Exeter City make a short trip down the A380 on Friday night for our annual match at Torquay United, with the Grecians looking to continue their clean sweep of pre-season victories.
With wins over Weston-super-Mare (6-0), Aston Villa U21 (2-0) and FC United of Manchester (4-1) in the last fortnight, the next test comes in the shape of a Gulls outfit who narrowly missed out on promotion to the National League last season.
If previous pre-season clashes at Plainmoor are anything to go by, it is set to be a competitive and feisty affair, with a good crowd expected on the English Riviera.
Gary Caldwell's Thoughts
Gary Caldwell spoke on Tuesday morning about the importance of the fixture with the Gulls:
“It’s really important to us. I was pretty set on never going back there after my first season and the way they celebrated against ten men for pretty 90 minutes, but on reflection that was day was the best thing that could have happened to us because we started the season on fire.
“That type of game in terms of rivalry was really good for the start of a season, so we did it again and it was good to have the set back because it meant we really had to knuckle down the following week.
“It’s always a good competitive game, and the crowd and the atmosphere adds to that.”
The Weather
After a wet week, thankfully things are looking up by the weekend, with highs of around 21 degrees due in Torquay on Friday night.
Match Tickets
Prices are as follows:
- Adults – £13
- Concession (Armed Forces, Over 65, Student) – £11
- Under 18 – £8
- Under 14 – £7
- Under 8 – £6
Tickets are now on sale by clicking here.
The Stadium
Plainmoor is a familiar ground for City fans who have made the recent trips down for pre-season fixtures. Away fans are housed in a portion of the Bristow's Bench seated stand as well as the Wollens Terrace behind the goal. With a capacity of 6,500 it is one of the biggest stadiums in the sixth tier.
How to Get There
A simple one for travelling Grecians from Exeter. Take the A380 towards Torquay. At the end of the South Devon Expressway bear left onto Riviera Way, and turn left onto Hele Road by the Currys. Follow the B3199 onto Westhill Road and then Warbro Road, with the ground appearing on the left.
Parking is street parking only - but take note of local restrictions and park considerately.
The nearest train station is Torre, which is a 25-minute walk to Plainmoor. Click here to plan your journey.
Match Coverage
We will be provide match updates across our social media channels throughout the match, as well as post-match interviews. The match is not being streamed.
We will provide goal footage on the weekend (if there are any!)
Previous Encounter
Torquay United 2 Exeter City 2 | Pre-Season Friendly | 30/07/24
City lead 2-0 at half-time after an early strike from Josh Magennis and Jack Fitzwater's header, but the hosts fought back to level the game. Former Grecian Jordan Dyer pulled one back, before an unfortunate Fitzwater own-goal made it 2-2 late on.