Torquay Fans UK Origins

[dazgull]

Born in Paignton but soon moved out to Newton Abbot where I have been ever since.

Started going in the mid 70's. No choice really, although I was sport mad, as granddad, dad, uncle and cousin went every game !!!

[berkshire yellow]

Born in Torbay hospital and lived there for two years, now living up in Royal Ascot near Reading, always supported Torquay despite everyone in the family supporting man united, go to as many games as possible and make quite a few away games!

[Behind-the-Gulls]

Born in Torbay hospital and lived there for two years, now living up in Royal Ascot near Reading, always supported Torquay despite everyone in the family supporting man united, go to as many games as possible and make quite a few away games!

Blimey Berkshire-long time to be in hospital-were you one of those tiny babies or something!

[berkshire yellow]

Blimey Berkshire-long time to be in hospital-were you one of those tiny babies or something!

I've had a long day and i'm glad there's only one mistake!

[chunkygull]

Good point Lucy and that is why I support a devon club. I've always loved the area and have always wanted to live down here (which I did briefly but had to move back sadly). To be honest Cornwall is my favourite, such a beautiful county but Devon comes a close second and there aren't any pro footy clubs to support in Cornwall!

I nearly became a full time York City fan as I didn't live far away and the other closest clubs were Donny who I hate and Leeds who I probably hate more but supporting Torquay has always been part of my long term plan to settle in the area and be part of the community.

I think what chunky and others are saying is true, Torquay and Paignton, Plymouth etc are a bit rough and getting worse but I look at the bigger picture. Just look at what you all have on your doorstep, endless beaches and fishing villages, tourist attractions, Dartmoor and more. You are all so lucky.

this is partly why, despite all its faults i love living here and will probably never leave, often in my job i meet people who have moved from elsewhere, and they are always telling me stories of where they came from and how lucky we are down here. we do take a lot of what we have for granted and we dont take advantage enough of what is here.

torquay and paignton probably arent as rough as a lot of places but are in comparison to most of this part of the world, torquay worries me but thats probably because im a soft southern jessie. :Oops:

as for plymouth and exeter they ARE $h1tholes. :~D

[ferrarilover]

I have two homes in Devon (not as flash as it sounds) and both of them are in beautiful locations. One on Dartmoor, one in the secluded hills overlooking most of the Bay and Dartmouth the other way. I am constantly asking myself why on Earth anyone would live anywhere else. I grew up in leafy, green Hampshire, which, while absolutely lovely, isn't a patch on Devon. It baffles me that people would buy a house in Accrington when there are houses for sale in Devon. Surely you fill up from the best places first?

Matt.

[brucie]

Having two homes is definately flash. Is the reason you have two houses so you can run your relationships with Mozika and Craig without them finding out about each other?

[Matt85]

Born in Torbay hospital and spent 22 years living in Torquay. Seven years of my life was spent walking over Petitor or Westhill (depending on which way I felt like walking to school) to spend a large chunk of my education at Westlands School, in the shadow of Plainmoor. When the redevelopment of the school was completed a great view of the ground could found from the library. Many times I was sent back to class after making up some lame excuse or reason as to why I needed to be in the library, when really I was watching
the odd youth game or training session. (The window can be seen between the bench and family stand but I don't know if the library is still there).

My university years where spent in Exeter, where my uni house was uncomfortably close to St James's Park. (During those years Millwall fans were a great sight to behold as I recall)

I then went to America to work for a summer where I found myself a lovely Lancashire lass with who'm I fell in love and is now where I am happily exiled. It's strange compared to recent years going to more away games than home games but it's given me a different perspective on the team. Despite being a short distance from Accy I'm lucky to reside in the picturesque place that is the Rossendale valley. In easy reach of Bury, Rochdale and the endless list of clubs that can be found in Lancashire.

Andy you've probably explained it many times before to orhers on the forum but where does the Austrian connection come into play?

[Wisconsin_gull]

My father's side of family lived in Silverwood Avenue, Milber
Parents would drop us all there for 2 weeks every summer as kids - Milber Woods, Penn Inn Open Air Pool, The miniature railway, Beechnut chewing gum (free one every 4th go), Bus rides to Goodrington Sands ...ah the sweet smell of nostalgia

[Matt85]

Happytorq couldn't agree with your post more! Absolutely spot on! Very similar story to mine.

[Gazzableedsgull]

Why do you think its "crap" to live down here Gaz?

The novelty wore off fairly quickly, women didn't help like, I realised that its just another town by the sea. Leaving when I was so young was heartbreaking for me and too return as an adult left me disappointed. Life's too slow for me down there, I like the hustle and bustle of city life at the moment and it suits me if I'm honest.

[HeavenAndHele]

I include myself in this, I worked and lived for a bit in St Columb, Cornwall and have always loved the West Country so my method was for me to cover my eyes, stick a pin on a map of Devon and the closest club to the pin would get my full, utter and totally passionate allegiance for the rest of my life. It could have been either of the 3 Devon clubs and you'll never know how close that pin came to me being a Greek! It landed just south of a village called Hennock near Bovey Tracy and give or take a mile or two I became a Gull. A bizarre story indeed.

So if that pin had been a few millimetres north-east we'd probably have been bemoaning the fact that someone called AustrianAndyGreek was slating Torquay in the matchday thread on Exeweb. That said I could easily have supported one of the other two myself, as I used to live in Plymouth and was considering moving to Exeter in 2007...

[AustrianAndyGull]

Born in Torbay hospital and spent 22 years living in Torquay. Seven years of my life was spent walking over Petitor or Westhill (depending on which way I felt like walking to school) to spend a large chunk of my education at Westlands School, in the shadow of Plainmoor. When the redevelopment of the school was completed a great view of the ground could found from the library. Many times I was sent back to class after making up some lame excuse or reason as to why I needed to be in the library, when really I was watching
the odd youth game or training session. (The window can be seen between the bench and family stand but I don't know if the library is still there).

My university years where spent in Exeter, where my uni house was uncomfortably close to St James's Park. (During those years Millwall fans were a great sight to behold as I recall)

I then went to America to work for a summer where I found myself a lovely Lancashire lass with who'm I fell in love and is now where I am happily exiled. It's strange compared to recent years going to more away games than home games but it's given me a different perspective on the team. Despite being a short distance from Accy I'm lucky to reside in the picturesque place that is the Rossendale valley. In easy reach of Bury, Rochdale and the endless list of clubs that can be found in Lancashire.

Andy you've probably explained it many times before to orhers on the forum but where does the Austrian connection come into play?

Always happy to talk about the motherland Matt!

Although i'm a complicated bloke in many ways, my Austrian connection is pretty easy to explain. On my mothers side of the family are a great many Austrians, my Oma sadly passed away a few years ago now and she was the member of the family I saw the most as she moved over to the Uk in the 60's I believe and married an Englishman (my Opa - I never called them Grandma and Grandad, always was told to call them Oma and Opa which are shortened German terms for Granny and Gramps I suppose). My great Oma passed on too but she was very very old and frail and I remember one time she came over to England that I thought she was a hundred and ten!! She spoke no English and she taught me the words for Birds Egg or Vogel Ei which was a bit odd but hey, we were related!

I have extended family only in Graz now and I have always considered myself Austrian first and English second ever since i was at school and that is why i have such fond recollections of the 1990 World Cup in Italy as like Wisconsin says about Torquay, that tournament brings nostalgia flooding back. My Oma had just returned from Austria visitng and she brought me back a home replica shirt, it was the white one with the black swirls over it. I remember wearing it proud as punch as probably I was the only schoolkid in the country with an Austria shirt and back then you couldn't just order shirts online and wham, for most foreign shirts you would have had to actually visit the country and go into a sports shop.

Anyway, I followed Casino Salzburg who then branched off into a sort of new phoenix club (not the one with Peter Kay in it though) and they started all over again at the very bottom of Austrian football as SV Austria Salzburg. I chose to follow the sheep and the franchise and went to Red Bull Salzburg and that is where I am at now.

I've will go and watch Austrian teams when they play any British team in Europe if I can get and I've been to a few games over there and a few internationals.

[AustrianAndyGull]

So if that pin had been a few millimetres north-east we'd probably have been bemoaning the fact that someone called AustrianAndyGreek was slating Torquay in the matchday thread on Exeweb. That said I could easily have supported one of the other two myself, as I used to live in Plymouth and was considering moving to Exeter in 2007...

That very well may have been the case Jase!

[Gull hull]

Hi,born in Torquay,lived in Paignton,went to tweenaway before finishing at waterleat in 1980,played cricket for Paignton,and football for foxhole united,and had some time at marldon spurs,stoke Gabriel,and a season at harbourtonford......moved to hull in 1988 where I still make caravans at swift,have always been a gulls fan and always will be.......was so proud to watch our beloved gulls at the KFC....am also a fan of hull Kingston rovers.....and still play cricket for north ferriby.....but my love is TORQUAY UNITED......si