FL2: Torquay United v Notts County 8th May 2010

For the first part of our histories both United & County wore the same colours, black & white stripes, and had the same nickname, The Magpies. That is until Eric Webber changed our playing colours to yellow & blue to signify the sea and sand of the bay, changing our nickname in the process to the Gulls.

Our record attendance at the time was set against Notts County in the 1949/50 season when 13,824 came to Plainmoor to watch Tommy Lawton line-up against United in a 0-0 draw. By coincidence Notts’ record League crowd at Meadow Lane was 46,000 in the same season for the visit of Nottingham Forest on April 22nd 1950. Being the game in which Jackie Sewell & Tommy Lawton were the scorers in a 2-0 win for County that secured promotion to the second tier. This was a fortnight after our game at the Lane which effectively ended our championship hopes and handed the initiative to County in a 1-1 draw in front of their second highest ever attendance at the time of 43,456.

Our first-ever league meeting against Notts County was on the 15th of November, 1930 when we lost 4-1 at home. Our first FA Cup encounter was five years later on the 14th December, 1935 when the Magpies of Nottingham beat the Magpies of Torquay 3-0 in the second round, a match played at Meadow Lane in front of a crowd of just over 13,000. United, by now the Gulls, obtained their revenge winning 2-1 in only the second English Cup encounter between the two teams, by being victorious in another 2nd round match played at Plainmoor on the 3rd of December, 2005.

Up until today’s game County have a superior record over us in the previous thirty-seven league encounters, having won sixteen of the games to United’s six, with fifteen draws, and having scored 62 goals to Torquay’s 36.

Neil Warnock has managed both teams, taking County from the third-tier and on to the Premiership in the 1990/91 season.

Barrie Jones scored the fastest Notts goal on record; just 6 seconds after kick-off in a 2-0 win at home to Torquay Utd on March 31st 1962.

In the 1971/72 Third Division season County’s lowest attendance was against Torquay United when 8,921 saw their last home game, this against a season’s average of 13,941. (Their highest was against eventual champions Aston Villa at 34,208)

County have achieved promotion to the top flight in both the play-offs in 1990/91 and the earlier form, the Test Matches’ in 1896/97.

Notts County have played in all-tiers of the Football League, including the Premiership.

Like Torquay, County have gone six League games without conceding a goal during this season, (with, again matching United, one match in this sequence being a 0-0 draw). If we don’t concede in this match we go out on our own with this record at seven games.

the forums worst tipper here (45 tips all wrong) and my last chance to get one right this season. I can smell a 1-0 home win, a late goal in a very tight and competitive match. dave make sure we get some photos of the magnum presentation please!

So here we are on the eve of our final game for this season and its going to be a long afternoon for me up at Plainmoor tomorrow just like it was for our first home game this season. On our first home game we had a great pre match carvery and what a great game it was with the perfect result.

After the game came the famous Dave R and Merse talk that took place in the then empty family stand and the talk was about how we both could live together on the TFF and make it a better place not just for us but for everyone else.

It’s such a shame that in the space of one whole season, things have changed so much for Merse in his life and I know you and I will all wish him well and hope things will improve for him and his family.

So I’m meeting Terry and Anna at 1pm and then it’s into the dressing rooms we will go, I will take some pictures and the club photographer will also be taking some pictures and I’ll make sure Anna gets some for her to keep and treasure forever.

Then it will be time to get that Terry to put his hands in his pockets and buy me a much deserved J2o orange and passion fruit, not that they seem to be working on me just yet, but then nor did that grow bag I bought from B&Q that I took back after standing in the bloody thing for three weeks and did not grow even one centimetre taller

After that it will be the Paul Buckle presentation followed I hope by a great game off football that will send all the fans home happy and hoping the summer won’t last too long so they can get back up to Plainmoor again.

After the game I will try and get a few more photos and will then be outside the club shop hoping to get some money handed over to me and I will be there to just after 5.30pm or so.

Then it’s a mad dash to be the guest of honour at a party in Exmouth, the mystery lady who phoned me on Wednesday to invite me phoned again to night to make sure I was still coming.

This does mean I won’t be able to do a match report until very much later in the evening or even Sunday morning, so I hope as many as possible who go to the game write a match report to make this our final matchday thread for the season a really special one.

Here's hoping and enjoy your day at Plainmoor

Dave

Merse when I was a teenager in Newton I wore a pair of shoes that did the trick for me, I tripped over more kerb stones than I care to remember.

Fair play to Dave for mentioning all the good things about that opening day carvery, although he did fail to recall the childish glee being displayed by one of the senior members of the forum at being back in the league (I couldn't possibly mention *cough* Jon *cough* a name!)

And not even a thought is spared for the poor tablecloth and TUFC napkin involved in DavyGravyGate!!

Seems like only a few days ago...

The GreatDavyGravyGate scandal `eh, ah the good times! You know he still hates it being mentioned bless him! Tried to set him up at the last carvery but he was on to us in a flash!