Torquay United Must Embrace Difficult Change to End 12-Year Exile
Torquay United boss Jimmy Ball says the club must embrace “difficult” change if it is ever going to end a 12-year exile from the English Football League.
Right now, that ambition feels a long way off.
Nineteenth in National League South. One win from six. And a flat 2-0 defeat at Farnham Town on Bank Holiday Monday that left the away end angry and anxious in equal measure.
“Change is difficult – but absolutely necessary”
Ball, who took over from Paul Wotton in March, did not try to sugar-coat the situation when he spoke to BBC Radio Devon. He talked about disruption. He talked about standards. Above all, he talked about commitment.
“The truth is it has been a long time since Torquay have played league football, and yes, the last two seasons have been close, but it's ultimately failed,” he said.
That recent history still stings. Third place last season, then a 3-2 defeat to Hornchurch in the play-off final. Second the year before, only to fall in the semi-finals. So near, twice. So far, still.
“I was brought in to change that,” Ball said. “Sometimes change is difficult and slower than we would like – but it is absolutely necessary.”
This is not a manager seeking comfort in near-misses. It is a manager drawing a line under them.
Heads turned, plans disrupted
Ball pointed to a turbulent summer window as a key factor in Torquay’s sluggish start. The squad, he suggested, never truly settled.
He spoke of “a lot of disruption” since day one of pre-season, and laid the blame squarely on players being distracted by offers elsewhere, their “heads turned” by the chance to sign for other clubs.
That kind of uncertainty seeps into everything: training intensity, dressing-room focus, clarity of roles. Ball made it clear he wants none of it.
He wants players “100% committed” to Torquay United, prepared to “sacrifice and give everything” for the shirt. Anything less, and they will not be part of his long-term picture.
Fans worried, manager unmoved by panic
Given the table and the performances, supporters have every reason to be restless. Asked directly whether they were right to be concerned by such a slow start, Ball did not flinch.
“I don't know of any scenario when panicking is beneficial,” he said.
He refused to downplay the poor opening to the campaign – “it is not acceptable,” he admitted – but returned again to the internal issues he believes have undermined the early weeks.
“I believe there has been a lot of disruption,” he said. “I can't tell you what's going on behind the scenes, which has been caused through players having their heads turned since day one of pre-season and players not quite being at it.”
There was a hint of frustration there, not just with the situation, but with how little of it he can publicly share.
“I would love to tell the fans everything but you simply can't,” he added. “You have to deal with it the best you can and hope the men you're putting out on to the pitch are 100% committed to Torquay United Football Club.”
Folkestone test for a club at a crossroads
Now comes a harsh examination of Torquay’s resolve.
Third-placed Folkestone Invicta, unbeaten in their first five matches, arrive at Plainmoor on Saturday carrying momentum and confidence. Torquay carry questions.
This is the kind of fixture that can either deepen a crisis or spark a shift. Ball has made his stance clear: the culture has to change, even if that process hurts in the short term.
The next 90 minutes at Plainmoor will show how many of his players are truly ready to change with him.
