00:00:00:00 - 00:00:28:12

Unknown
You're according.

00:00:28:17 - 00:00:54:09
Unknown
Hi, Paul. Hi. Hello. All right. How are you doing? Yeah. Okay. Thanks. so before we
do the interview, I've just got to say so for the questions. When you reply, could
you reply as in, like saying the question? So say, for example, I'm going to ask
you, who did you go with them. Go to the match with reply saying I went to the
match with because I'm going to use it in like a quote form, if that's all right.

00:00:54:14 - 00:01:19:25
Unknown
Yeah, sure. Okay. And I just need to sync the microphone and the camera, cause I
got another camera filming me. I know that again. Okay. And. And I think that's
everything. So let me just get started. So. Oh, yeah. then I got to think about
this was I had said. And you put a Facebook message on it.

00:01:19:27 - 00:01:37:55
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. all the talking I had out by now, what is the actual. What you actually
doing is for doc, you should have documentaries. So, yeah, I'm doing a documentary
for my college because I got set. I have a final project at the end of the year,
and I have, I was basically told to do whatever I like.

00:01:38:00 - 00:01:53:44
Unknown
So I've decided and I've decided that I was going to do a documentary about a
football story. And then I found this story about Torquay. So that's what
interested me to do that. And I thought, I get an interview with someone.

00:01:53:49 - 00:02:18:00
Unknown
Who was trying to get his memory to where I can go back again. So where are you
exactly? What? In in the country? Yeah. Bournemouth. right. Okay. All right. Rivals
back in Liverpool. Division days. But, house is separated slightly, but it's not
very nice at the moment. Outside. I'll always talk to you about that.

00:02:18:00 - 00:02:46:25
Unknown
You know sunny. But now playing home of the club. when I first started watching
Torquay, whatever the 70s, you know, we're always in the same division. Rivals,
etcetera, etcetera. Then I remember going to Bournemouth, but then twice actually,
back in the 1980, literally, we had a promotion looking team. We went to
Bournemouth I think was on New Year's Day.

00:02:46:30 - 00:03:18:24
Unknown
Then we beat Vincent de games. no through Torquay style and inevitably went to
Bournemouth and, and it was a Tommy boom of himself for a big, big, big deduce the
right. So were collecting buckets and whatever whatever. And it was a controversial
game. when you guys equalized in the gutter 70 minutes of injury time and the ball
already going to a play should never be someone you got it crossed over the bar for
an equalizer.

00:03:18:28 - 00:03:44:13
Unknown
So I wasn't inclined to put too much money in your bucket. Come on. And how many
times have you been to watch Bournemouth? so that's twice at Bournemouth. Yeah.
It's been so many times in the old days when we saw them playing or playing in the
fourth Division Cup games, the league Cup games. Cetera. But now it just I mean,
for me it's kind of frustrating to see.

00:03:44:18 - 00:04:07:30
Unknown
All right. We're I think we're a little bit slightly smaller remember. So yeah. And
but the fact that you're in the Premiership we're naturally League South I
literally could be flip the other way round can it. You know, it's just yeah. When
you see certain investors money wise putting so much in certain clubs, you
thinking, oh 4041 to watch, you know.

00:04:07:35 - 00:04:33:45
Unknown
Yeah. the rich sheikh would come along and say, well, or, does a player. I mean,
I'll have to call Paul, but could you manage Torquay for a while? He's they're
living in the States and he is sometimes taught to maybe, having some involvement
in future Torquay as well, just like Wrexham. Get some rich American friends and
possibly get us out of this.

00:04:33:49 - 00:04:57:36
Unknown
That would be nice because it's because obviously I didn't really know what. I
haven't really followed Torquay because I'm not really that close. And since,
finding the story of. So I found out about the issues that Torquay of currently got
at the moment. I'm going to go down there in three weeks, I think walk down the
I've got a go to talk in a few weeks for a weekend and they're playing away
unfortunately.

00:04:57:36 - 00:05:18:34
Unknown
That way you can say I can't go and say it, but I think I'll, go by shower or
something. Go. Sorry. Some thought, you know, just pop up and see the ground in
India before it's liquidated. Well, I really hope it isn't, because it's a really
nice ground and a really nice club as well. Like, everyone's been so helpful to me
in the finding people to interview.

00:05:18:39 - 00:05:32:43
Unknown
Okay, good. It's been so good. It's been so nice and I don't think many other clubs
would be like that. It's actually surprised me. I was thinking, I'm just not really
going to get anyone to interview because not many people are going to be
interested. And it was such a while ago that I might not even be able to get
anyone.

00:05:32:43 - 00:05:56:36
Unknown
But obviously I have, and I've got another person as well to interview tomorrow, so
it's going well. Should we start? That's the name of the case, I do know. Oh, Jane
Kelly. I'm sorry. Jane Kelly. Yeah, yeah. No, no, I don't I don't I sell, 5050 draw
tickets on matchdays. Yeah. So I've got so many people over the years.

00:05:56:40 - 00:06:23:53
Unknown
I've been doing that for, for 48 years. And I got to know so many people,
supporters and got it is a real family club. You know, there's no hassle, there's
no kind of, you're not going to get some maturing. So the ground is no hassle and
you run out and then everybody knows it's a real family thing and said, doing this,
selling tickets over the years on knows virtually what time they go to come and how
many tickets to go to buy.

00:06:23:58 - 00:06:48:49
Unknown
I find it is so nice. Also, we've got so many people who've moved to the area.
There's two Scottish guys always buy ticket off me and one's a hip supporter. I've
got a Spanish lady with gold snake and a lovely American guy who brings in his,
disabled son, and he loves his soccer. But even here.

00:06:48:54 - 00:07:09:43
Unknown
But, no, it's it's a really I mean, I, like I said, I, the match of myself. We've
got a group of about a dozen of us, our little football family, and we really see
each other literally have half for each of the games. We don't sort see each side
of one of that. So like I said, it's a big sort of thing.

00:07:09:43 - 00:07:30:36
Unknown
But we all sit together. Would join a match, suffered a match together and yeah,
that'd be horrible. If it sort of ends up completely falling apart, you know,
because that ruins the connection. Because you're only seeing them. and you're not
going to see them, basically. But no, there's a couple of. We'll keep in touch if
the worst came to us.

00:07:30:41 - 00:07:53:26
Unknown
but because I've known the guy said we worked at the club volunteering for 40 odd
years, which I do, like I say, with the 5050s life. So programs at the show, blah,
blah, blah. So yeah, Talk it Out for me is a huge part of my life. And to think
that it could possibly not exist, you know, it's a big chunk.

00:07:53:31 - 00:08:19:03
Unknown
Yeah. And we have like I said, if we go back to the one of your questions, you
know, when you said about, when did you start supporting Torquay, you know, 53
years of suffering basically. So yeah, if, if the worst comes at worst, you know,
I'll well hopefully I'll, I've, I could never go watch beautiful argyle over Exeter
City.

00:08:19:08 - 00:08:39:25
Unknown
So it might be mean on the bottom of another or possibly easier to get a big gap in
the community if it, if it disappeared. If I say all right, it's it'd be a big gap
in the community because yeah so many people support them. Yeah. Including
yourself. And it's just going to be it'd be terrible if it, you know, liquidate.

00:08:39:30 - 00:09:03:13
Unknown
I mean, what fascinates me, people are that you don't realize how important it is,
you know, use it if you lose it, if it did go under, then, you know, so many
people, we just you okay? You know, we could've done something to keep it going,
you know? But, Yeah. So. Right. Shall we talk about the wonderful excuse also
aren't ask of as well.

00:09:03:17 - 00:09:23:03
Unknown
I didn't know if you really. There's been talking either after this date had a
reputation for escape and a drop of the last season. Yeah I did I did hear about
that because I watched the, other documentary that was made on Netflix that also
sort of inspired me as well. And they went through high. How, escape artists.

00:09:23:07 - 00:09:58:12
Unknown
Yeah. Okay. How? Because we have once when we were that the crime wasn't that up to
us because Stevenage got promotion for the conference, but the train wasn't up to
the standards of escape there. There were twice we won at Carlisle. Quite weird.
And I almost upon ultimate okay, which saved us. Yeah. And of course to first a we
were not born on the last day and that was probably more dramatic than even the
crew game, because the fact that literally each club one of us was going to go
down, no one else.

00:09:58:16 - 00:10:22:55
Unknown
And, we went we played at the Underhill ground at Barnet, the famous slope and
everything, and we went to three nil lead at the time. Oh my God. Because then he
pulled one go back then I never go back. Oh my God. Oh we had to avoid defeat to
stay out so and and winning it it is horrible because we were all celebrating on
the pitch.

00:10:23:00 - 00:10:49:58
Unknown
He called Shebra fans and we never go down to the conference. And that was a so
much mixed emotion. You felt sorry for them but so happy for yourselves. Well,
yeah, it was not 2001. Oh wow. And so you can see plenty of things on YouTube about
that as well. And, and bad happening in that game because something conspired in
that, because we had this, so many people were also locked out the cranks.

00:10:49:58 - 00:11:12:27
Unknown
It was actually luckily, on a friend of mine who went to the pub just managed to
get back into the queue in time. And so I managed to get in, but so many people
were locked out and there. Right. So climb trees as you get a and so forth. But,
that'll be an interesting documentary for you as well if you want to get another
one at all.

00:11:12:34 - 00:11:37:33
Unknown
to this one, maybe I could mention it. Yeah. Name the great Escape artist. Yeah. So
hopefully, chief, 2024 is another great escape. We can stay alive as a club. I hope
so. So? So, if you want to maybe start with the go for the crew interview. Yeah. So
we will. I mean, we sort of done the first question.

00:11:37:33 - 00:11:57:11
Unknown
We did a bit of a quick overview. We've already said that. so I'll just start
asking you questions about before the match. How are you feeling and stuff like
that. So. Okay. what what would you say the general atmosphere amongst fans before
the match was about the season, and how did it feel to be in that situation on the
final day?

00:11:57:16 - 00:12:22:12
Unknown
I think it was kind of, because the two previous years we were bottom of the
league, and that was when reelection was still a thing, because this was the first
season where it all goes down. So it was quite weird. Rules figure, oh, here we go
again. throughout the season, it was kind of, oh, God, just simmering and thinking
it'll probably happen this time kind of thing.

00:12:22:17 - 00:12:40:09
Unknown
but the actual game, when it came along to the final moment, I think, well, first
year I was quite happy, apprehensive and back on nerves before kick off and yeah,
thinking, like I said at the time, because a conference isn't like it is now. It
was the conference both seen as like a, you know, the death knell.

00:12:40:13 - 00:13:03:40
Unknown
The club, because all the crowds were literally part time. The grounds are pretty,
you know, basic and the want you looking at the video of the Torquay game again
after all these years, you realize because so many upgrades to the ground, you
know, oh my God, I just can't remember, you know, because yeah, the there was an
opening to the ground.

00:13:03:45 - 00:13:26:01
Unknown
where away supporters went. There's no covering the opposite side where I stood.
It's all covered night. But it was only half covered. And the goal where the goals
are scored that now obviously transformed to know each and every ball box and blah
blah blah. I, when you look back at me. Oh, my God, you just you feel like I want a
change.

00:13:26:06 - 00:13:49:21
Unknown
And I think simple things like the pitch, I mean, when, when everybody kick the
ball, it I mean, it was such a draw in the season anyway. We didn't like pitches
these days. You know, it's it's the perfect pitch. Even a new season to come up
catches a bit of wear and tear. But there's every time there's a big cloud of dust
wind up, you know, and those sort of things.

00:13:49:26 - 00:14:21:11
Unknown
But I sort of back of the video and at all brings it back again. Oh my God. What
difference is from then to like but look at the game itself. for as a member, it
was said we were just sort of I was a back in those, my mates became with me. I
think they were probably the same because, one of my mates, it came and I was the
girl supporter, so he was a bit kind of, not fully into us, but obviously one to
survive.

00:14:21:16 - 00:14:41:51
Unknown
And I, two of her friends would me as well, until kind of dying at the time. But,
yeah, it was, quite surreal. I think it was about where I would pursue someone. I
was be. Would you say you expected Torquay to be near the bottom at the start of
the season, so obviously finished bottom the two seasons prior?

00:14:41:56 - 00:15:03:40
Unknown
yeah. We did make a few different signings you could see. But the boundary coming
straight in walking at signs and better players. but we were never going to be
changing at the top to voice for. It's going to be a struggling game. And as a
season where it also improved. We did have, brought up a few good results during
the season, but it was always a struggle.

00:15:03:45 - 00:15:22:54
Unknown
But I'd be right in saying the start of the season. Like the first half was a bit
like pretty bad, and then you sort of brought it back near the end was a quite a
few results at the end of that. Yeah. So I think we had we had a great win at
Halifax. and that was a secondary on the edge.

00:15:22:58 - 00:15:50:25
Unknown
And we got to I think we said we should, we played Burnley way. but yeah, it was,
it was huge and it was building something which hopefully we think we could survive
but have said is still obviously very much cordoned trying to avoid on that last
game. Yeah. Thank you. So, did do you remember what you did before the match on the
day?

00:15:50:30 - 00:16:10:40
Unknown
I can't remember, I didn't I think all it did, really. We just usually just go
round. I was, I think I was the designated driver, and then I just went. Right. We
could not hear the guys up to go down. I was never one for, like, for having a beer
before the game, because always if you do, you're running off to the toilet.

00:16:10:51 - 00:16:32:31
Unknown
You might miss something. You. So. So I was never a fan of that. So, I at the time,
I didn't. I was, we didn't have like half time draws in those days. Yeah. So that's
my pop my finger to yourself. The club lottery tickets around the area where I live
and, so I used to saved the money up from that.

00:16:32:36 - 00:16:51:54
Unknown
That's what I purchased the season ticket. So we didn't have to, Didn't the routine
to you, like, what do we have now? So it was kind of, find a parking space and, get
the prayer mat out, if I could. You. You said that you had a season ticket. How
much do you remember? How much a season ticket cost, then?

00:16:52:08 - 00:17:20:07
Unknown
Oh, my God, I wish I had a pretty good job. What a good holder of stuff. because I
literally last week sold some of the oil football shirts from the years. And the
trouble, if you'd like collect program, you just get boxes of that things and just
pile up in the back bedroom. And I got so many bits and pieces of scarves of
things, and we used to have season ticket used to be like a little pink box to sort
of thing like that.

00:17:20:07 - 00:17:39:43
Unknown
And you took a stamp that as you went to the games and I can't remember. President
wish I meant to be so different when you see win prizes. No, of course. But, things
like the programs that got one thing I forgot to mention too. Did you know talking?
I made a big cock up on the program for this game.

00:17:39:48 - 00:18:11:36
Unknown
If you if you have room. I was I was looking at the programs from that season the
other day. I want to say they spelt something wrong. That's right. Crewe Alexandra.
yeah. Dynos. Yeah, that's all I do. Baby lives or whatever. Yeah. Well done. You
know. as fitting if I could take a call before you. But I so many books just, I
couldn't, I couldn't, I couldn't find it, but,

00:18:11:50 - 00:18:31:46
Unknown
Yeah, I was going to bring that up to mention, too. That's fine. I'll we'll go on
to the questions about the match now, because I've done all the pre-match runs. So
these questions are for the first half. So that hang on. So you were two. No. Down
at half time. And a first question doesn't make any sense.

00:18:32:00 - 00:18:52:28
Unknown
You know the first one so yeah your foot you know down at half time. Would you say
that you were unlucky to be Tino down, or do you think that you were dominated
during the match or. I thought Crewe were lucky to be two. No love in the sense
that they weren't anything special. And we all thought.

00:18:52:28 - 00:19:14:13
Unknown
But the second go go by. Dave Platt trained in international was offside. I and I
thought, oh God. But I thought the way it was going off, oh, here we go. But I
thought winning it the first or whatever I to the second one came in of oh come on,
don't stick the knife in that bad.

00:19:14:13 - 00:19:32:56
Unknown
We, you know, we didn't deserve to be two goals so. But you didn't have time. I
have a how are we going to get back from this? You know, and so yeah, we were I was
thinking this is just the end off. did you have any hope that you might be able to
bring it back? Trowbridge with me?

00:19:32:56 - 00:19:52:19
Unknown
I'm a I'm a much more of a pessimistic person. We always go to the games thinking
we will lose. Then if you do, we my mind by some logic is go to the game if got to
lose. If you do we dream happier than if you expected to wait. So it's not bad.
Yeah. Thing to know that oh my god.

00:19:52:33 - 00:20:17:16
Unknown
Oh we're not going to come back finish. But you always back in my you hope
something's going to happen because it's quite where you could heart heart you you
didn't want to face that reality of being in a conference. You could contemplate
it. So you kind of even though I was so split thinking my usual pessimism. But you
ever had, but it really happened, you know.

00:20:17:16 - 00:20:38:33
Unknown
But at that time you couldn't see it happening because of the two goal deficit.
Were you afraid that they weren't going to exist if they did go down? Yes, very
much a time. Because said because the conference was completely different. But it
is now. And all the other part time and a football talk tonight go that way. Lucky
all night.

00:20:38:38 - 00:21:02:56
Unknown
Yeah. It could really kind of be the end of the club. And because of the
conference, it was such an unknown creature at that time. You feel you feared the
worst of it being real bad non-league and, you know, being completely kind of,
which we are ignored by the local media and find of, yeah. Thinking that we'd done
ruptured conference.

00:21:02:56 - 00:21:35:13
Unknown
No. Is complete assembly x big actually clubs like Chesterfield romping in the
season but you've had you people are Wrexham Stockport blah blah blah having 5000
gates of sector. That is funny because up on my Facebook page there's been some
extra city been putting a history on and, and they put a like a page of games from
84 D5 fixtures and scores.

00:21:35:13 - 00:22:03:23
Unknown
Cetera. And you see, the crowds were like 2000 even clubs like bigger clubs like
Stockport. What I would like Jedinak or less to 2000 Torquay notoriously in the
year before the crew game or crosier but 1000 to 1200 and it was such a bad time.
The first Division but plagued by hooliganism and the trouble that time. The crowds
are so bad.

00:22:03:23 - 00:22:22:19
Unknown
So football, if we if we go down to the conference, what we're going to be left
with, you know, we end up having our Christ veg about five, 600. Know, how are you
going to survive on that kind of money. So yeah, the all those thoughts certainly
went through my head. It's a bit of a random one, but do you remember what you were
in the stadium?

00:22:22:24 - 00:23:04:09
Unknown
Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean it's so stupid that where I sit now is virtually above where
I used to stand over years ago. So it was where, Towards the end of the kind of
the, a mini strategy called it where to go to score. I was literally on beyond the
Barriers at about. And so where the incident with Jimmy Nicholl, curve across and
to the other side and didn't have a clue what's happened, all we saw was Prat goes
down stretcher when she was called and a big gathering of players we on also didn't
have a clue what was happening.

00:23:04:13 - 00:23:23:46
Unknown
Do you think you might have been injured and you ever. Obviously you, but as far
away as you could possibly be from into the but early. So was that that position
where I could see all of two all so so yeah. So the goal was, yeah. that's all the
first half questions. So we'll do the second half once.

00:23:23:51 - 00:23:45:02
Unknown
can you give me a description of the first goal by Jim McNichol. Yes. Yeah. I just
remember him lining up a free kick and, I can't remember what fouled it up, but
certainly yeah. Should goal itself. And we took it because that's one thing about
Jim. You always had a real blast at free kicks which are excited to say a bit
spectacular.

00:23:45:07 - 00:24:07:28
Unknown
so pleasurable will break away the door. They're not going to be split apart today.
So yeah, when he took I just up oh drop because it was just that was after the
start of second half. Immediately outraged. Everybody gave us fresh hope and sell
it back and it's such a such said. The atmosphere changed after that goal.

00:24:07:28 - 00:24:32:25
Unknown
You think I could do that? Yeah, I think that gave us impetus because like before
we were kind of, not quite sure baking in getting and making could create chances.
But after that, once our first went in me, it was kind of constant pressure. And so
we had a chance at the chance and we had a player on loan from Northampton.

00:24:32:25 - 00:24:57:49
Unknown
Good ad man. And he was working hard in midfield and he crashed a shot against the
crossbar. we then oh is he going to be one of those games over again. So one just
not getting it. And we also had a player on Uncle Alan McLaughlin who was on live
in Swindon, and he died and only a few years ago.

00:24:57:54 - 00:25:15:59
Unknown
And, you end up playing for Northern Ireland. I think it's Northern Ireland. The
playful and we'll see may maybe the Republic. But you know, he went on to play, you
know, international football. We had him on loan for Swindon at the time. He played
a big part in kind of reviving the team for the last few games.

00:25:15:59 - 00:25:39:22
Unknown
For us. Oh position was a midfield okay, so we had a midfield of him. The two
midfielders who were on loan and Jim and Nick of course, with signed from lovely
rivals Exeter and so yeah, when he scored that goal you because I said watch your
back on the clips and we just. Yeah smash it in Jim.

00:25:39:27 - 00:26:08:38
Unknown
And yeah. Because he was a nice bloke. I kind of met him running a puppet in
Ashburton. It was kind of. It must have been it. Just put him a few times and.
Yeah, really nice bloke, but, Yeah, certainly that should change after that. Go
into a new forum. Can something really happen here? And you said you didn't see him
being, but obviously you were on the other side of the stadium, say you didn't
really know what happened when you saw that, did you think, oh, here we go.

00:26:08:40 - 00:26:30:01
Unknown
More problems. Yeah. It was a case of what the. Yeah. What Murphy's going on. And I
think his, Yeah. Because of schedule after the he really scored said June at that
half we were kind of building momentum. We hit the crossbar a couple of chances on
social for tennis. When this happened it was over. Oh what's going on?

00:26:30:01 - 00:26:54:51
Unknown
You don't have a clue. Really? we just thought, well, maybe. Can something happen?
But, yeah, it was quite weird because, you know, where I was. World was no idea.
We. And, you know, you know, sort of, communication, at least in these day and age,
you'd have the local radio and you an updates because those days there was no local
radio for us.

00:26:54:55 - 00:27:16:44
Unknown
So we weren't kind of informed until really after the game what we did actually
happened. So you didn't know what the other scores were during that match. You just
know you need. Yeah we do. Some schools are also on national radio. because the
drama unfolding, we get up a little bit of that, but certainly local radio as it
is.

00:27:16:44 - 00:27:36:47
Unknown
No would have told us exactly what was happening, would have told us, oh, Jim. And
they could be bit bought a dog. So for those day we did have a clue. It's just you
ever on the pitch, not a clue what's happening. And so kind of that story kind of
got revealed afterwards, which is, so the four minutes were added on at the end.

00:27:36:52 - 00:28:04:08
Unknown
How how how were your nerves? And then it shattered like you think, come on, go.
You know, just try to will that ball in the cruise net and just in that just to get
another chance. And can you give me a description of the famous second go. It just.
Yeah, it just seemed like a melee of players flip, and it was just crazy.

00:28:04:08 - 00:28:30:54
Unknown
It was balls bobbing all over the place and will come on. It's quite funny looking
at the video like it almost seems as if Crewe felt sorry for us, because you can
see at the time, I did realize just to just hit the moment without even trying to
dribble across his pounds. Yeah, it loses it, you know. So the Thompson gets onto
it and it just snapped it in and well let loose.

00:28:30:59 - 00:28:51:43
Unknown
But if you have boys that player just dribble. Would surely you just did it the way
you I thought you know did they figure out all. We're not going to get out of here
alive if we can feed him. So he was it was it. His mind is sort of cocking up a
little bit. Where were they in the league?

00:28:51:48 - 00:29:14:42
Unknown
But I'm not really into conspiracy theories, but because they were mid-table, safe.
And that would be when they got the second go. If you know, you don't need to do
this to us. So yeah, I was I did have some mercy perhaps, maybe. But it was just
looking back and seeing how that, did I go was actually scored and played back.

00:29:14:47 - 00:29:41:47
Unknown
But just a complete Madden since you winning with but also you went in did you run
on the pitch afterwards. I, I do not time to go. At the end of the game I got on
the pitch and I think, yes. because it was just a weird, surreal moment and an
utter relief, you know, when you survived and you, you, you hit being part of
you've done it kind of thing.

00:29:41:47 - 00:30:03:27
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. So I was, yeah, I remember sort of everybody, sort of with the players
and lifting them up on the shoulders and being on the pitch and stuff. You never
been on the pitch before looking at around and looking around the ground, and
obviously both the standard entity and everybody in the ground was literally on the
pitch.

00:30:03:27 - 00:30:20:45
Unknown
So, yeah, you feel a bit strange if you didn't go on the pitch. So I was I was
going to ask, is there any like specific memories you have from the game like that
are literally just like, from you, like, did it, did you have an interaction with
someone that was like special? Like, did you meet someone, for example?

00:30:21:00 - 00:30:50:36
Unknown
It was quite weird because I remember of when the go went in, everyone went berserk
and you just turned around. You start hugging people, you never knew, which, in a
manly way. Obviously. But, in the stand and, you know, rickety wooden stand behind
us, some of the players wives used to sit there and, Paul Dobson's partner was used
because she was very, very attractive.

00:30:50:36 - 00:31:18:47
Unknown
Lady shouts so. And, I remember looking behind her and also and, Yeah, that was
quite an interesting moment, but, no, just if I were, we were. It's just
everybody's a granddaughter we just saw hugging each other. Just a girl, maybe
tears in her eyes, you know. And, do you think that as part of the community fed of
Torquay, just all these people, we might not even know them that you can just, you
know, celebrate with them?

00:31:18:52 - 00:31:42:38
Unknown
Yeah. yeah. It was this did very much feel like, that those bonding time thing, you
know, in in being in like a small club with, you know, but yeah. No, I think the
attendance was even though I think it was a free phase. And I think in the end, but
then Virginia says you, you know, you, you the core two thirds, that kind of thing.

00:31:42:43 - 00:31:54:38
Unknown
But this day, obviously more people came and went for it. And just the sheer relief
at the end was, yeah, it was more jubilation or relief.

00:31:54:43 - 00:32:19:46
Unknown
Well, relief probably, I think is, yeah, it's a bit different winning a trophy to,
or getting promoted to surviving because it feels different. You might feel with a
trophy you feel like you've achieved something, but then, I mean, you also feel
like you've got a trophy. Don't know what that feels like. But but it's also we've
won two trophies.

00:32:19:51 - 00:32:42:56
Unknown
playing for at Wembley, and, and we picked Blackpool. We ended up with a Football
League trophy about oh I think. Oh yeah. That, no, we've not having won any cup
finals or trophies that we have. All our celebrations have been relegation avoiding
games. But surely, how did you personally celebrate after the match?

00:32:43:01 - 00:33:08:37
Unknown
I wouldn't say that. The story forever, actually. because, say, I was the driver.
because I live in, Kingston seems to be so many miles away from Torquay. Government
friends lives in Newton Abbot, which is a town on the way. So I picked everybody
up. But in the evening, luckily, somebody else took over the driving, so I was have
to have a few pints.

00:33:08:42 - 00:33:30:16
Unknown
So they came. Jim Ray picked me up, cremated, whatever. And so we went to, you
know, to, to to celebrate. And my mate who was due to drive in Manchester, but the
traffic, however, it was 4 or 5 of us and, I think it may have been five of us. And
this two tiny little mini. And the mini was in better condition.

00:33:30:18 - 00:33:56:04
Unknown
And for some reason it didn't have the door to its boot. So my mate has a spare
steering wheel in the boot, which is also visible to anybody. So as we got to time,
we, we parked and a couple of police, came along. Lady, please, please, please,
God. And they were just in good humor.

00:33:56:09 - 00:34:04:57
Unknown
I remember she remarked. So you just you ruined it. Back to the joke icon. Hope
we've got you've got one in the front.

00:34:05:02 - 00:34:48:06
Unknown
So we just had a good night out. You know, we drink as much as we could and just
sort of relief and just letting it all out and figured I go for that. We've done
it. How did he do it the next season? Because I didn't. Are you looking at this is
this is a big contract because, the manager of that team that the crew gang, Stuart
Morgan, he left you the summer and, was replaced by all those who, was well known
player for Spurs and play for England and, tough northerner and he based out
exactly the basis of the same team Muslims kind of state because we lost lo

00:34:48:07 - 00:35:15:24
Unknown
bread. Cetera. He had a few more and his but he built the team was a real team of
hard players. But they could also play a bit. And he transformed the side. And we
went from you bottom table to literally playoff places. And we just missed out on
the last day of a season. But the first game in a foreign season, okay.

00:35:15:28 - 00:35:37:03
Unknown
Because obviously we just the last two years just escaped a second first game in a
season play. Wrexham first. we go one. No doubt he would go again. Then it went
absolute transformed and we ended up winning the game six one, which is what I was
going in. And then it just took off from there for that foreign season.

00:35:37:03 - 00:36:07:39
Unknown
And yeah, I was good. Saunders nose took us from bottom to the top. Playoffs.
course 89 division ended up in the Sherpa van as a boss, which is the Football
League trophy. Getting to the final, playing at Wembley. And that to me was again,
it's a joke. A few tears and love from the crew game. But when I should talk and I
two years later got to Wembley in the Sherpa Van Trophy.

00:36:07:44 - 00:36:29:49
Unknown
Not really do that. Tears of love. But then inside Wembley thinking talking night
at Wembley, you know the score. We lost four one to but not didn't matter
whatsoever. Just a fan for two years being literally it could be a club that froze
to playing at Wembley. That was just absurd. So surreal. I felt I could do it
again.

00:36:29:54 - 00:36:55:48
Unknown
Stay up this season for sure. And that's our kind of, big, my older brother to our
clubs and dive into what we've been doing, be five times even more than we our God.
That's my our one claim to fame at the moment. but that, they should provide 89 was
something so big for me to Torquay, to Webb, because in those days the small cup
didn't get to Wembley.

00:36:55:48 - 00:37:19:45
Unknown
No. You know, there's so many playoff games and finals etc. etc.. It's a question
who hasn't been to Wembley yet, you know. But those days it was such a the big
thing. And yeah, two years after the the crew game. and do you think Tokyo going to
be able to manage have got another great escape like they did then?

00:37:19:49 - 00:37:52:41
Unknown
I'm constantly looking at fans for general to see if there was any glimmer or any
news coming out. Play more potential owners, new owners and what could possibly
happen. I don't know. Hopefully somebody could come in and just keep giving us so
nice to keep us going and maybe make sure we stay up and, and, you know, stay safe
and keep us alive to maybe get promotion to the National League one day, get back
of the Football League.

00:37:52:46 - 00:38:23:31
Unknown
But that's going to be so, so difficult. I think I saw Warnock was there the other
day. Yeah, I mean it's quite funny seeing the forms and how many he has got divided
opinion quite a lot. He seems to be quite a controversial catch. Other clubs he's
been up financially I think to some, subtlety. But he's again, he was part of our
great escape a few years later when me he came in.

00:38:23:31 - 00:38:46:08
Unknown
Was it like an advisor? And, kept us up in 93 of it because we went to Carlisle the
penultimate game, we won one nil up. There was scrappy game. And you think we're
going to Carlisle if you want it in the country? You have a. And I always think
with teams like that, if they go to war in a country, that should be the biggest
incentive to put on the performance.

00:38:46:08 - 00:39:16:45
Unknown
And why the hell drive all that way for nothing? So make sure you get something.
And we had a scruffy one nil win. I think it came off our players knees, which you
didn't know much about. it was a big scandal, kind of a scrappy go, but it kept us
up that year. 9293 season. And, yes, if you could find somebody or contacts, maybe
to bring help, bring somebody.

00:39:16:49 - 00:39:37:31
Unknown
Yes, please. You know, because he just got a house in down in Cornwall, so. No,
he's kind of a has lots of local connections, but, you know, I think it does it
does go on a bit. It's connection. We've got more details of Torquay which right
goes under a little bit. I'd love if he, if he could help us find somebody can get
a ServiceMaster.

00:39:37:31 - 00:40:01:48
Unknown
No. Yes please. So Patrick take any help you can get at the moment. Yeah. That's
right I mean forever I'll do EuroMillions lottery but hasn't come up trumps quite
yet. You might be lucky next week. it's Tuesdays. It's because it's usually on
Fridays. I've always been a truth tonight as well. So who knows, you might want it
tonight and then you can, oh, you can save two.

00:40:01:48 - 00:40:26:37
Unknown
Okay. So yesterday, I mean, it's quite funny, but that on a separate conversation,
if you've got the time, but, Yeah, in amongst all of the family, there was always
going to come up as always to the EuroMillions. But when it's kind of, you know,
the stories go, we also had, you know, our, our incarnation being being saved a
local, jackpot winner.

00:40:26:38 - 00:40:52:50
Unknown
But the lottery came on, came on board a club. I think he won about 15 million,
something like that. You put a lot of money. He was a local guy. Unfortunately,
just retired couple years after he passed away quite early in his life. So his his
wife still stayed on the board for a while. but they were kind of ripped off and
were quite, clueless, in fact.

00:40:52:55 - 00:41:15:27
Unknown
Yeah, big kind of, you know, blunt about how to how to really make the best use of
it or that was actually business man. But yeah, but hopefully not because of what
happened to then hopefully not be so naive and in fact, hopefully find some real
good people around you helped where they were not so people, but whatever.

00:41:15:32 - 00:41:40:53
Unknown
I love that that if you want something ridiculously good, you know, 100 million
something you can get you, you know, you won't even be free to lose a few million.
Whatever. Yeah. You know, you would. I would love to have because you could put
proper foundations into the club proper. You've academies, etcetera, be more fan
friendly because that's what is missing.

00:41:40:53 - 00:42:06:20
Unknown
We're talking at that moment. The last few years we've also been in control and
United fans so much simple little things like getting involved with the Supporters
Trust, where we they were like ambassadors in the ground, helping people come in,
welcoming people. They had things outside for the kids and this regime took that
all away. Well, you think, well, very thing with the topic for about two years.

00:42:06:25 - 00:42:31:34
Unknown
You want to build that fan base, you want to encourage that kind of thing. So if I
was the philanthropic owner, love to get over involved, get the community vote. We
have that work to make it a proper club. Yeah, we just of taken away the more of
the community now. Whereas before there was more togetherness. Yeah. The regime has
been so toxic.

00:42:31:39 - 00:42:55:28
Unknown
Yeah. These last couple of years and even this year, especially where it's so with
Gary Johnson's the manager and again, I thank God he's gone. And the moment
because. No, it was it was awful. yeah. I've been supporting Torquay since 1971,
you know, for 53 years in my life. And this year you've got so bad.

00:42:55:33 - 00:43:16:57
Unknown
If it wasn't, because I get free entry, do you have time, draw, etc.? If it wasn't
for that, even I would have given up going. It got that bad. Yeah. Because that now
there's a glimmer of hope for new new owners who come in. I mean, Aaron Downs,
interim manager, I don't think he's the man for the job.

00:43:17:07 - 00:43:41:45
Unknown
If somebody if some new owners come in, I hope they have a like a clean sweep as so
many things and we'll get a good refresh of it. That's what it really needs. And to
yeah, builders need to sort out just needs to completely just refresh itself.
Refresh. Yeah. And print and present a new image to the local people.

00:43:41:45 - 00:44:05:36
Unknown
And, you know, I mean, this is building up a little bit of these games. get Devon
Day on. Well does. Yeah. Saturday, which is good. Lot of, grateful for the turf and
just falls coming up, which is great even at Bristol Rovers. Southampton and the
ports of people were spotted sitting together in the family stands.

00:44:05:47 - 00:44:29:17
Unknown
So it's quite a victory. Quite an achievement. but yes, that was that's a nice
touch. When, when, when when the, a kind of thing that people do will come to get
you from over to. Great. But you know, you got to build on that and prove that and
make the club really, fan friendly again and moving forward.

00:44:29:22 - 00:44:51:21
Unknown
but also then you want what can come to actually finally get a property on the
pitch because you can get that right. And obviously people will come anyway, but
you just want to build it really better as it could because it's got the potential
to be a reasonable we're never going to be a championship, but could certainly be a
League Two club if not could be venturing into League One.

00:44:51:21 - 00:45:17:28
Unknown
You know, even with the stadium, like the stadium size for where is like in terms
of the league in terms of being in that league, it could certainly be around League
Two flown round League One ish. Yeah, yeah. There's no I mean we've been in the
League Cup or you know, over eight years. So some of these last few years issues
and in so bad through bad ownership and.

00:45:17:33 - 00:45:40:46
Unknown
All right. We were a couple years ago we've been in charge played in that playoff
final against Hartlepool. I don't know if you've seen that where our goalkeeper
scored in the last minute of injury time. I mean, if we talk United. Not exactly,
for the world famous, but we do seem to have these weird. You have wacky stories.

00:45:40:46 - 00:46:14:29
Unknown
Yeah. So it happens to us. Yeah. And we would have thought that a goalkeeper comes
and goes, then he saves two penalties, in that. But then we missed it and that was
it. And of and that was a close chance of getting the Football League if we, if we
had got back into full fully how this club was at the moment would have seen it
through because the main, point of focus for getting hold of the club was basically
a land grab, in part to talk.

00:46:14:29 - 00:46:41:01
Unknown
Been using Talk United as a lever to get what he wanted, and now he hasn't been
able to get what he wants. And the council of a conference said no, no, because no
way. Touch for the council. Own the the lease or the actual the land to it. And
hopefully they won't let any kind of, shysters or fighting for a better word get
hold of the place.

00:46:41:06 - 00:47:26:13
Unknown
And, and hopefully that will as a way to the lease give talking. I always hopefully
hope but but we can have the football club there and, and able to exist, but yeah
how it's going to pan out in the next, few weeks. I really. Yeah. my, my my, kind
of my my my, pessimist head all I don't we might get some owners in, but would I'll
have the financial clout to really push the club on to hope, you know, to National
League level football level I, I don't but long and I but I dread to think of it
for inter even further.

00:47:26:18 - 00:47:50:03
Unknown
Yeah. Because I think going to the National League rules we found out if the club
goes into administration and we're still in administration at the National League
Super AGM in, I think he's due, then we won't even get allowed to play in the
National League safe. And we could be pushing for for divisions. So they might just
kick you out even if you do stay out.

00:47:50:07 - 00:48:22:19
Unknown
Yeah. Which is quite alarming, disturbing etc.. Yeah, yeah. So you just want
somebody you can hopefully we can get enough points to avoid relegation anyway. And
if it diminishes somewhat get at it before the AGM comes on so they don't push us
out anyway. And so I survive and have a reason kind of owners who could then at
least invest something to, to give us a good getting out of this division and into
the National League next season.

00:48:22:24 - 00:48:42:19
Unknown
Then we'll get a draw somewhere like Bournemouth and the FA Cup. And that would
actually that would help so much a funds as well. If you are still struggling next
season, if you just have just a little FA Cup run, you might get Manchester up.
Yeah. Do a mason and that's you would have even in the past been told you've got to
the situation.

00:48:42:19 - 00:49:00:21
Unknown
Maybe you could draw a big club. Never ever done it. I think the biggest club you
draw over a long time ago at home was West Ham. You were top of the Second Division
at that time in March beat them one nil. But we never, never played a Liverpool or
an Arsenal or a Symphony. Exeter City at the road.

00:49:00:32 - 00:49:24:08
Unknown
They played durable god of so many times. Villa, Manchester United of course, which
get them alive because if they did play by, you know in that cup draw, they would
have probably ceased to exist. So you got our old friends down in Cornwall, who who
again, they've survived David's administration, so make up for it. And they didn't.

00:49:24:10 - 00:49:50:13
Unknown
They walked away at the championship. Now they draw bigger crowds as well. But talk
have never told me. Well, we dropped spurs a couple of times in like a league
League Cup. But that's played over two legs. So we beat the once at Plainmoor in
the year following the drew game to play playable. But you know, you could, you
could do it with two legs so we could pull off one of those big shocks.

00:49:50:18 - 00:50:10:35
Unknown
Yeah. Whichever clubs have kind of done. But yeah, I asked one of my big golfing is
I would love to draw Arsenal away. So I'm a bit of a gooner. And just to see
Torquay play in the Emirates would, Well, that would be a way to end my career. As
I say, you have go through a lot of rounds.

00:50:10:35 - 00:50:34:45
Unknown
I first feel like, well, especially like when you see for the National League, say
what Mason did this year. Yeah, they they beat us to get in the early rounds. So
you had to see and go through. It was a bit of kind of everything where you could
have been us. You know, at one time years ago as well when they played Bournemouth
and we lost.

00:50:34:49 - 00:51:08:12
Unknown
The closer you got, we played Crawley. we lost, to Crawley because what happens
they draw, man. You know, in the next round you're going to us behind. Ask like to
Yeah. Just to to literally win the lottery. Yeah. If you don't get big owners. But
the money you can make from a game like that, you want to be drawn away 60,000
capacity, whatever, you know, because then you won't get to make quite so it can
probably cheapen the ticket, but TV effort as well because that would be the people
story.

00:51:08:16 - 00:51:29:44
Unknown
And yeah, just a mix of dosh and, you know, put some money in the bank and and help
us survive. Yeah, yeah. One day, hopefully. I mean, sometimes even when you play
these teams the way that the club themselves or offer some money from the tickets
that they so, so obviously like if you play Man United, they don't need the money
from the tickets necessarily.

00:51:29:49 - 00:51:49:09
Unknown
And they will offer the club some money from that. I think we did that to Bourne
would when they came down. Obviously it's not a massive stadium. Bournemouth, it's
I think yeah, 10,000 or whatever. But I think we gave them half the ticket revenue.
Yeah I think yeah I that yeah, yeah. Which hopefully can happen to Torquay and then
the.

00:51:49:13 - 00:52:16:50
Unknown
Yeah. Let's see season one hopefully we survive. yeah. So so I mean I like a bucket
list, for, for the year, but the bucket list phrase came in. All the things I
wanted to see or achieve was in Torquay. well, almost due to double our print of
our golf course, even although caddies for golf for me with the the team we played.

00:52:16:55 - 00:52:44:26
Unknown
So when we beat them home and away, that was a magical moment. get promotion,
automatic promotion, which you did when we won it safe and in 2004, again. And also
it just wasn't though, like a mega FA Cup run to get that national spotlight on
Torquay, which has never had before. That would be, yeah. Oh my goodness, we
haven't got there yet.

00:52:44:31 - 00:53:02:10
Unknown
that's I think that's everything. I think that's been great. Thank you so much for
your help. No problem. Anytime. If you want any other help or any other, I will,
I'll send you the documentary when I finished it. So you can use up your videos.
I'm going to use, quite a lot of the clips from this.
00:53:02:15 - 00:53:18:20
Unknown
I appreciate it. Thank you. And no problem. Have a good day and I hope Torquay can
survive. Thank you very much. thank you very much. Okay. My my very best. Thanks a
lot. You be.