Co-chairmen give their views ahead of ebbsfleet clash
Ahead of tomorrow’s fixture, we offer a very warm welcome to Plainmoor for the game against Ebbsfleet United. We extend our best wishes to our visitors, the officials, and to every member of the Yellow Army that will be joining us here and following from afar. Your backing has been fantastic—thank you.
We want to address FA Cup defeat at Totton straight away. Like you, we were bitterly disappointed to go out at the first hurdle again this year. We didn’t budget for a cup run, but we all understand the lift it brings—on and off the pitch. Further progression would have added a real buzz for supporters, and financially it would have helped us accelerate planned projects and give us options to reinvest further in football development across the Club. It’s an opportunity missed, and we share that frustration.
Equally, our purpose this season remains crystal clear: promotion back to the National League. The opening six weeks have been gruelling and, with injuries stretching resources, the group has had to dig deep. No excuses—just an honest reflection as we keep our eyes on the prize. On the bright side, we are delighted to see some of our injured players returning to action and our thanks to Regan and the medical team for their incredibly thorough and intensive rehab work to get our players fit again.
The enforced break after tomorrow’s game isn’t ideal for momentum, but we’re determined to turn it into a positive. It should give several of our injured players the time they need to return, and it allows the staff to sharpen the work for the next block of fixtures. In the meantime, the Devon Bowl clash away at Brixham at Wall Park will be a proper Torbay derby and a great chance to get valuable game time into those returning. We’d love to see a strong away following there.
Here at Plainmoor, your team has delivered a perfect home record so far and some genuinely exciting football. The atmosphere you create is making a difference—please keep it coming. We also know we haven’t matched those levels on the road. The Board, Paul, Mike Edwards and the players fully acknowledge it, and we are working collectively to put it right—in preparation, selection and the little details that win tight games. We’re confident that the away performances will soon reflect the identity and resilience we show at home.
A highlight since we last wrote was seeing our Women’s team run out at Plainmoor for their first home league match of the season. In atrocious conditions they produced a thrilling 3–2 win over Sherborne Ladies, sealed by a dramatic late winner from debutant Georgie Knott. A brilliant occasion and a proud moment for everyone involved—congratulations to the players and staff, and thank you to all who braved the weather to support them.
Monday night saw our U18s beat St Austell 3-1 to progress to the next round of the FA Youth Cup in a lively game at Buckland’s VX3 stadium. It was great to see Aidan Edwards join our talented youth team in an energetic and battling performance.
As ever, our thanks go to our staff, volunteers, sponsors and partners for all you do, and to every supporter buying a ticket, a shirt or a programme and bringing friends along. Together we’re building something to be proud of.
Enjoy the match, get behind the boys, and let’s keep Plainmoor rocking.
Come on You Yellows!
MBC & MW
