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GUY BRANSTON has revealed that Torquay United did everything in their power to keep him before his move to League Two rivals Bradford City this week.

And the 32-year-old centre-back also believes that new Gulls boss Martin Ling is the right choice of manager at Plainmoor.

Former Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday, Peterborough, Oldham, Kettering and Burton defender Branston has signed a two-year deal for new Bradford boss Peter Jackson.

But he stressed: "Torquay went out of their way to keep me.

"I can't praise them enough for the way they worked – they were in constant contact after Paul Buckle left."

Last season's Player Of The Year Branston revealed that there was a possibility of him following Buckle to Bristol Rovers.

But he said: "Torquay blew Bristol Rovers out of the water on money.

"They were not willing to let me go there at any cost.

"I don't want Torquay fans to think that the club didn't do enough to keep me.

"I had six offers on the table, and I was very close to signing there again.

"Playing for Torquay and living there helped me no end.

"I fell in love with the place, I fell in love with a lady as well and I worked with some great people.

"I spent last Saturday at the Occombe Beer Festival, and I had a great time as I always did there.

"I'll never forget my time at Torquay.

"But Bradford City is a huge club in this division, and I've known Peter Jackson for a long time.

"We have tried to get together several times over the years, and it's finally worked out this time.

"He's a very infectious bloke.

"I'm 32, going on 33, and this is probably my last time to attract a big club.

"I put Bradford City on a par with Sheffield Wednesday as the two biggest clubs in my career.

"I just couldn't turn down this opportunity."

On United's appointment of Ling to succeed Buckle, Branston said: "Some people may think I haven't signed for Torquay because of Martin Ling.

"Nothing could be further from the truth.

"He's got a very good 'cv', he's ambitious and he knows the lower divisions.

"The last thing Torquay needed after Paul Buckle was an old bloke who puts out fires rather starts them.

"He (Ling) had a torrid time at Cambridge, but that wasn't all down to him and it doesn't make him a bad manager.

"He did a great job at Leyton Orient and I am sure he will do great at Torquay.

"I expect Torquay to do well. I know they want to kick on."

LINCOLN CITY are believed to be looking for at least £25,000 for former Torquay United winger Mustapha Carayol.

The Imps, relegated to the Conference last season, expect to sell Carayol in the near future.

He is one of the higher earners at Sincil Bank, and City want to recoup the tribunal-set £20,000 fee they paid Torquay for him last summer.

HELE ROVERS Football Club are holding their annual meeting tonight at Barton Cricket Club at 7.30pm. Old and new players are welcome. The South Devon League outfit has teams in Divisions One and Two. The Barton Downs club is also on the lookout for volunteers to help run teams off the field. Anybody interested is urged to turn up tonight.

Think some people who posted negative things about our board over the re-signing of Branston need to take note.

Was it not Branston (through a forum member) who said the club had made no contact at all?

Either Branno was hiding something or whoever the forum member was is a bullsh*tter and probably never spoke to him!

Great comments from a TQ1 legend! It's very comforting to know :
Torquay blew Bristol Rovers out of the water on money.

"They were not willing to let me go there at any cost.

cambgull wrote:Was it not Branston (through a forum member) who said the club had made no contact at all?

Either Branno was hiding something or whoever the forum member was is a bullsh*tter and probably never spoke to him!

I wouldn't doubt Clem for one minute. Branston was obviously playing his cards close to his chest and also I would expect there were offers after Clem passed on what Branston told him.

I don't doubt it either, just find it a shame that Branston would essentially lie to us. Certainly gave me negative thoughts about the board when infact, they weren't true.

I agree but then again the Board knew about Buckle leaving quite some time ago and had plenty of opportunity to make their offer earlier than they did.

I do give them a lot of credit though for doing what most of us were crying out for them to do.

had the pleasure of exchanging a couple of emails with Guy yesterday, the contents of which i will not repeat here, it's not my place, but what a top bloke he is. when i originally heard news of his departure, i was pi**ed, and jumped on the "he went for the money" bandwaggon, despite the fact i never really believed that. i still can't help thinking though, had PB not had his eye on the rovers job, and we'd offered Guy the right contract back in January (and i'm just assuming we didn't), he'd still be a gull. but there you go. at least he didn't go to rovers

naturally, a player in his position had to be careful what he said, particularly in the press, and he's handled himself very well, this interview summing things up perfectly.

it's never nice to lose your player of the year, one of your best players and a natural leader around the club, but after all he's done, and the way he's conducted himself on the pitch and off, you just have to shake his hand and wish him all the best.

I said previously i thought it was doubtful that the board had completely ignored those players who's contracts had expired. It's unrealistic to think players are going to divulge every bit of information when is contract discussions. They naturally keep their cards close to their chest. What's unreasonable is for people who talk to them assuming they are being told the whole story, and going off the deep end as a result of what they hear. There are lines that need reading between.

I also have had the pleasure of exchanging polite Email with him (after the 2-1 away defeat to Morecambe, we all remember the game) I can confirm what others have said in that he is a REALLY nice guy (Guy). Happy to speak honestly to almost perfect strangers and at crazy o' clock in the morning too.

Will be sadly missed. Lovely to know that, as retruibution for the Bucks debacle and in a sign that we simply will not allow PB to raid us at will, we refused to allow him to go there.
Hopefully the same applies to Zebs. He caught us cold (still shouldn't have happened though) with Scotty B and Stanners, next time he will, hopefully, face much more fierce resistance.

Matt.

Yeah, very nice guy, exchanged a couple of facebook messages and he's always got time for the fans.

He'll be missed but he's said all the right things here. Because of the timing I thought his departure could have been connected to Ling but I am happy to be told otherwise. If everything he says is true then it is comforting to know that although we were kept in the dark the board were busy behind the scenes.

Does anybody else have a bit of a man-crush on Guy?

Just me? Oh.

Oh yes, he's so dreamy, look at him...

Love that picture,wonder what was going through the mind of that football as Branno was about to place his nut through it.

Oh man love for Branno from me aswell