NLS: Torquay United v Aveley 3pm 24 February 2024

Form table certainly renders this a step too far for us. But recent events can and likely will be tantamount to ripping up the form table tomorrow with Plainmoor rocking. Every new Manager gets a ‘bounce’. Surely we won’t be any different. Surely. Please.

No Lapslie, facing a one match ban for his two yellows last Saturday, which doesn’t help, although I thought Dawson has done fairly well on his return to the side.

I’ve been a bit surprised that Ethon Archer hasn’t made the squad recently as at the very least he looks like a player you wouldn’t want to face with tiring legs late on. Collins’ omission has not surprised me at all and I was half expecting to read he had moved on at some point before yesterday’s events. Our most recent recruits in loanee Jude-Boyd and Booth look decent to me, despite our troubling goals against column of recent.

Tomorrow is, of course, about much more than the 3 points on offer, but they would be most welcome. I’m more confident of them than at any time in recent weeks, despite Aveley clearly being one of the better performing sides in NLS this season and having convincingly beaten us early doors. Hope everyone enjoys the game and atmosphere more so than has been possible in a long time.

Will be nice to focus on the football for a couple of hours.

Don’t think we will be changing ends at half-time.

There will be a very different atmosphere from the one I was expecting.

Let us hope the players rise to the occasion and deliver a good performance and three points.

But we all know that it is results off the pitch over the next few weeks that are far more important than results on it.

Lapslie suspended. Dawson, Stobbs and Jarvis raring to go?

Come on you Yellows!

Currently watching Eastleigh v Bromley, wonder if we’ll ever reach these dizzy heights again ☹️

Wow, what a turn out from the fans today and created such a positive atmosphere. It really did feel like that dark cloud has been lifted and we have got our club back. I know the outlook is uncertain to say the least but I am delighted our owners are departing. Talking of departing, Aaron Downes did himself proud in place of Gary Johnson. He really connects well with the supporters and there are now chants of "Aaron Downes Yellow Army".

More importantly on the pitch there was much better shape and structure to the team today. We actually looked like a professional outfit for arguably the first time this season. We deserved to win and only a soft penalty just before half time and a long range shot out of the blue denied us. We made some decent chances in the second half to win the game in the second half from some decent moves.

There were some decent performances out there today. Sponsors MOTM went to Ash who scored our second goal. He was very hard working, pressed well and did a couple of delicious crosses in the second half from the right. It was great to see Jarvis back who scored our first from a header from a corner and is such a good all round centre forward who should be playing at a higher level. Dawson is a big vocal influence in the centre that we have sorely missed all season. Jude-Booth played right wing back and made some great rampaging runs. I liked Nelson at the back as well. At times our quality let us down and I was particularly disappointed with Martin who came on in the second half and wasted some good opportunities. But more importantly the attitude was right from all the players and already proved to me how much better off we are without Johnson. Thankfully he is history and the quality of football has improved significantly already.

George Edwards was still there and there were some chants aimed at him e.g. "f*** off Edwards"! Today we got our football club back and the whole feel of the place on and off the pitch was so much better. Even Lapsie and Collins joined the Popsiders today. One club united!

Yes, completely different atmosphere today and felt like a bit more than 3600. Much better performance and pity couldn’t quite get the win.

It was a very emotional day for me today, one of my daughters and a grandson were with me to help me through though!

In a way the result didn't matter but what did matter was the turnout, because be it a quick change of ownership, be it points deductions, be it a phoenix....

......we proved today that whatever happens we will still have a club to support.

Quite right, gateman. This week has been a rollercoaster of emotion and can quite understand having generations with you to provoke an understandable tear or two. The love never dies.