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 chats to the co-chairman about what comes next after play-off loss, as ‘We have to deliver success’

There will always be different voices in football, different values, thoughts, the positive thinkers and the negatives, the glass half-fulls and the glass half-empties. That’s why it works. If we all agreed about everything, what would be the point?

Torquay United missing out on promotion means another season in the National League South – and there are some people who are not very happy about that at all. But most fans have taken this blow on the chin and are standing up for the club they love – which, let’s face it, almost went bust last year. If it hadn’t been for the Bryn Consortium – a group of fans brought together in extreme circumstances – the likelihood that the Gulls would be clipped, grounded for good, was a real possibility.

I’ll admit, I wondered back then whether there might be any serious saviours out there. But there were, and we missed out on promotion by just two goals. Now Paul Wotton will have more time than he had last summer to shape his squad further, bring in some more talent, and mount a serious assault on the title again.

Co-chairman Michael Westcott says the manager has their full backing – and in turn, Westcott, Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, and the rest of the consortium, will have the fans’ full backing. After all, can you imagine a club without the Bryn crew now? No, nor can I. It’s amazing what difference a year makes.

I spoke to Westcott on Monday – as he was still coming to terms with that defeat by Boreham Wood. As it will have been with most fans – the disappointment was still a bit raw.

“The last 48........

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