TUAFC caught up with Ray Duffy, who is a former Vanarama National League Volunteer of the Month Award winner, to find out about his role at the Club.
Ray’s dulcet tones will be familiar to those of the Yellow Army who listen to TUFC Radio’s coverage of the games here at Plainmoor, as well as some of the TUWFC games, and Ray told us all about his time here at United leading the commentary on matchdays.
“I started off here doing the commentary for the blind and the partially sighted which United were doing towards the end of the 2017/18 season. I heard an advert on the local radio and having had a background in media I thought I would get involved, and once relegation followed there was a change to the BBC’s broadcasting schedule and once the Club decided to do the full time broadcasting, then I was asked to head up the home commentaries which is what I have been doing ever since.”
“It’s a vital part of the Club being a volunteer and clubs do rely on volunteers at all levels, whether it’s selling programmes or merchandise or 50/50 tickets to generate revenue, but also people like myself who are bringing the game and bringing the flavour of Torquay United to people who for whatever reason can’t be at Plainmoor on a Saturday afternoon or travel to the away games, so vitally important as clubs wouldn’t exist without them. We are lucky that United have been able to stay full time this season, but how many staff can you afford to pay when the money coming in needs to go onto the pitch and the playing budget, so you need volunteers to keep afloat.”
“I’ve been watching Torquay since 2015, and my first game at Plainmoor being the last game of the 2014/15 season against North Ferriby United when Torquay needed to get something from the game to stay up, which they did winning 2-0, though that wasn’t the first time I had seen United play, as back in 1996 when Torquay played Fulham up at Craven Cottage on a Tuesday night, I was working for local radio in London at Capital Gold Sport, with United running out 2-1 winners on a freezing cold night on the banks of the Thames.”
TUAFC would like to thank Ray and all the other volunteers that help out on matchdays here at Plainmoor, and appreciate the hard work you all put in.
Torquay United AFC is privileged to be able to call upon a whole host of volunteers, who all play a vital role in the smooth running of the Club.. Anybody who shares our passion for pushing our Club onto greater heights, and would like to join our team of volunteers either throughout the week or also on matchdays, are invited to contact us via [email protected], detailing which areas of the Club is of particular interest to them.
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