Why do we seem to hate Exeter but love Torquay?

[Lundan Cabbie]

But football-wise, it's basically a deep resentment from the Portsmouth fans towards Southampton because for so many years, they have had to look up the League from a position below them.

Not to mention that before the mid 60's Portsmouth were by far the bigger club. A massive club in comparison in fact. Two League titles, 25 seasons in the First Division and an FA Cup win all before Saints even reached the top flight in 1966. Like you say, of late Southampton have been way ahead of Pompey. That resentment is justified.

 

[Mark58]

Simples - Exeter have posed a recent threat that Torquay have not. Wasn't always the case - remember that Boxing Day!

Yes, while following Argyle in the late 60s - and for a lot of the 70s - it was always Torquay that provided the 'needle'. We played them competitively in the third tier from 1968 to 1976 on 11 occasions and I was definitely aware of a nasty rivalry and 'bovver' amongst fans. Bragging rights between Argyle and Torquay were fiercely contested.

In the same period (68 to 76) Exeter were in the fourth tier and we only played them three times. Those three games were in the League Cup (First Round), within a 12-day period. The game at Home Park was goalless - as was the replay at St James Park. The second replay was at Plainmoor (ironically!) and Argyle lost 1-0.

Subsequently (70s, 80s, 90s etc) Torquay's light dimmed and a more regular Devon fixture featured a resurgent Exeter (I say 'resurgent' but let's not forget that success and excitement for them usually means not being in the basement division - or non-league! ).

I suppose the changes in intensity of rivalry follow the lines of 'familiarity breeds contempt', where frequent Derby games appear over consecutive seasons. Having said all that, I agree with many others who are somewhat bemused at the venom coming from Exeter in our direction, whereas I wouldn't want to waste a second of my time having any feelings whatsoever about them.

 

[CarolinaGreen]

We’ve always been at war with Eurasia.

 

[Dazzy3000]

Only exception I’ve ever seen was before the Everton cup game in 2005. Earlier that day Exeter had held Man Utd nil nil at old Trafford. When the score was read out, pretty much all of Home Park applauded. Mind you back then we were championship and they were conference.

 

[dennis the menace]

I regard Torquay like you would a kid sister. Exeter would be like your worst mother-in-law!

 

[The Pasty Kid]

I've never cared about them outside of actual fixtures. They were never in the same league when I was a kid, so I kept hearing about this rivalry with a local club who play in a different league in a tiny stadium. They are to me what I imagine we are to Portsmouth... virtually nothing. Not much of a rivalry imo

 

[Guiri Green]

Let's be honest, most of the City v Argyle 'hatred' is generated by them. They are officially obsessed with us. Jealousy probably the key driver. Small part of a rugby town.

As someone said earlier the whole place has a chip on it's shoulder and tends to look down it's rather smug and condescending nose at Plymouth, not just the football either, there's a ingrain attitude about the place.

When talking about the respective clubs to people from outside the region, I use the Glasgow / Edinburgh analogy. One is a large working class shipyard town, tough people, with a well supported (comparatively successful) club, the other is a middle class slightly more arty, up it's own backside place that really thinks it's better than it is but in football terms rarely threatens anyone.

We rarely mention them - outside of threads like this - they sing about us every week. That's the difference.

Torquay are ......Torquay.

 

[Green Flash]

"As someone said earlier the whole place has a chip on it's shoulder and tends to look down it's rather smug and condescending nose at Plymouth, not just the football either, there's a ingrain attitude about the place".

I think "having a chip on ones shoulder" and being "smug and condescending" mean the opposite. Make your mind up!

 

[GreeninTallow]

Let's be honest, most of the City v Argyle 'hatred' is generated by them. They are officially obsessed with us. Jealousy probably the key driver. Small part of a rugby town.

As someone said earlier the whole place has a chip on it's shoulder and tends to look down it's rather smug and condescending nose at Plymouth, not just the football either, there's a ingrain attitude about the place.

When talking about the respective clubs to people from outside the region, I use the Glasgow / Edinburgh analogy. One is a large working class shipyard town, tough people, with a well supported (comparatively successful) club, the other is a middle class slightly more arty, up it's own backside place that really thinks it's better than it is but in football terms rarely threatens anyone.

We rarely mention them - outside of threads like this - they sing about us every week. That's the difference.

Torquay are ......Torquay.

😆 Have you ever been to Muirhouse or Niddrie in Edinburgh? Think Begbie & Trainspotting!

 

[jimsing]

😆 Have you ever been to Muirhouse or Niddrie in Edinburgh? Think Begbie & Trainspotting!

You've lost me now!

 

[GreenTom]

When Argyle were deep in the doo doo after going into administration the last time we were in the Championship and looking likely to go out of business virtually every club, including all the top teams donated signed balls, shirts and loads of memorabilia for the club to auction off for much needed funds to help pay the staff. I say virtually every club Exeter just laughed at us and not only the fans, you expect that from them, but at the end of the season when they played Argyle at the end of the game over the tannoy they played “We’ll meet again don’t know where don’t know when” as our fans were leaving the ground and relegated.
If any Argyle fan says they don’t hate Exeter l would suspect they weren’t there that awful day.

They played "Money" by Pink Floyd before the game, from a club that nearly went squit themselves and were saved by an FA Cup replay I thought it particularly poor form

 

[GreenTom]

You've lost me now!

He's pointing out there is another side to Edinburgh beyond the Royal Mile, the Castle and Rose Street!!

 

[pafcprogs]

I remember when we were in the 2nd division in the seventies when Argyle were away you could go and see Exeter ( and support the away side) for the 3PM ko and then nip down to Torquay for the 7.30 ko and give the Gulls a cheer.

I remember the only exception for Torquay was a game against Port Vale, where we ( our mini fans grouping) had a thing about them being the most boring defensive teaming so we decided to support them that night.

They scored and this hulking great Vale fan lurched towards us on the side terrace, hugged me and staggered back to his vantage point.

Think it ended a draw...mists of time though

 

[GreenTom]

I certainly can't remember any antipathy towards ECFC in the 70s, I'm not sure they even appeared on our radar then.

As others have said, they only become an irritant when we hit rock bottom.

Decent little club though, just have a high percentage of fans that always seem to want to play being the victims.

After we were promoted in the late 50's and the Football League did away with the regional 3rd tier up until they were promoted in the late 70's we barely played them.

There a few games in the early 80's and we didn't play them regularly until the 90's which was a pretty dismal decade to be an Argyle fan as I'm sure you don't need me saying!

 

[green5]

When i started supportng argyle, argyle were always in the higher division attacting the larger gates exeter were always in the bottom division, and only attacting around two and a half thousand in those days. torquay were our rivals then. Intresting what guiri green say about plymouth v exeter as l have a friend who has moved down from glasgow and he thinks plymouth to exeter is the equivalent as glasgow to edinburgh regarding the city and people etc. I work in exeter and work with exeter city fans and i can confirm that they absolutley hate argyle and are obsessed not just with argyle but the city of plymouth. Living near exeter i have quite a few friends who also work in exeter who tell me that a lot of exeter people look down at plymouth and would be quite happy if plymouth did not exist as they think it lowers the tone of the county. !
Very sad inward looking fans.