Features

By Stuart Croll

Plainmoor – the home of Torquay United – is one of the handful of current Non League grounds with a history of hosting League football. And Plainmoor has been a sporting venue for longer than Torquay United has been a football club.

At the time of Torquay United's formation in 1899, Plainmoor was the home of Torquay Athletic Rugby Football Club. In 1904, the rugby club secured the lease of the Recreation Ground, where United had been playing, and United's Torquay and District League rivals Ellacombe moved into the vacated site at Plainmoor, leaving United homeless.

In 1910 United merged with Ellacombe to become Torquay Town.

Ellacombe's Plainmoor ground became the home of the new club and the shared homeof local rivals Babbacombe.

Torquay Town and Babbacombe finally merged in 1921 and became Torquay United yet again. Six years later United were elected into the Football League – the old Division Three South.

A new wooden grandstand costing £150 was erected for United's first season in the Football League.

Very little changed at Plainmoor for the next fifty years.

The 1954-55 season however was a landmark season in that the Gulls became one of the first lower league clubs to install floodlights and Plainmoor hosted a record crowd of  more than 21,000 fans for a match against Huddersfield Town.

During the 1980s and 90s Plainmoor went through major changes partly because in May 1985 a third of the old grandstand was destroyed by fire. Despite those recent developments Plainmoor remains an old-fashioned yet tidy ground.

This stand is an attractive all seater stand.

Behind the other goal is The Sparkworld Terrace which is home to away fans. Opened for the beginning 2000/01 season. This covered terrace repalced an old open terrace and can hold around 1,100 fans.

The acosutics in this terrace are excellent creation and has boosted the atmosphere at Plainmoor

Both sides are covered stands.

At one side is the covered, seated Main Stand, which runs for just over half the length of the pitch.It also has a small amount of terracing to the front.
The other side is a newish, small covered terrace, called the Carlsberg Popular Terrace.

It has a television gantry perched on its roof giving it a slightly odd look. The ground is completed by a set of four old style looking floodlight pylons.

Torquay, obviously, are hoping for a return to the Footbal League but for the time being Plainmoor is one of the better Non League grounds and well worth a visit.