Latest Lower Block Edition brings together two decades of powerful black-and-white photography documenting Torquay United, its supporters and the enduring culture of matchday at Plainmoor.
Lower-league football has always carried its own rhythm. Less spectacle, more substance. Less polish, more truth. It is this world that the latest Lower Block Edition sets out to document – a striking black-and-white photographic record of Torquay United and the supporters who have followed the club through the highs and lows of the English game.
Shot across two decades by lifelong fan and photographer Marcus Davies, the zine captures life at Plainmoor from the mid-1980s through the club’s centenary season and their promotion from Division Three. The photographs offer a rare, intimate look at football as lived experience – terraces packed with anticipation, quiet moments before kick-off, and the everyday supporters who form the backbone of the game.
The Gulls 1985-05 | Marcus Davies
A striking black-and-white photo series capturing Torquay United and its supporters over two decades – from the mid-1980s at Plainmoor through the club’s centenary season and promotion from Division Three.
A limited-edition A5 photo zine featuring more than 60 black-and-white photographs across 64 pages.
Plainmoor itself is central to the story. Tucked into the Devon hillside, the ground has long been known for its distinctive charm – compact stands, tight sightlines. It is the kind of place where generations of families stand together, where local identity and football culture are tightly woven. Davies’ images capture that atmosphere with clarity: supporters leaning on hoardings, children seeing their first matches, and veterans who have followed the club for decades.
The photographs reflect the raw, rudimentary character of football outside the top flight. Muddy pitches, old floodlights – reminders of a game that exists far beyond television gloss. Yet they also show moments of joy and release, especially during the promotion celebrations that remain part of the club’s folklore.
Among the crowd and on the pitch are familiar faces. Cult Torquay supporter and television presenter Helen Chamberlain appears within the pages, as does legendary goalkeeper Neville Southall during his time at the club. But the real focus remains the fans themselves – the ordinary supporters who define football culture at every level.
The publication also includes a foreword by respected journalist Dave Thomas, former chief sportswriter at the Herald Express, offering context and reflection on the club, the town and the enduring importance of local football.
Presented as a limited-edition A5 zine, the book contains more than 60 black-and-white photographs across 64 pages. It joins Lower Block’s growing collection of carefully curated print projects documenting lived football culture – the supporters, grounds and traditions that shape the game far beyond the top tiers.
For anyone who has stood on a terrace, followed a club through promotion and relegation, or simply understands the pull of Saturday afternoons, these photographs will resonate. They capture something universal in football: the loyalty, the community, and the emotion that keeps supporters returning season after season.
