Ordinarily, we wouldn't have Torquay anywhere close to finishing
eleventh. If we went purely on judging Torquay on what we consider
Torquay to be, then we'd certainly have them down within the bottom five
or six sides in the division. After all, last season would suggest
that they are a worse team than Burton Albion, and look where we have
them down as finishing. And its not like they were the second best team
in the Conference last season, or even the third. They were fourth best,
promoted via the Play Offs so we're not exactly getting the crème de la
crème of Conference football, no disrespect to our Gully friends.
But there's just been something about the Conference Play Off winners
over the years that we just can't figure out. We've used the above
arguments, season in season out and ended up with egg on our face.
Torquay are the seventh winners of the Conference Play Offs, and based
on past form, they're due to be in for a very good season.
Doncaster were the first winners via the Play Offs, backing it up by
winning the League Two title. Carlisle did the same two years later.
Exeter managed to win promotion the season after winning the Play Offs.
Overall, the Play Off winners have finished above the Conference five
times out of six so far, with only Shrewsbury out of those six being
close to what you would call a struggling season.
This has gone on too many times now for this just to be dismissed as
a coincidence, but what the reasons are behind it, I don't know. All I
can think of is that on many occasions, the Conference winners have run
away with it having had an "easy" season down below.
The Play Off winners have had more of a battle to make it up, and are
therefore under no illusions about the task they have facing them.
There's no assumption that their squad will be good enough, and going
with what they have that you might take having secured the title. The
Play Off winners realise that changes need to be made to compete.
But you would think that would apply to any Play Off winners, but
this is peculiar only to the Conference Play Off winners, so we are
stumped for any reasons that might lurk behind it that we can
confidently lay the blame at.
As for Torquay themselves, we'll confess from the start that given
our lack of reading of the Non League Paper or never having viewed the
Blue Square Bonanza programme or whatever it was called on Setanta
before it went pop, we don't know a great deal about Gulls manager Paul
Buckle other than what we can see from a quick scour round the web.
Two seasons in charge at Plainmoor, with finishes of 3rd in his first
season and 4th last time round before securing promotion back to the
Football League via the Play Offs last season. You can't really argue
with any of that so far, so will have the full backing of his supporters
going into their first season back.
A quick google reveals very little on Buckle to be concerned about,
and no reputation from the NL circles suggesting that he's from the John
Beck school of football, and there seems to be a realisation on his part
that to be any sort of success in the Football League, they're going to
have to improve on what they've got. Good track record, well thought of
at his club and no illusions about the task ahead. All looks good for
Buckle.
His squad does carry with it some familiar names. Captain for the
Gulls is Chris Hargreaves, the midfielder with the long main who had
many a battle in his Northampton days with our own Gary Jones. Excellent
player at one stage, you have to be more than a touch wary tho as he
approaches his 38th birthday.
Lee Hodges is another well known name, though its not the diminutive
one who didn't play for us under Paul Simpson. The Plymouth stalwart is
another who is not blessed with youth, as he'll be having 36 candles on
his cake in a month's time.
One name which does stand out is the loan signing of Scott Rendell.
There was talk at times that we were interested in the former Cambridge
striker, but when the money men from Peterboro came calling, we didn't
stand a chance.
He has joined the Gulls on a season long loan, which will no doubt
have cost Torquay a few bob to secure knowing the way Peterborough
operate. It's perhaps a touch tricky to truly judge Rendell. He's scored
goals for fun at Conference levels, yet not really had a chance within
the Football League, especially when he's had a Man City style abundance
of strikers to compete with at London Road.
But perhaps Torquay are in the best position to know what Rendell is
like, having seen him first hand in the Blue Square last season, and if
they liked him enough to pay Peterborough for his services for a year,
then it's only right that we take their word for it and assume they've
got themselves a good 'un for the year.
Overall it's perhaps a bit of a strange prediction this for us,
basing things on what has gone on in previous years involving other
sides rather than on what Torquay actually have about them. It's that
sort of thinking which led to people having human sacrifices to the
Harvest Gods. After all, what relevance does Exeter City of last season
have on Torquay United of this season?
But there's enough gone on previously for us to think that there must
be something behind it all, and that's why we're prepared to put Torquay
significantly higher than what we ordinarily might do. We have concerns
about the size of their squad and the age of some of them, but they do
at least have someone who will score goals and looks a cracking bet for
League Two top scorer at 40-1.
Eleventh place for the Gulls, but we won't be surprised where they
end up this next season.
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