Here, finally,(after chasing around for some name confirmations) are some pics I took on Sunday of just a fraction of the fantastic, travelling Yellow Army.
Some faces are "Capital Gulls", some "Torquay Fans Forum" members, some "Dotnetters" - and others, I have no clue as to their identities whatsoever!
All had one thing in common though - they had converged on Wembley to see their team, Torquay United clinch promotion to League 2.
MIDDAY ON SUNDAY, AND THE GREY CLOUDS LOOM OVER WEMBLEY STADIUM - VIEWED FROM THE STEPS OF WEMBLEY PARK TUBE STATION.
BRUCE FRASER (AKA NORTHUMBERGULL) AND WESTHAMSALLIE FLANK BUSTER AND HIS SON UNDERNEATH THE FAMOUS ARCH.
ARRIVAL AT THE GREEN MAN PUB - AND A QUICK PHOTO CALL.
L TO R - JEREMY BUTLER (AKA JERRY), ANTHONY & MERSE, DIANE & JOHN BRICE,WESTHAMSALLIE, BUSTER & SON, DANIEL PIKE (SON OF ALAN, AKA JAILDODGERGULL).
THE SCOTTISH CONTINGENT, TRAVELLING DOWN FROM GLASGOW.
L TO R - TOMMY PATRICK, SONS CRAIG & ALAN (AKA JC), AND FRIEND DONALD SCOTT.
DISPLAYING A STRANGE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPOUND EYES ON HIS HEAD, ANDY "STEVO" STEPHENS POSES WITH IAN "PRESTO" PRESTON IN THE BEER GARDEN.
DID THE SAME PERSON DRESS YOU BOTH BOYS?!!
RARE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF ANDY "FULLY" FULL AND THE NORMALLY MISERABLE, MOANY ALAN PIKE (KNOWN TO MANY ALSO AS THE BARNET ONE).
SEE "PIKEY", YOU CAN SMILE IF YOU TRY!!
THIS FAMILY GROUP ARE ONE OF THE "UNKNOWNS" TO ME - HOWEVER, I MUST TELL YOU THAT THE OLD GUY ON THE RIGHT HAS BEEN FOLLOWING TORQUAY UNITED FOR 64 YEARS....AND IT TOOK HIM 2 HOURS TO MAKE HIS HAT.
FAIR PLAY "YOUNG MAN!!"
ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE, AS I UNMASK CHRIS HAYES (2ND FROM LEFT) TO THE FORUM!!
SEEN HERE WITH HIS MATES ON THE PATIO.
YOU KNOW WHEN YOU JUST CAN'T REMEMBER A NAME, HOWEVER HARD YOU TRY? HERE'S A PRIME EXAMPLE.
APOLOGIES TO THE GUYS TO THE LEFT AND CENTRE - ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS IAN PHILLIPS IS ON THE RIGHT!!
IAN, I'm OVER HERE! SMILE THEN........!!
CAPITAL GULLS GREG WALSH, MARK HOWARTH AND "PRESTO" ARE JOINED BY DAVE "FRENCHY" FRENCH AND HIS WORKMATES.
ALL WERE FOUND TO BE LOITERING BY THE KIDS PLAY AREA.........HMMM, STRANGE ONE THAT!!
JUSTIN MANN (AKA JMGULL) IS FLANKED BY HIS SON AND TO THE LEFT, FELLOW LONG TIME GULLS FAN NEIL COLLINGS.
YEARS AGO, I USED TO PLAY FOOTBALL FOR PAIGNTON VILLA WITH THESE 2 REPROBATES.........I CAN EVEN REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE ALL SLIM!!
SIMON "CAV" CAVANNA AND PAUL BUTLER (AKA BUTS) BEING "GROOMED" BY A VERY DODGY LOOKING ANDY CHARLES (AKA CAPITALGULL) IN THE GREEN MAN'S BEER GARDEN.
EVER THOUGHT OF AUDITIONING FOR THE WEST END AS "THE CHILD CATCHER" CHARLIE?!!
FATHER AND SON DUO, BARRY AND TIM MIDDLETON IN POSITIVE MOOD PRIOR TO KICK OFF.
(YOU MAY KNOW BARRY AS A STEWARD AT PLAINMOOR, TIM WORKS IN "BOOTS" ON MATCHDAYS).
CHRIS "CLAPPER" BULLMAN (ON THE LEFT) ENJOYS A BEER OR TWO WITH SOME MATES.
KEEP "FEEDING THE HORSE" CHRIS!!
AND THEN THE RIFF-RAFF TURNED UP!!
L TO R - PETE STEVENS, PAUL ARCHER (WELCOME BACK PAUL - LONG TIME, NO SEE),LEE KIRKHAM AND FINALLY KENN STEVENS( ALSO GREAT TO SEE YOU AFTER WHAT SEEMS LIKE AN AGE).
IN THE BACKGROUND, THE FAMOUS WEMBLEY ARCH.
IN THE FOREGROUND, "SHIFTY THE IRAQI" (AKA PAUL HORE).
OBVIOUSLY, THE VILLAGE HAD LOANED US THEIR IDIOT FOR THE DAY!! (ONLY JOKING)!!
TORQUAY UNITED TRAVEL CLUB'S VERY OWN STEVE BREED.
ANY CHANCE OF A SMILE MATE?...............NEVERMIND!!
MORE "UNKNOWNS."
ISN'T IT AMAZING HOW PEOPLE ARE PREPARED TO HEAP SELF RIDICULE ON THEMSELVES FOR THE SAKE OF A DAY OUT AT WEMBLEY.
NICE WIGS BOYS..... BET YOU DON'T WEAR THOSE AROUND THE BAY!!
BACK TO THE MARQUEE, AND ST. PAULI FAN MARK BALDRY (AKA KIPPER), VANESSA AND SIMON BLOGG (BLOGGY) SEEM RELUCTANT TO POSE FOR A PHOTO.
DON'T BE SHY KIPPER!!
TUST CHAIRMAN AND TORQUAY'S HARRY HILL LOOK-A-LIKE ENTRY, HAYDEN JONES SHOWS US HOW HIGH HE CAN COUNT, WHILST MAINTAINING AN AIR OF CONFIDENCE FOR THE BIG GAME!
ANOTHER FATHER/SON COMBINATION - THIS TIME IT'S WARWICK AND PAUL BUTLER.
ABOUT TIME YOU GOT A NEW TOP MR. B!
THREE FORUM MEMBERS LINE UP FOR A PHOTOCALL.
L TO R - ADAM (AKA AUSSIE), JON GIBBES (AKA JON) AND PHIL (CHELSTONGULL) TAKE A BRIEF RESPITE FROM THEIR DRINKING TO POSE FOR THE CAMERA.
POPSIDE LOONY "FOXY" GETS THE GULLS FANS SINGING FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF A BEER GARDEN TABLE.
GOOD WORK FELLA!!
MY FINAL SNAP BEFORE HEADING DOWN THE HILL TO THE STADIUM.
MERSE POSES WITH BROTHER BRYAN (WHO TRAVELLED UP FROM SENNEN, CORNWALL FOR THE MATCH), WHILST IN THE FOREGROUND, ANTHONY WRESTLES WITH A GIANT HOT-DOG!
(IF YOU STRUGGLE TO EAT IT ALL ANTHONY, I'LL HELP)!!
INSIDE THE STADIUM, PERCHED UP HIGH IN OUR "CLUB WEMBLEY" SEATS, WESTHAMSALLIE "SMILES FOR THE CAMERA" WITH ANDY "CROOKY" CROOK AND PARTNER JANET.
MEANWHILE, AT THE BACK OF THE STAND, A CAMP LOOKING ORNITHOLOGIST (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS ALEX AUTHERS - OR EALINGGULL) PHONES BILL ODDIE TO TELL HIM THAT HE'S SPOTTED A GREAT TIT.......
JOY TURNED TO SADNESS, WHEN IT WAS LATER CONFIRMED AS GARY BRABIN.
IAN PHILLIPS, BOB HAMMETT AND FRIENDS POSE WITH BONO OF U2 AFTER THE GAME.
WHAT? IT'S NOT BONO?.............SORRY FOLKS, APPARENTLY IT WASN'T THE SUNGLASSED ONE AFTER ALL - IT WAS IN FACT IAN'S SON ADAM. (MY MISTAKE).
TORQUAY HAVE BEATEN CAMBRIDGE, SO IT'S BACK TO THE GREEN MAN TO CELEBRATE.
BRUCE "LASHER" CANN, STEWART WOOD AND "SIMPSONS' BARNEY GUMBLE" LOOK-A-LIKE, RUSS HARRIS ARE "HAVING IT LARGE" IN THE GARDEN......WITH A COKE!! (POOFS)!!
POPSIDE REGULAR DARREN ROWE SHOWS HIS DELIGHT AFTER THE GULLS 2-0 VICTORY.
CELEBRITY STARGAZER, ASTRO- PHYSICIST AND SKY AT NIGHT PRESENTER CHRIS LINTOTT (AKA STARGULL) AND FATHER JOHN ARE STILL TOASTING THE RESULT AFTER THE MAJORITY HAVE GONE HOME.
(NOTE TO CHRIS: SEE, I TOLD YOU I'D STILL POST THE PICTURE - EVEN IF YOUR DAD IS A SPURS FAN)!!
WELL BOYS, WAS IT WORTH TRAVELLING ALL THE WAY OVER FROM HOLLAND FOR?
ROB KIGGEN (AKA OSPELGULL) AND MATE HENRY OBVIOUSLY THINK IT WAS!!
(GREAT TO MEET YOU GUYS, BY THE WAY).
AND FINALLY, THIS PICTURE SUMMED THE PARTY MOOD UP FOR ME.
THE USUALLY REFINED JOHN BRICE REJOINS US AFTER MAKING THE MOST OF THE WEMBLEY HOSPITALITY PACKAGE!!
NOT SURE WHETHER HE WAS JOINING BUTLINS OR INDEED HEADING FOR HENLEY REGATTA, JOHN WAS HEARD TO SAY TO MERSE "OI FATBOY! I WANT A PHOTO TAKEN WITH YOU!"
PRICELESS!!
Let me expand on this a little (not that I need to "expand" really!) Bricey AKA Father Abraham is the plummy voiced newsreader from the BBC World Service that might have kept Davethegull up to speed with events back home as he tunes in from the Thai jungle. However, I digress..............some of you South Devon League footballers of the sixties (nineteen sixties that is) might remember him in the Brixham Villa side that featured amongst others; Billy Loram ~ father of Mark, The Dart Twins, Bill Harris and other legends of St Marys' Park and every bloody pub around Cowtown for that matter. Bricey later served time as a director of Chatham Town one of football's earliest and longest established football clubs who in fact won the FA Cup before our glorious Gulls were ever formed under their previous name of Royal Engineers and that is where the blazer came from I do believe. It must be a cherished heirloom as the old codger got me to polish his buttons before he would pose for that picture! 
