Legend of the terraces given TUFC role

Torquay United has announced that long-time supporter Paul Bastard has been appointed as the club’s Supporter Liaison Officer [SLO].

Paul is arguably United’s most popular and well-known supporter, travelling hundreds of miles to watch home games, let alone the away trips, and a superb choice to provide the link between the club and the Yellow Army.

The club statement said: The SLO plays an important part in ensuring two-way communication between the club and the fans. The role enhances the club’s aim to be at the centre of the local community with the SLO available on match days and by email for supporters’ questions and opinions on Torquay United Football Club.

“It is an immense privilege to be appointed as the SLO,” said Paul. “The club has given me so much over the years, mainly as an exile since the age of eighteen. Now I feel like to need to give something back.”

Paul has become synonymous with Torquay United having travelled up and down the country supporting the club. His longest journey to support the Gulls was more often than not a trip to Plainmoor for home games which was a round trip of around 500 miles. Having moved back to the area recently, his first thought about becoming the SLO is for the fans that travel long distances to come to home games, like he used to.

“I feel like a bit of a fraud now! For so many years I’ve been coming to home games from so far away. When I just walk up to Plainmoor now, I think of the poor souls that are coming from further away. I now feel as if I’m not doing my bit!”

It is nearly a year since the club was officially taken over by The Bryn Consortium, something that Paul sees as a massively important moment for the club.

“It has been nothing short of revolutionary.  Thanks to the interregnum of the wonderful ministrations of the TUST, and then the relief and serendipity of meeting good people like The Bryn Consortium. The extra serendipity of Michael Westcott meeting Neil Warnock on the train – a series of happy incidents, really. It’s as if the club is now happy in its own skin again.”

“We’ve got back our mojo, as it were. We’ve got good, intelligent, inspiring, friendly, communicative people in charge of the club. ”

With the announcement that Torquay United Women are to be officially affiliated with the club this coming season, Paul is happy to see the two moving forward together.

“I think that’s marvellous,” added Paul. “At the match against Pucklechurch Ladies there were a number of children wearing Torquay United shirts. It is about making it as nice a place as possible for people to come and think ‘I want to come back here’ and for the children to say, ‘this is my club,'”. “We’ve got this top game for the women this Sunday to see if they can go up and that would be marvellous.”

Paul can be contacted by supporters by emailing slo@torquayunited.com

The 2025/26 season will see the reintroduction of match day ambassadors to Plainmoor. Ambassadors will be in place to meet and greet supporters and impart matchday information.

Supporters wanting to become match ambassadors are encouraged to contact Paul by emailing slo@torquayunited.com.