Stones are bogeys and not particularly welcome at Plainmoor for good reason

There are teams you never seem to do well against. There are proper ‘bogey’ teams. And then, for Torquay United, there’s Maidstone United.

Most Gulls fans groaned when United were drawn with the Stones in the FA Trophy Second Round draw, with good reason.

Sure enough, Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Plainmoor stretched what has become an horrendous record against the Kent club.

And yet it all started with a win.

The first time that the teams met, on December 30, 1989, Torquay actually won 2-1 at Plainmoor.

Maidstone were new into the Football League, and there seemed no good reason why the Gulls shouldn’t look forward to a few more victories like that one.

Well, they probably should have thrown a serious party there and then. The record, in league and cup, since that winter’s day 36 years ago reads: P18 W1 D3 L14 F12 A30.

Maidstone are back here in a couple of months’ time – Saturday, January 17, in the NL South.  That run has got to end soon...hasn’t it?