Every Wednesday in the Herald Express, our Torquay United correspondent Richard Hughes takes a sideways look at what's going on in the world of the Gulls. This week, he looks at the role the fans can play this season

It feels different this season – doesn’t it? Sitting in the press seats and looking out at the Popside, it looks different too. Having almost 4,000 fans for a National League South game against Welling United is quite frankly ridiculous.

The five thousand for the New Year’s Day game against Truro was perhaps understandable: bank holiday, people back in the bay, the excitement of a promotion race that Torquay are currently leading. But 3,794 on a cold Saturday in January when the visitors only brought 29 with them is remarkable.

We all know this new era has installed a new belief at Plainmoor, and there are many fans returning after voluntary exiles, but it still seems difficult to believe the crowds are holding up like they are. It wouldn’t have been surprising – and frankly completely understandable – if they had begun to drop into the latter two thousands by now. But no, the........

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