New deal for Torquay United and South Devon College

Torquay United and South Devon College have extended their current partnership in football and education.

The College will become the official Youth and Education partner of the club, as the Gulls look to cement a solid platform for the next generation of United talent to flourish, both on the field and in the classroom.

The agreement includes the use of South Devon College Sports Centre and its 3G pitch as the new training site for United’s first-team, and will give players and staff exclusive access to sports science, nutrition, gym and analysis facilities; a valuable resource for developing future football talent.

Under a separate agreement with Buckland Athletic, Torquay United will hold evening training sessions at The VX3 Stadium - Homer’s Heath.

Joe Lovell, CEO of Torquay United, said: “Youth development is high on our priority list, and we are fully committed to developing young talent across the region. This agreement with the College and consolidation of our Youth pathway is an important foundational stone in the rebuild of the football club.

“We are delighted and excited to be working with the South Devon College team on this new long-term partnership. It gives Paul Wotton and the first team an unrivalled training ground and state-of-art facilities, and we believe the youth programme will provide an outstanding pathway for young talent who aspire to play football at the highest level.

“It also helps us to contribute to the college mission of inspiring our community.”

Kelly Sooben, Vice Principal of South Devon College, added: “This partnership offers exclusive opportunities for our students to join Torquay United’s teams and engage directly with professional footballers, as well as sports management, and it demonstrates our commitment to community engagement and outstanding education.

“We’re excited to see the impact it makes to our students, and the wider community.”

Beyond enhancing the club’s training facilities, the agreement offers practical learning experiences for South Devon College students by providing them with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in various roles within the football club’s operations, including food service, catering, marketing, retail, and matchday operations.

This exposure not only supplements their academic learning, but also prepares them with skills for a range of career paths.

United manager Paul Wotton commended the partnership for improving the club’s facilities and its focus on youth development.

He said: “This is a fantastic deal for the football club and allows my players and our backroom staff access to one of the best sports and training facilities in the region.

“The commitment to youth development and the partnership with the College is testament to the long-term ambition and aspirations of this Club by its new ownership, which is one of the key reasons I was so excited to join Torquay United.”

With this partnership promising to create an unrivalled pathway for Torbay’s youth to get into professional sports, whilst enriching the learning experiences of college students, it promises to be a new and exciting era for both education and sports development in South Devon.