19 days that changed the course of Paul Wotton’s tenure at Torquay United

They say that a week can be a long time in football, but for Paul Wotton and Torquay United just 19 days must now seem like an age.

When the Gulls went to struggling Chippenham Town on February 10, they were top of the National League South, unbeaten in seven games and Wotton had just been named as the division’s Manager of the Month for January.

The idea of him losing his job would have seemed almost unthinkable.

But, despite a night of almost non-stop pressure, United lost (0-1) to a late goal in Wiltshire, and nothing has been quite the same since.

A laboured 1-1 draw at home to Maidenhead United was followed by a stunning 4-2 defeat at bottom of the table Eastbourne Borough, a side they had hammered 7-0 at Plainmoor in November.

Then came a 3-1 loss at promotion rivals Worthing, where United, without leading scorer Jordan Young, were the better side until a costly mistake by goalkeeper James Hamon .

And finally there was that injury-hit 5-0 rout by Chelmsford City last Saturday, followed by his dismissal 24 hours later.

Throughout Wotton’s 21 months in charge, there was always an element, and a vocal one at that, who were quick to lambast any setback.

It has to do with the old ‘P’ for pressure word, and the heightened expectations of a club with an EFL stadium and gates to match.

But a bigger majority gave him deserved credit for helping to galvanise the club from the wreckage of 2023-2024, and they remained supportive through this season.

They may just not have made as much noise as the critics.

At the final whistle on Saturday, when discretion might have recommended a quick clap to the fans in a fairly highly-charged atmosphere, Wotton strode out to shake hands with opponents and officials and then, as he always did, walked in front of the Pop Side terrace, thanking the faithful there.

Yes, he took some stick, but there were also supporters who applauded him back.

Wotton was in charge for 80 league matches - W42 D20 L18 with, if you’re into those stats, a win percentage of 52%.

NL South maybe, but it happens to be the highest of any manager in the club’s history.

To his and everyone’s frustration, United also lost last season’s Play-Off Semi-Final to Boreham Wood (0-1), two FA Cup-ties under him and had a W2/L2 record in FA Trophy matches.

On the back of a miserly defensive record, the Gulls lost only seven league games in 2024-2025, amassing 89 points to lose the title to Truro City on goal-difference.

As everyone wanted him to do, Wotton strengthened his midfield last summer, signing Matt Worthington, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Callum Dolan and Munashe Sundire, as well as experienced striker Louis Dennis.

He also changed the style of the team.

United have played a more open passing game, which has seen them score more goals (62 so far) than anyone in the division except Worthing.

But they haven’t been as hard to beat, losing eleven times before last night’s match against Farnborough and conceding 47 goals.

Fourteen of those goals-against have come in the last five matches.

One key factor this time has been injuries.

Sundire, Lo-Everton, Cooke, Dolan and Sonny Fish have all been out for months rather than weeks, and they have been joined recently by highly-rated centre-back duo Jordan Dyer and Sam Dreyer.

Dolan, Dyer, Dreyer and Worthington all missed Saturday’s defeat by Chelmsford, with Cooke also suffering a dislocated shoulder during the match.

By any standards, the decision to discard Wotton, and his assistant Mike Edwards, is an unexpected one.

Only those few weeks ago his stock must have been as high as most managers outside the EFL.

Indeed, the issue may well have been whether United could keep hold of him this Spring, not sack him.

He may yet prove to be in demand elsewhere...