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List of Torquay United F.C. managers

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Torquay United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon. This is a chronological list of all Torquay United managers from 1921 until the current season.

History

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When the second incarnation of Torquay United was formed by the merger of Torquay Town and Babbacombe in 1921, Torquay Town striker Crad Evans was installed as the club's first player-manager. After three seasons at Plainmoor, he was succeeded by Harry Raymond before Percy Mackrill took over the reins in 1925. Under Mackrill, United won the Southern League Western Section in 1927 and were elected to the Football League later that same year. Despite requiring re-election after the club's first League season, Torquay managed to establish a place in the Third Division South, albeit without ever finishing any higher than 10th position in all the seasons leading up to World War II. The club's most successful pre-War manager was Frank Brown who achieved three top 10 finishes in six seasons until 1938. After the War, Johnny McNeil brought greater success to the club and had led Torquay to second place in the Third Division South before suddenly leaving in March 1950. Unable to maintain the momentum following McNeil's departure, United eventually had to settle for a 5th-place finish.

Torquay's longest serving manager, Eric Webber, joined the club in October 1951 and remained in charge for nearly fourteen years. During this period, Torquay achieved their best ever finish to a season after narrowly missing out on promotion to the Second Division in 1957. When the League was divided into four nationwide divisions, Webber oversaw Torquay's first ever promotion after finishing third in Division Four in 1960. Torquay only lasted two seasons in Division Three and Webber eventually parted company with the club in 1965. Webber's successor, Frank O'Farrell, achieved promotion back to Division Three in 1966 after only his first season in charge. This marked the beginning of Torquay's most successful period to date, enjoying six consecutive seasons in the Third Division. However, O'Farrell himself left the club in December 1968 to take over the manager's job at Leicester City before eventually becoming manager of Manchester United in the summer of 1971.

O'Farrell's departure triggered a slow decline in Torquay's fortunes. His successor Allan Brown managed to keep Torquay in Division Three before being sacked in October 1971. However, Brown's replacement, Jack Edwards, failed to maintain the club's Third Division status and they were relegated in 1972. With Edwards unable to return Torquay to Division Three, the rest of the 1970s saw Malcolm Musgrove and then Mike Green preside over a period which was largely characterised by falling attendances and (at best) mid-table finishes. This was despite Frank O'Farrell returning to take temporary charge of first team affairs before the appointment of Green in 1977. O'Farrell would take over for one more season after Green's departure in 1981 while at the same time grooming his successor Bruce Rioch. After Rioch left the club under unfortunate circumstances in 1984, things got even worse for Torquay with the arrival of David Webb, whose reign coincided with two rock bottom League finishes and a fire which destroyed part of the grandstand at Plainmoor. Later preferring to concentrate on his role as the club's Managing Director, Webb eventually appointed Stuart Morgan as first-team manager in 1985. Morgan was the man in charge in 1987 when a last minute equaliser against Crewe Alexandra on the final day of the season saved Torquay from relegation to the Football Conference.

Arriving in the summer of 1987, Cyril Knowles managed to revitalise Torquay United and led the club to the Division Four play-offs in 1988. The following year, Knowles was responsible for Torquay's first ever Wembley appearance after reaching the 1989 Sherpa Van Trophy Final. The former Tottenham man was also notable for introducing a young Lee Sharpe to the Torquay first-team, attracting the attention of Manchester United who were prepared to pay a club record £185,000 for the teenager in 1988. Dave Smith replaced Knowles in 1989 and helped build the squad which eventually beat Blackpool in the 1991 Division Four play-off final, although John Impey was the man in charge for Torquay's second appearance at Wembley after Smith had left the club just weeks before the final. However, Impey would not survive as manager for long and Torquay were relegated after only one season in Division Three.

The next two decades would see a succession of managers experience a wide variety of fortunes at Plainmoor. Yugoslavian Ivan Golac lasted barely a few months in 1992, while Paul Compton needed the experienced Neil Warnock to take over and save Torquay from the threat of relegation to the Conference in 1993. Don O'Riordan performed well enough to get United to the 1994 Division Three play-offs before being sacked in 1995 with the club again in danger of losing its League status. Kevin Hodges guided Torquay to another Wembley play-off final in 1998, but were second best to Colchester United on that occasion. Just three years later, the club had to call upon the experience of ex-Torquay striker Colin Lee to replace Wes Saunders when the club were again veering perilously close to non-League football in 2001. Nevertheless, by 2004 the club's fortunes had changed yet again with Leroy Rosenior becoming the first Torquay manager since Frank O'Farrell in 1966 to achieve automatic promotion. However, Torquay would again only enjoy one season in the newly named League One, and by 2006, it was the turn of Ian Atkins to pull off the 'great escape' and keep United in the Football League. While he was successful on that occasion, with turmoil on and off the pitch throughout the following season, neither Atkins nor Luboš Kubík nor Keith Curle could prevent Torquay from finally dropping out of League football in 2007.

It had been announced that Rosenior would have a second term as manager, but the club changed hands before that came to pass;[1] the job of returning Torquay to the Football League was given to former United midfielder Paul Buckle. Despite a largely successful first campaign in the Conference, United would lose in the play-off semi-finals to local rivals Exeter City, while a week later, a first appearance at the new Wembley Stadium would result in more disappointment with a defeat by Ebbsfleet United in the 2008 FA Trophy Final. However, Torquay would make another return to Wembley the following season and were this time victorious after beating Cambridge United in the Conference play-off final, ensuring United's return to League Two after only a two-year absence. In 2011, at the end of Paul Buckle's fourth season in charge, Torquay reached the League Two play-off final at Old Trafford but were beaten by Stevenage. Immediately after the defeat, Buckle accepted an offer to become the new Bristol Rovers manager which led to the appointment of the current Torquay manager, former Leyton Orient and Cambridge boss, Martin Ling. With Ling currently on long-term sick leave, after Alan Knill successfully kept Torquay afloat, Martin Ling was sacked immediately and Knill was appointed permanently 2 weeks later.

Managers

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Statistics include all first team competitive matches from 1921 until 14 September 2024.
It does not include statistics for any Wartime Leagues or county tournaments such as the Devon Senior Cup or Devon Bowl.

Name Nationality From To P W D[A] L Win%[B] Honours and achievements Refs
Crad Evans  Wales 1921July 1921 May 1924 104 54 21 29 051.92 [2]
Harry Raymond  England 1924July 1924 December 1924 16 5 5 6 031.25 [3]
MortimerF.G.B. Mortimer  England 1924December 1924 May 1925 25 5 7 13 020.00 [3]
Percy Mackrill  South Africa 1925July 1925 March 1929 176 76 37 63 043.18 1926–27 Southern League Winners
1926–27 Western League Runners-up
Election to 1927–28 Football League 		[4][5]
unknown [C] 1929March 1929 May 1929 14 4 4 6 028.57 [5]
Frank Womack  England 1929July 1929 May 1932 132 41 30 61 031.06 [6][7]
Frank Brown  England 1932May 1932 May 1938 279 93 62 124 033.33 1933–34 Third Division South Cup Runners-up [7][8]
Alf Steward [D]  England 1938May 1938 May 1940 48 18 10 20 037.50 1938–39 Third Division South Cup Finalists [E] [9][10]
Billy Butler [F]  England 1945August 1945 May 1946 2 0 1 1 000.00 [10][11]
Jack Butler  England 1946June 1946 May 1947 43 15 12 16 034.88 [11][12]
Johnny McNeil  Scotland 1947June 1947 March 1950 130 53 33 44 040.77 [12][13]
Bob John  Wales 1950March 1950 November 1950 27 6 7 14 022.22 [13][14]
Alex Massie  Scotland 1950November 1950 October 1951 42 10 9 23 023.81 [14][15]
Eric Webber  England 195125 October 1951 3 May 1965 680 275 164 241 040.44 1956–57 Third Division South Runners-up
Promotion to 1960–61 Division Three 		[15][16]
Frank O'Farrell  Ireland 1965May 1965 14 December 1968 177 79 40 58 044.63 Promotion to 1966–67 Division Three [16][17]
Jack Edwards (caretaker)  Wales 196814 December 1968 8 January 1969 2 0 1 1 000.00 [17]
Allan Brown  Scotland 19698 January 1969 11 October 1971 140 50 43 47 035.71 [17][18]
Jack Edwards  Wales 197111 October 1971 January 1973 68 18 16 34 026.47 [18][19]
Malcolm Musgrove  England 1973January 1973 22 November 1976 188 61 58 69 032.45 [19][20]
Lew Chatterley (caretaker)  England 197622 November 1976 November 1976 1 0 0 1 000.00 [20]
Frank O'Farrell (caretaker)  Ireland 1976November 1976 March 1977 14 4 2 8 028.57 [20]
Mike Green  England 1977March 1977 May 1981 221 82 54 85 037.10 [20][21]
Frank O'Farrell  Ireland 1981June 1981 June 1982 53 14 18 21 026.42 [21][22]
Bruce Rioch  Scotland 1982July 1982 14 January 1984 86 32 18 36 037.21 [22][23]
HargreavesJimmy Hargreaves (caretaker)  England 198416 January 1984 4 February 1984 2 1 0 1 050.00 [24]
David Webb  England 19844 February 1984 21 August 1985 75 20 20 35 026.67 [24][25]
John Sims  England 198521 August 1985 21 September 1985 8 1 1 6 012.50 [25]
Stuart Morgan  Wales 198523 September 1985 21 May 1987 96 20 32 44 020.83 [25][26]
Cyril Knowles  England 198722 June 1987 30 September 1989 133 55 28 50 041.35 1988 Division Four play-off Runners-up
1989 League Trophy Runners-up 		[26][27]
Dave Smith  Scotland 19897 October 1989 2 April 1991 90 34 31 25 037.78 [27][28]
John Impey  England 19916 April 1991 8 October 1991 28 10 4 14 035.71 1991 Division Four play-off Winners [28][29]
Wes Saunders (caretaker)  England 19919 October 1991 February 1992 23 7 5 11 030.43 [30]
Ivan Golac  Yugoslavia 1992February 1992 May 1992 19 5 4 10 026.32 [29]
Paul Compton  England 1992May 1992 February 1993 35 9 3 23 025.71 [29][31]
Neil Warnock  England 199315 February 1993 2 June 1993 15 5 5 5 033.33 [31]
Don O'Riordan  Ireland 1993June 1993 29 October 1995 122 38 39 45 031.15 1994 Division Three play-off Semi-finals [31][32]
Paul Compton
Kevin Hodges (caretakers) 		 England
 England 		199529 October 1995 November 1995 2 0 0 2 000.00
Mick Buxton (caretaker)  England 1995November 1995 17 November 1995 1 0 0 1 000.00 [32]
Eddie May  England 199517 November 1995 May 1996 32 3 11 18 009.38 [32]
Kevin Hodges  England 1996May 1996 June 1998 107 38 26 43 035.51 1998 Division Three play-off Runners-up [30][32]
Wes Saunders  England 1998June 1998 28 March 2001 149 47 42 60 031.54 [30][33]
Colin Lee  England 200128 March 2001 2 July 2001 9 3 4 2 033.33 [33][34]
Roy McFarland  England 200120 July 2001 23 April 2002 50 13 15 22 026.00 [35][36]
Leroy Rosenior Sierra Leone Sierra Leone 20029 May 2002 25 January 2006 184 59 59 66 032.07 Promotion to 2004–05 League One [37][38]
John Cornforth  Wales 200626 January 2006 13 April 2006 12 4 3 5 033.33 [39][40]
Ian Atkins  England 200626 January 2006 27 November 2006 28 9 7 12 032.14 [40][41]
Luboš Kubík  Czech Republic 200627 November 2006 5 February 2007 15 2 5 8 013.33 [42][43]
Keith Curle  England 20078 February 2007 17 May 2007 15 2 4 9 013.33 [44][45]
Paul Buckle  England 20072 June 2007 30 May 2011 226 104 58 64 046.02 2008 Conference National play-off Semi-finals
2008 FA Trophy Runners-up
2009 Conference National play-off Winners
2011 League Two play-off Runners-up 		[46][47]
Martin Ling  England 201113 June 2011 15 January 2013[H] 81 32 23 26 039.51 2012 League Two play-off Semi-finals [48]
Shaun Taylor (caretaker)  England 201328 January 2013 19 February 2013 6 1 0 5 016.67 [49]
Alan Knill  Wales 201320 February 2013 2 January 2014 41 9 12 20 021.95 [50]
Chris Hargreaves  England 6 January 2014 15 June 2015 75 27 15 33 036.00 [51]
Paul Cox  England 17 June 2015 18 September 2015 10 2 4 4 020.00
Kevin Nicholson  England 28 September 2015 17 August 2017 93 28 23 42 030.11
Robbie Herrera (caretaker)  England 17 August 2017 12 September 2017 6 0 2 4 000.00
Gary Owers  England 12 September 2017 12 September 2018 45 12 12 21 026.67
Gary Johnson  England 13 September 2018 22 February 2024 229 104 50 75 045.41
Aaron Downes (caretaker)  Australia 22 February 2024 14 May 2024 13 5 3 5 038.46
Paul Wotton  England 14 May 2024 Present 14 7 3 4 050.00

Notes

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A. ^ Drawn matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.
B. ^ Win% is rounded to two decimal places.
C. ^ Although Albert Hoskins was announced in the press as Percy Mackrill's successor, he never actually took charge of the team. Frank Womack was the man in charge from the beginning of the 1929–30 season.
D. ^ Steward also took charge of the three drawn games of the 1939–40 season which were played before the outbreak of World War II forced the abandonment of the Football League as well as the entire 1939–40 Wartime League South Western Division season (P28 W14 D6 L8). These matches do not count towards official records.[52]
E. ^ Although Torquay had qualified for the Third Division South Cup Final, their opponents (either Queens Park Rangers or Port Vale) had yet to be decided. The final, which was scheduled for September 1939, was not played due to the outbreak of World War II and the tournament would never be contested again.[53][54]
F. ^ Butler also took charge of the 1945–46 Wartime Third Division South season (P36 W11 D8 L17) which was played before the recommencement of the Football League in 1946. These matches do not count towards official records.[52]
H. ^ Martin Ling's last game in charge before going on long-term sick leave.[55]

References

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General
  • Edwards, Leigh; Jon Gibbes; John Lovis (1999). Torquay United, The Official Centenary History, 1899–1999. Yore Publications. ISBN 1-874427-38-0.
  • Edwards, Leigh (1997). The Definitive Torquay United F.C. The Association of Football Statisticians. ISBN 1-899468-08-0.
  • Holgate, Mike (1999). Torquay United Football Club 1899–1999. Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-1814-9.
Specific
  1. ^ "Gulls set to reveal Rosenior exit". BBC Sport. 21 May 2007.
  2. ^ Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 9.
  3. ^ a b TFF History Room Archived 2012-03-26 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 11.
  5. ^ a b Holgate, p. 39.
  6. ^ Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 14.
  7. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 16.
  8. ^ Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 22.
  9. ^ Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 23.
  10. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 24.
  11. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 25.
  12. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 26.
  13. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 30.
  14. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 31.
  15. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 32.
  16. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 53.
  17. ^ a b c Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 61.
  18. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 67.
  19. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 69.
  20. ^ a b c d Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 74.
  21. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 79.
  22. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 80.
  23. ^ Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 82.
  24. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 83.
  25. ^ a b c Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 85.
  26. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 88.
  27. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 94.
  28. ^ a b Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 96.
  29. ^ a b c Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 98.
  30. ^ a b c Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 107.
  31. ^ a b c Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 100.
  32. ^ a b c d Edwards, Gibbes & Lovis, p. 102.
  33. ^ a b "Torquay sack Saunders". BBC Sport. 28 March 2001.
  34. ^ "Lee leaves Gulls nest". BBC Sport. 2 July 2001.
  35. ^ "McFarland is new Torquay boss". BBC Sport. 20 July 2001.
  36. ^ "McFarland leaves Torquay". BBC Sport. 23 April 2002.
  37. ^ "Rosenoir succeeds McFarland". BBC Sport. 9 May 2002.
  38. ^ "Boss Rosenior leaves Torquay job". BBC Sport. 25 January 2006.
  39. ^ "Cornforth is named Torquay boss". BBC Sport. 3 February 2006.
  40. ^ a b "Atkins takes over as Torquay boss". BBC Sport. 13 April 2006.
  41. ^ "Atkins sorry to bow out with loss". BBC Sport. 26 November 2006.
  42. ^ "Czech star Kubik named Gulls boss". BBC Sport. 27 November 2006.
  43. ^ "Lee given Torquay caretaker role". BBC Sport. 7 February 2007.
  44. ^ "Torquay bring in Curle as coach". BBC Sport. 7 February 2007.
  45. ^ "Curle must re-apply for Gulls job". BBC Sport. 16 May 2007.
  46. ^ "Buckle named as new Torquay boss". BBC Sport. 2 June 2007.
  47. ^ "Paul Buckle leaves Torquay to be Bristol Rovers manager". BBC Sport. 30 May 2011.
  48. ^ "Torquay United appoint Martin Ling as manager". BBC Sport. 13 June 2011.
  49. ^ "Torquay United boss Martin Ling to miss Cheltenham match". BBC Sport. 31 January 2013.
  50. ^ "Torquay United: Alan Knill named interim boss at Plainmoor". BBC Sport. 20 February 2013.
  51. ^ "Hargreaves Is The Man". Torquay United. 6 January 2014.
  52. ^ a b TUFC History Archived 2008-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
  53. ^ Statto.com - English Division Three South Cup 1938-1939: Semi-Final Archived 2013-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
  54. ^ Statto.com - English Division Three South Cup: Honours Archived 2008-12-04 at the Wayback Machine
  55. ^ "Torquay United boss Martin Ling will not return this season". BBC Sport. 14 February 2013.
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