Andy Smith tells
us about the Torquay match and a weekend at Torquay.
We
left Consett at 7.30am on Friday morning returning at 9.30pm on Sunday evening,
having travelled 820 miles and spent more money than intended. But for the
second season running, had a superb weekend in the English Riviera resort
of Torquay.
Being
fully aware of the vast amount of rain that had fallen in the south west over
the previous week, it was always possible that the game may not even take
place. As Tracey and i drove through Somerset and into Devon, the flooded
fields were clear to see. Was the journey going to be in vain, we may have
thought. But no, it wasn't as we were still going to enjoy a weekend with
the Navy girls, Nicole(step daughter) and Tina(Nicole's best friend).
But
we all met up, booked into a good hotel on the sea front, before spending
several hours in Weatherspoons on the harbourside. It is always a good atmosphere
in there as we enjoyed sampling the local ales, and what a lot of them there
was to sample!! We bumped into a quite a few Darlo fans in there, including
Gavin Ellis who was enjoying his usual week away in Devon. As we left the
pub, the rain was lashing down and i thought the game would be off.
The
next morning, Saturday, it cleared up a bit and we heard about the 12.30pm
pitch inspection. After a look in the shops, i tret Tracey and the girls to
a pre-match meal in an 'Ice Cream Emporium'. And yes, i did have an ice cream
for lunch. Found out the game was on, so Tina and i got a Taxi to Plainmoor
leaving the others to shop. And beleive me they did a lot of shopping!! After
a swift one in the club bar, it was into the ground. It was certainly never
going to be a classic as the pitch was just thick mud and sand.
After
a few scares in the second half, thankfully Julian Joachim managed to score
the only goal with only a few minutes left on the clock. Get in there, what
a cracking result, i thought when the final whistle went. For the game to
be played in the conditions was a result in itself, but to come away with
all 3 points was a job well done!! Tina and i walked back into the town, where
we met up with the others for a celebration drink or two.
As
we got into Weatherspoons, the mobile rang and i immediatley recognised the
number of TFM. Quite happily, i went on Jeff Winters radio show and talked
about the game, and the cracking weekend we were having in Torquay. The rest
of Saturday night was a mixture of drinks and a curry. Sunday we said goodbye
to the Navy girls who were away to Devonport in Plymouth. Not wanting to return
to the north east too quickly, Tracey and i visited Paignton, Brixham and
Dartmouth before the long journey home. By the time we got back, we were tired,
but what a great weekend we had. Lets hope Torquay manage to avoid the drop,
as they will be a big miss if they do go!!
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