Torbay on Tour, flying the flag at the Euros

Euro 2024 has been yet another rollercoaster major football tournament for England, and we’re still in it, somehow.

One particular group of Torquay United fans have followed the Three Lions to tournaments all over the world, including Brazil, South Africa, Ukraine, France, and now Germany.

For Gary Barron, a Torquay season-ticket holder who lives in St Margaret’s Avenue, the current Euros were another fabulous experience, even if the football was painfully tense, as he and a group of friends got to savour some amazing German hospitality.

“I am a big Torquay United fan and work at Asda in Paignton, although I only live a few hundred yards from Plainmoor,” said Gary.

“We initially flew out to Bulgaria for a birthday trip at the Sunny Beach resort and then came back to Germany on June 18. We were there for nine days, myself, Trevor Cox, Paul Hall and Ian Nicks, and then we met other friends out there.

“We watched the first England game in Bulgaria but then we were at the stadium in Frankfurt for the draw with Denmark, followed by the draw with Slovenia in Cologne. The atmosphere in the stadiums was absolutely brilliant, although the fans turned a bit sour at the end of the Slovenia match.

“The whole of Germany felt like a football festival, they had designated fan parks and areas for people to meet up. We went to a beautiful market area in Frankfurt and just such a lovely country.

“I’ve been to quite a few major tournaments and it’s not just the football. We enjoyed a fantastic boat trip down the River Rhine and Cologne is an absolutely beautiful city. In Brazil, we went to the Christ Redeemer, and then to Rourke’s Drift in South Africa. The football is obviously very special but the excursions make it a full package.

“Now I’m back home, it’s all about a new era at Torquay United and everything that has happened so far has been incredibly positive.

“The communication to fans from the old regime didn’t seem to work but these people seem to be proper fans. They have been a breath of fresh air and I can’t wait for the new season. I’ve worked on the turnstiles for a long time and can’t remember a more positive atmosphere before a new season.”