Paul Wotton to become new Torquay United manager

Former Truro City boss Paul Wotton has been appointed new manager of National League South rivals Torquay United.

He will be joined by Neil Warnock as Football Advisor, as confirmed by the Bryn Consortium, who took over the club last week.

Wotton managed Truro for five seasons, overseeing their promotion from Southern Premier South to Step 2 last year. They survived relegation despite playing their final 12 home matches at Gloucester City, some 200 miles away.

The Devon-based boss, who turns 47 in August, made nearly 500 appearances for Plymouth Argyle across two spells. He also represented Southampton, Oxford United and Yeovil Town. He was later assistant manager of Plymouth before moving into management with Truro.

Speaking of his appointment on an initial three-year contract, incoming co-chairman Mark Bowes-Cavanagh told the official Torquay United website:

“Following a meticulous search, the Consortium Board agreed that Paul’s credentials and vision were most closely aligned with our own and he will arrive at Plainmoor as part of a restructuring of the football setup at the Club,”

He will officially take the post once the Bryn Consortium confirm their takeover.

The appointment was confirmed on the same day that Aaron Downes’s departure was announced. Downes had been acting as interim manager for the final two months of the 2023/24 campaign, having served as Gary Johnson’s assistant for just over five years.