion to the National Premier would also guarantee weekend stays for visiting fans from the likes of Gateshead, Hartlepool and Carlisle.
This was another double, double weekend as the men and women both won 2-0 to stay in the hunt for their respective titles.
With Truro, Worthing, Eastbourne and Torquay battling it out one of Christie’s Poirot stories, The Big Four, seems appropriate.
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Saturday was designated as Yellow Day and 4,141 (including from Slough) responded ensuring there was no repeat of the previous Saturday’s unexpected loss.
In truth the first half, apart from three incidents involving Cody Cooke, more of these later, was a pretty underwhelming affair. In fact the best excitement came during the half-time interval when fan Matt Winstanley, celebrating his 30th birthday with a meal in the Cove, was selected for the crossbar challenge; he hit the bar twice and smashed his third shot against the upright, the same one that would feature in the second half.
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But first back to Cooke’s first half involvement. Around the half hour mark Slough defender Guy Hollis saw red for a nasty elbow in Cooke’s face then with the clock ticking down, in a first half of few shots on goal, Cooke rattled the crossbar with a bullet header and then in added time he was on hand to hit the back of the net after a rebound fell in his path - his 16th of the season.
So what about that upright in front of the Family Stand? A cracking shot from Jordan Young, after his trademark cutting in from the wing, on his left foot beat the keeper but not the post and then later instead of going three up, Matt Jay inexplicably hit his effort against it.
Playing nearly 70 minutes against 10 men United really should have added to their goal tally as I still believe final placings on April 26 will for some teams come down to goal difference.
Still, this was James Hamon’s 17th (in all competitions) clean sheet.
Jordan Young made the Vanarama South Team of the Week.
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Saturday was a special day off the pitch as the club hosted Jenny Bott the daughter of Torquay legend Sid Cann who in 1926 won two England Schoolboy caps, which Jenny had brought with her to be displayed in the special trophy cabinet in the Devonshire Suite, against Scotland and Wales.
Sid, the son of a Babbacombe fishmonger, made his debut as a 16-year old for United in September 1928. His performances began to attract attention from other clubs and not long after a 7-0 victory over Bournemouth he moved to Manchester City for whom he featured in their 1933 FA Cup Final side, unfortunately losing 3-0 to Everton.
By 1935 he moved to Charlton Athletic helping them win promotion to the First Division (now Premier League) but then war came and after moving his family back to Torquay, making one last United appearance in March 1940, he signed up for military service at Aldershot rising to the rank of Company Sergeant-Major.
After the war was over in 1946 he was appointed trainer/physio at Southampton becoming manager in 1949. Then came managerial posts at Wycombe Wanderers (1952-1961), Uganda national team (1957), England Youth (including Bobby Moore), Norwich and finally Sutton United (1962-1973).
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Non-League Crowd Watch: Southend 8,668, York City 5,872, Scunthorpe 4,487, Torquay 4,141, Barnet 3,674, Yeovil 3,373, Kidderminster 3,028.
Good Friday Key Fixtures: Dorking Wanderers (fifth) v Hampton (eighteenth), Eastbourne Borough (third) v Worthing (second), Slough (seventeenth) v Boreham Wood (sixth) and of course Truro City (first) v Torquay (fourth). For those driving to Truro the nearby park and ride car park will be open.
Easter Monday: Boreham Wood v Enfield Town (nineteenth), Salisbury (twentieth) v Eastbourne, Weston-super-Mare (eighth) v Truro City, Worthing v Dorking and Torquay v Weymouth (relegated).
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After last week’s postponement United Women travelled to Ilminster Ladies and two first half goals from leading scorers Lucy Solloway and Ellie Bishop saw them keep up their pursuit for promotion.
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Whilst United are looking to be promoted our neighbours at Plymouth are staging what could still be a great escape. A late win over promotion hopefuls Sheffield United gave their supporters hope with four games left.
Asa Hall’s Tivvy were fifteen minutes away from a vital three points at second placed AFC Totton but a Scott Rendell goal gave the home side a 2-1 win leaving Tiverton still in relegation danger.
Player of the Season awards are being presented, after the match, on Easter Monday’s game along with TUST’s Ian Twitchin Trophy.
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Have you bought your TUFC Lotto tickets yet? Go to www.torquayunited.com for details.
COYY!
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