How Come You're A United Fan

Well, quite simply circumstance of birth.................I was born and brought up in Newton Abbot; the son of a lifelong Torquay United fan.

Although he never forced me, once my father took me along at the age of six in 1958 (that's me not him!) I always wanted to be there...............and if my dad couldn't take me, my uncle George (his cousin) would; so that before primary school days were up the only thing that would keep us away was Newton Abbot Races as that was where they both worked on race days.

Being a railway employee, Uncle George would utilise the privilege ticket scheme (or bunk on for nothing!) to occasionally take me down to Home Park if United were away, and the huge crowds of top twenty thousands something for their big games against the likes of Newcastle, Liverpool, Sunderland, Chelsea and so on and I can still recall the massed ranks of white hatted matelots that made up so much of the crowds in those days. To see such vast crowds was to me at that age a simply exhilarating day out.

As I hit twelve, I became old enough to cycle from Milber to Plainmoor with half a crown (12.5p) in my pocket - 1/3 (8p) to get in, 6d (2.5p) for a programme, and ninepence (a whole 4.5p!) as "disposable income" to spend on a Milky Way, a pasty and a hot drink at the buffet! The bike would be propped up along with many others (no cable locks needed in those days) in the lane behind the Babbacombe End and a midwinter game would mean a dark and sometimes wet ride home afterwards.

One of my sharpest memories was running around the lower playground at Newton Abbot Grammar School amidst the growing hysteria that United had got the mighty Tottenham Hotspur at Plainmoor in the Third Round of the 1965 FA Cup and the pandemonium that grew like wild fire as the news of the draw emanated from the Staff Room! Spurs were the "Daddies" at that time and could field a whole team of full internationals from "proper countries" like England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales...........not the still amateur, Denmark or Holland; and the thought of an Italian, French or German playing in "our" football simply hadn't been entertained. I think the most exotic it got was Tony Marchi with his "Italian" name!

The ages of thirteen and fourteen saw me bunking on trains at NA if they were heading anywhere near a United away game (Newport, London, the Midlands or North West) and telling my mum that the reason I had been out from 6am to nearly midnight was that after finishing my "paper round" I had been playing football in Osbourne Park all day after a school match..........no phones in the house then remember! If United were playing somewhere inaccessible like the far North (York or Hartlepool) the chances were I would cycle all the way to Exeter via the Teign Valley and laugh at the small crowds and bucolic atmosphere of Sid James's Park for a day. The Grecians played in all white in those days, had such dreadful financial worries that they had no reserve side and just fourteen players (only one sub remember) and had to endure the then stigma of gates below the three thousand mark. I remember those dim lights of theirs twinkling away on telegraph poles (so few in number the pitch resembled a zebra crossing with the horizontal areas of light and dark) being switched off within seconds of the final whistle in order to save a little more money.

Nowadays, I live so far away and in the shadow of the Emirates Stadium; I dread the day my seven year old son and four year old daughter tell me they'd rather watch Arsenal than travel with me to follow the Gulls.................but for now my kids proudly wear their Torquay kits over there on the neighbourhood 3g football pitch (all paid for by the Gooners) that we never dreamed of having when we were kids, nag me to let them know when the close season is over so we can all jump in the car for the thrills of going to Salisbury or Woking; and confuse their little mates with references to Chris Zebroski and Darren Mullins (well they sat and chatted to him in enough stands last season) - how will I break the news to them next season that they have moved on?

I, too, come from a time when the maxim was:

You don't choose your team, your team chooses you!
Support you local team was always the order of the day.


PS I'd appeal to fellow Capital Gulls to kindly desist from pointing out my hypocrisy in forcing my kids to endure hours of travel time to watch the Gulls when they could walk to see their local team, Brentford

Some great postings.
But what a question, why do we still support the gulls after all that they have put us through over the years.
A few weeks back I was gutted, vowing to never watch them again or waste my money. A few never seen before signings later and I`m eagerly awaiting the fixtures on the 4th to start planning. There must be a medical term to describe us.
I too was a Buckland boy who started going to Plainmoor with my dad in the late sixties. For some reason we always stood in front of the pop. I had to stand on a little wooden stool to look over the advertising boards. Probably be confiscated as an offensive weapon now.
I can`t remember my first game but an early memory was watching Bruce Stuckey run through and stick one in against Spurs in 71, the crowd of 20100 exploded. We were packed in like sardines. Could never do it now though, to quote Billy Connolly I`ve reached that time of life when you have to consider the location of toilets when you go out.
Then progressed to the beloved mini stand and the smell of Players no.6 mixing in the air with chants of "drink up ye cider".
It seemed more often than not I`d walk in the door and get asked the usual question of "well how`d they do"? and I`d reply with the usual answer of "rubbish".
So why do I still support them?
I don`t consider myself a football fan. I`ve no interest in the premiership or internationals, havn`t seen one second of Euro action. The only play off games I watched involved Barrow & Rochdale they were far more entertaining and passionate than the premiership. So is it me in exile clinging on to a little bit of my boyhood? I`ve spent more time away from Devon than I ever did living there yet it is still home. When I go to away games and see other gulls you feel like you still belong.
My lad goes with me and loves the atmosphere of a live game. We still talk about Roots hall and more recently the crazy night at Histon. Then when that ball hits the back of the net, all the seasons of frustration are forgotten.
As a sad dad, I proudly submitted a photo of him on his first birthday in utds colours. We were surprised to see it appear in a programme, which like all the others has been filed away in a plastic wallet only ever to see the light of day when seeking cash in the attic. But that and the endless motorway miles for 2 hours of hope are the sort of things you do.
So although its not for the feint hearted, I like a previous post feel my club chose me. I will never choose a club in the pursuit of glory, but will cling on to the hope of another Torquay united 1 Bolton Wanderers 0, or, Roots Hall memory.

I know why I will be Torquay till I die.

Buster

Buster has said that he does not consider himself a football fan for not having any interest in the premiership. Buster, I think you're wrong. You're the true football fan! It might not be pretty and you don't always get to see mercurial talent but you're a real football fan.
I've seen some real dross from United over the years but I still want to see some more. Is that right? Let's try again. I've seen some real dross from United over the years and I don't want to see any more! - Who am I kidding? I'll get what I get and still love it!

Born - Newton Abbot
Brought up - Paignton
Now - moved away to Black Country
Family - none of them liked or watched football so I only have myself to blame. Took my girls to some matches but they have ended up supporting Wolves - poor souls!
Hopes/wishes - more money (wages still cack!) to get to see the Gulls more often and just two more players for the squad (one an experienced goalie when Raynor goes {and I'll miss him but I'm probably the only one}).

p.s. great site, looked at .net and couldn't see to much wrong but I'll take all your words for it and stay here - if that's OK?

I am a united fan because like many others my Dad (who incidentally, supported the gulls as a boy, but went on to play for Exeter City, Bristol Rovers, Oldham Athletic, Halifax Town & Bradford Park Avenue) Took me & my brother to see the Gulls V Oxford united in a FA cup replay in the early 1980's we won & played Sheffield Wednesday in the next round. Me & my Brother were allowed to catch the bus from Shaldon that Saturday (on our own !!!) & to watch that equaliser from Ray Bishop fly into the net at the Mini stand end had me hooked ever since. I can't explain it really, once you watch a Torquay game something happens to you that is quite magical they seem to get under your skin & stay there I tried to stop going during the Webb era & when Mr Bateson sold out to the disastrous Roberts regime but somehow God only knows why the urge to be on the Pop side always comes back . My missus doesn't understand she says I'm wasting Our money 'cos they never win anything ,but you just have to be there don't you, one bad result follows another but you know the boys will put it right the next game (we live in hope). I am a United fan because they are My team ,a local team that I can go & watch & feel a part of & be proud of no matter what the result or what league we are playing in quite simply I am a United fan because I am I don't know why but I am & always will be to the day i die forever yellow & blue all the way through. I tried to make sense on this post but I really can't put it into words that make sense SORRY

Well I guess I am different from most of you (no jokes please!) as I am an outsider.
I moved down here about 25 years ago, about 20 years ago I was bored one saturday afternoon so I popped along to plainmoor for some strange reason, the only other football matches I had ever been to were a Nuneaton Boro (thats my home team) game when I was about 11 and a Coventry City game when I was about 14.
That was it I was hooked.
I dont profess to know much about football as I have never played the game or watched it too often but for some reason I loved it at Plainmoor and have been going ever since. My wife thinks it is grounds for divorce as I wasnt a football fan when we got married.