TORQUAY AT HOME

I was looking forward to the normal tannoy announcement, asking us to congratulate the away supporters for their attendance. I wonder why he didn't announce that!!

Outstanding .... Outstanding ...

One of the best games I've have seen down Twerton for years.

The team ... the crowd ... superb!

Well done boys.

Proud to be a Roman.

WOW what a result
what a come back
what a day
shame about a few idiots who tried to cause trouble in the 1st
I would of been happy with a draw with 10 mins to go at 1-2 down
3 - 2 win get in there

Jerry's post match interview was spot on, every player put in a hell of a shift. Fully deserved win (would also have took the draw at half time!)
Really impressed with Leon Davies....he struck me as a similar type to Michee...good pace and physicality, not the beast that Michee was, but a better touch.
Crowd were great....the "Singers" got plenty of support today and lots of people seemed to have picked up on their call to arms from earlier in the week.
Will be very interested to see what the crowd will be like for the Hampton game....the 2000 in the Bath end had a lot of newbies/occassional visitors who understandably seemed to like what they saw and experienced.
Final point re the trouble....have to say the majority seemed fine and as always it's a small minority of trouble makers. Having said that I was approached by more than one of their fans in the bar before game telling me that today was a big day for our club with Torquay United coming to town and generally being patronising....made the win that much sweeter when it came and the chants of "who are ya?" rolled along the Popular side!

Torquay fan in piece.

Was really impressed with the way you played today and in the end, that was probably the right result and you made us pay for our missed chances.

The atmosphere and crowd were superb for this level!

All the best for the rest of the season

Shame you had to bring the idiots from the beach with you....

Unfortunately these "stragglers" turn up to every away game this side of Oxford because they're banned from home games. They associate themselves with the club but they only turn up for a scrap and to cause trouble. 99% of our fans were well behaved but just like WSM away, a few mindless idiots ruined it.

Yes it was clear there were a number of people who weren't really interested in the game. They spent long periods just looking at the Bath fans.
It was a shame because most TU fans did the club proud. Their singing was impressive at the start.

It's a shame because it overshadowed what was a really good game of football

I agree with the sentiments of a number of posters that it was a fantastic day. 

The team was brilliant. 

I have to give a special mention to Frankie Artus because I think he was magnificent.

Wow indeed.

TUFC27 wrote:Torquay fan in piece.

Was really impressed with the way you played today and in the end, that was probably the right result and you made us pay for our missed chances.

The atmosphere and crowd were superb for this level!

All the best for the rest of the season

Many thanks for your comments TUFC27. This really was a great game of football and I was extremely impressed by the way The Gulls played and what a great team you've got. The penalty miss seemed to be the decisive factor in the game, and buoyed us on when it looked like we were struggling somewhat against you. Hope you enjoyed your trip to Aquae Sulis and best regards for the rest of your games this season.

Thanks TUFC27. The marshalling kept everything under control and it was clearly a small part of your impressive support. However most of us are affectionate for this level of football because we don’t get to see the big club fan mentality at all. Standing where you want, moving around the ground at half time and mixing with rival supporters is part of the experience.
However, it was a proper loud atmosphere and a keenly fought encounter on the pitch which is also fantastic. We rode our luck today, scored two outstanding goals and probably paid you back for our unlucky defeat at your place back in August. The result makes the rest of the season very interesting now.

Final point from me tonight....I think the ref should get a mention. We are quick to moan about refs at this level, but I thought today’s (Lewis Smith) was excellent and managed the game really well and this really helped make the match meet its full potential today. I actually wonder if he was brought in in the knowledge this would be a “big match” for this level.

It's obvious from the Torquay forum that they're embarrassed by the antics of those morons, and want to distance themselves from them. Doesn't erase what happened (one of the reasons why I was dreading the game) but it's clear they aren't a club with a hooligan problem or anything like that. Sadly, it appears apparent that stronger efforts could have been made to stop these people attending, but I think the club did the best they could. Whilst the atmosphere was amazing, the noise from the third goal as extraordinary, I wouldn't like to attend matches every week fearing there will be flares thrown at every goal or a few people entering the pitch to celebrate. I know it was an innocent one and just exuberance more than anything, but it shouldn't happen. I'm relieved that winning goal for us wasn't at the Bristol End...

Game itself, I think I'm still in shock. I don't mind admitting I thought we'd give it a good go but eventually fall short. Once they were awarded that pen it almost fell into my prediction by a tee. To overcome a goal deficit against full-time opponents in the closing stages shows this group of players are capable of pretty much anything. Torquay weren't at their best I'm sure but we nullified them in the first 40 minutes. Next 30 was largely them but after the penalty miss it felt like 'hang on, this might be our day...' At full-time I was buzzing but more with a sense of pride because this result doesn't mean we've on a promotion or anything. It just proved in front of a hell of a lot of people that we have quite a team this year. I don't think I've ever enjoyed being involved as much as I have been this season, and I've seen some tremendous cup runs plus promotions. If this group falls short this year I'll be chuffed with what I've seen.

We won't get a crowd like that in the league again this season but lets keep this average above 1,000. Get your mates along. Four of mine went today and enjoyed it immensely. More so because they did a joint bet at half-time on us to win...

Dusty Lynfield wrote:Final point from me tonight....I think the ref should get a mention.  We are quick to moan about refs at this level, but I thought today’s (Lewis Smith) was excellent and managed the game really well and this really helped make the match meet its full potential today.  I actually wonder if he was brought in in the knowledge this would be a “big match” for this level.

Yes, whilst there were a lot of fouls awarded (25), I can't remember any glaring errors, nor any time where advantage could have been played. Their penalty looked nailed on. Wasn't sure on ours at the time but watched it back and appeared correct.

I think he's based in Lancashire, he often does NLN matches.

What a great day - first half, two fairly even sides going to interval at 1-1. Second half Torquay had majority of play and no real surprise they went 2-1 up. Thereafter they still had better of play in lead up to penalty, I thought this was time when difference between a full & part time was really showing. Penalty however clear turning point, no doubt it was a penalty and at 3-1 there's no coming back for City. What happened next is most memorable I've seen at Twerton Park, the tide had turned and momentum counts for so much. First our penalty - there was some discussion about whether was/wasn't, but regardless of that can only play to the whistle and Straker was cool as anything to step up and slot into bottom left corner. With their crowd silenced and players down, a break down left led to winner, I can't recall it all but cross in led to great finish from Brunt right into bottom right corner, leaving keeper with no chance - que great scenes in terraces/stands. This certainly doesn't happen every week but fact it does from time to time, makes you come back again and again, so great a lot of people who don't usually go saw this today as can only encourage more to come back for remaining games this season.

I thought Torquay fans were really good today, spoke to a lot before game and all very courteous and looking forward to good game of football. I don't know who the idiots were in the corner, if indeed they were Torquay fans, as spent most of match either gestating towards Pop side or, amusingly reacting to a bunch of kids who were standing outside the ground above the Bristol end. The fact that most were 50+ should have known better, surely there's more constructive things to do on a Sat afternoon than going to a game, not to watch football! Certainly not a reflection of vast majority of good supporters who were there to watch a great match.

All getting very close at top now, Woking winning games in hand puts them top, and I do wonder if that penalty miss was potentially a season defining moment as well for both sides, only time will tell. We've got momentum and confidence to really push on, I don't know about automatic place but certainly top half of play offs and wouldn't be surprised if we now play Torquay again this season.

Up the City!

I was all for heading home when Torquay were awarded their pen.  They were in complete control by then and it looked to be just a question of how many they would win by.  Amazing comeback.
was the moronic behaviour all by away 'fans'?  A firecracracker went off in the Pop side toilets, then another further along that side.  Someone chucked a can onto the pitch from the Pop side - I think when TU awarded their pen.  Then of course a firework or flare thrown from the Bath end corner when City scored the third.

What should have been a great day for Bath City FC was marred by the stupidity of a handful of idiots.

The incidents have been reported but what hasn’t yet been mentioned is the revenue loss of at least £1000 from celebrations in Charlies due to the closure at the end of the game.  The interviews with Jerry and hopefully the attendance of the players would have seen emotion similar to winning promotion and given us all a great sense of camaraderie; a perfect ending to a day that will last long in my memory.

From Twerton Park to the centre of Bath, along the A36, there were at least two police officers outside every pub, all of them were closed until The Royal Oak. The visible presence in and around Twerton Park car park seemed to allay any more problems.  Many more officers were parked in vans and outside popular venues in the city centre. Who pays for this?

Off field management need to take a very detailed review of segregation methods as it failed, the early fist fight through the barrier was avoidable. As worrying is the stupidity of a few people throwing flares, “cans” etc on to the pitch from the Bath end as well as the Bristol end.  Will the league authorities take punitive action against both clubs?

The bar closure was disappointing as it meant the regular fans were not able to fully savour the moment and share it with players and management. Not sure if it would have made any difference to the situation but would there be some merit in making Charlies/Randalls a members only bar. Membership could be automatic for season ticket holders and supporters club members whilst others could pay say a nominal £2 per season to become a member.

On routine match days the bar would be open to non-members so anyone could enter but on special days entrance would be restricted to members only. I also appreciate there might well need to be some security with cost, on the entrance to ensure only members are admitted.

I assume the closure, yesterday, was on police/security advice and this may have been the same outcome even if the bar was members only.

One of the very best games I have seen in a long time.

Well done to ALL the players and both managements.

Well done almost all the fans - most of us were sorry about the FEW idiots. I suspect none of them were week in week out supporters.

There are few Torquay supporters who thought the Bath pen was soft. From where I was standing  then the Torquay pen was soft too.

My last comment is that I was surprised by the Torquay captain, who many on their forum think is the only player to come out of the game with credit (slightly harsh). He seemed to question, although very polite, every decision the ref made against his side. In addition, when He lost the ball, many times VERY fairly, he held his arms out to the ref asking him to redress his own short-coming.

A very big thank you to everybody for a great match.

In situations like this I think the people letting off the flares on the Popular Side were unknown to us. If Torquay had claimed their complete allocation who's to say who comes through the home turnstiles?

I believe we pay for policing inside the ground (not cheap) and the police pay for operations outside the ground.

It was very sensible to close Charlie's after the match, but the membership idea makes a lot of sense. The reason why we are all celebrating a great day out is because those charged with security did their job well and kept a lid on behaviours that could really have got out of hand. Thank you and well done.

Some very interesting observations, questions and suggestions following yesterday's incidents off the pitch. I'll pass these on to the club at the appropriate time.

Some of us, like me, who cannot get to the ground enjoyed the Bath City Internet Radio coverage. It was very exciting to listen to it - almost like being there!
Thank you to BCIR for your professional coverage!!

What an amazing day yesterday was for the club. When even the Main Stand is singing, you know things are looking good

Huge credit has to go to everyone at the club who worked to make yesterday the success it was. We got to the ground at 2:40pm, and I was expecting to see very long queues at the turnstiles, and Charlies impossible to get served in. Neither was the case - with the gates all flowing smoothly, and the wait at the bar minimal.

Huge credit to the stewards as well, who had probably their busiest day at TP for many a year. There were clearly a sizeable number of Torquay fans intent on looking for trouble, and the fact that they found little (nor any luck for their team either) shows how well the situation was managed.

Even little things, like having mobile people selling scarves and hats outside the ground was a good idea - and hopefully earned a few quid extra for the club. One of my group of 5 invested in a scarf as a spur of the moment decision because of it, when he wouldn't have gone anywhere near the club shop otherwise. So extra money in the bank for the club.

Re a point raised above - the blue smoke bomb and the bangers on the Poplar Side were from a large group of blokes in Keynsham FC jackets (and primarily one guy with them not in a Keynsham jacket, but with a flat cap on). They were also the source of the can of Thatchers that was thrown onto the pitch after the 2nd Torquay goal went in. I'd personally never seen them at a City match before (though I've missed quite a few this season).

All-in-all - the club deserves huge credit for how yesterday was managed, both before and on the day. What could easily have been a difficult day was instead turned into a very slick operation where people didn't have to wait for anything really, where trouble was largely avoided, and where the club created a great experience for people (whilst maximising its own revenue-generating opportunities). It shows that we are more than capable of hosting fixtures of that scale, and it's encouraging for the future of the club as we continue to move forwards.

Echo everyone's comments on the game. Amazing and a real sign of the resilience of the players that Jerry has signed. He has said that he doesn't sign just players, he signs people and this aspect showed yesterday. Great performances all over the field - especially from Cundy, I thought and the new lad - but I also thought that Jerry's substitutions especially the Brunt one when the same didn't quite work last week were brilliant.

As far as the Torquay supporters were concerned, firstly, how I have just heard about Torquay fans - these are not supporters - assaulting bar staff at Belushi's last night. Secondly, the Singers etc. moved in the second half away from the Torquay supporters to support the team attacking the Bath End. This shows that there was no intention of violence from them which made me proud. Thirdly, as someone who went to loads of Cardiff games and has had a fair few near misses with hooligans from other teams and, indeed, the Soul Crew (after challenging the rebrand), I remember Torquay being very very quiet and polite when they came to Ninian Park - flat track bullies, I think. Finally, I went to the away game and the atmosphere was muted as if they didn't want to be in our tinpot league. Then they celebrate scoring against our little club like they have won the FA Cup. It has to be said that every single Torquay fan I saw outside the game was fine - a lot were boisterous but they were fine - and I appreciate TU27's comments and, again as someone who used to follow Cardiff, I know irritating it is to have a trouble making presence in your support - however small and irregular in this case, it seems. . However, they obviously have some classless idiots in their support and it wasn't just yesterday, they were the same when they came down for the FA Cup.