Do we have to brace ourselves for a future that might look a little like Torquay’s recent history?

The Gulls had spent many years in the lower leagues until 2007 when they lost their 80-year Football
League status. They didn’t quite bounce back at the first attempt, but in their first year in the Conference
(today’s National League) they made the Conference play off semi’s losing to local rivals Exeter and also
had a Wembley trip for the FA Trophy Final, although also a defeat to Ebbsfleet.
The next season, 2009/09, saw them promoted back to the football league with a 2-0 victory over
Cambridge, in the play-off final, again at Wembley. So only 2 seasons in the Conference and 2 trips to
Wembley, maybe the Conference wasn’t such a painful experience, so long as it wasn’t repeated.
Thankfully, stability was then achieved in 2009/10, finishing 17th in League 2 and 2010/11 saw yet
another Wembley appearance in the League 2 play-off final, losing 2-0 to Stevenage. 2011/12 they were
yet again involved in the play-offs losing a semifinal to Cheltenham.
The Gulls were competing again at the right end of League 2. Memories of these dark days in the
Conference surely erased by now? Football has no respect for past endeavors though and a decline started
with a lowly 19th finish in the next season (12/13) and worse to follow in the 12/13 season as the trap door
to the Conference once again opened for them.
Unlike their first foray into the Conference, in this 13/14 season they finished a modest mid-table 13th
place but more mediocrity prevailed until April 2018 when they were again relegated to the National
League South.
Off the field it seems to have been boardroom chaos around this time until a local consortium who were
running the club sold to Clarke Osborne in order to save the club going into administration. Clare
Osborne was, and still is, the owner of Gaming International and his CV includes the eviction of Bristol
Rovers from Eastville and the closure of greyhound and speedway tracks, in places such as Reading and
Milton Keynes. As we hear from so many new owners, he thought the club needs to move from their
Plainmoor stadium to survive. Not good news for the supporters one would think.
However, despite being in National League South, Osborne allowed the Gulls to remain a professional set
up and appointed the well respected Gary Johnson as coach, bouncing back to the National League at the
first attempt in 2019
The COVID season was cancelled in March 2020 with Torquay mid-table 14th and in 2021 they resumed
their old play-off habits but lost to Hartlepool on penalties. The Gulls were on the rise again and they
would soon be out of the National League wouldn’t they?
In 2021/22 they finished a mid table 11th and now this season they are suffering again as they sit 6 points
from safety.
Meanwhile Osborne, who is something of a recluse with only rare appearances at Plainmoor, has not been
able to relocate TUFC, although his infrequent public statements show he still wishes to do so.
Off the field, the latest accounts, for 2020-21, season show another massive loss, £860k.
In fact TUFC’s annual losses over the last four seasons have been: 2017-2018 – £959k, 2018-2019 –
£943k, 2019-2020 – £811k and the latest £860,638. Debts now total £5M.
Osborne Clarke (via one of his companies Riveria Stadiums) owns 92% of Torquay’s shares.
Is he a saviour or a threat?