It's sad but kind of inevitable. There was always this clutch of clubs down the bottom of Division 4 - Halifax, Torquay, Aldershot, Scarborough, Hartlepool, York, etc - who managed to survive only because automatic relegation and promotion from Non-League didn't exist.
As soon as that safety net was taken away, the writing was on the wall for clubs of that stature. So many clubs have overtaken them now. Unfortunately their current status does reflect the true size and realistic ambition of the club. It's a shame, Plainmoor is by far my favourite away ground, but they were always diminutive.
For the avoidance of doubt, you are saying that's a good thing right?
A closed shop is no good for football, at any level, it should be a meritocracy. It may have been bad for Torquay but has been good for better run more upwardly mobile clubs.
Its precisely that sense of 'privilege' that has been their undoing in the NLS. I've been following it closely, and whereas Yeovil and Maidstone came down and adapted Gulls came down with a "we're Torquay United, we're full time in a mainly part time league so give us the points please" attitude.
The manager doesn't help, Gary Johnson is a proper dinosaur, incapable of adapting to modern football and is often run rings round by younger more progressive managers operating with nothing like the resources he's got. He's slagged off the players and the fans throughout and takes no responsibility. It really is toxic there.
Off the field and Plainmoor is the biggest worry. It seems they have a mini Goldstone ground thing going on... an owner on the brink of acquiring the freehold from the council who has indicated the area can't support a full time club with a ground where it is. Anyone smell housing development?
It is sad, I'd hate to be in their shoes. Malevolent owner aside though, I have huge sympathy there, if you aren't good enough, if you can't adapt, if you employ an anachronism for a manager... this is just what happens.
