Eastbourne Borough players reimburse their travelling fans after a 7-0 defeat gives Torquay United their biggest win since 2018.
Louis Dennis scored a hat-trick, Dylan Morgan and Jordan Young grabbed two each in a comfortable display to see the Gulls sit 4th in the National League South, with 33 points from 18 games played. For Eastbourne meanwhile, they’re 23rd with 12 points from 18 games played and 4 points from safety.
It was just the performance needed for Torquay, in what was a turbulent week with captain Matt Worthington and Callum Dolan being suspended by the clyb for a disciplinary issue. See more on that HERE.
Following today’s unacceptable result, #EBFC players will be reimbursing the cost of match tickets for all travelling supporters 🎟️
The club are already liaising with the Supporters Club for a list of supporters and further details will be distributed with them directly in due… pic.twitter.com/F7WNJtP2Fk
— Eastbourne Borough FC (@ebfc_official) November 22, 2025
Torquay United – EASTBOURNE BORO 📸@NixonJules 📸@ebfc_official pic.twitter.com/Ldtofl589Z
— KisyAWAY (@kisyrpk) November 22, 2025
Eastbourne boss Tommy Widdrington said: “Embarrassed. Embarrassed is my first emotion. I think it’s a long, long time, if ever, that I felt that most of the people that were on the pitch, not all of them, but most of them on the pitch, allowed, a good side by the way, Torquay are the best side I’ve seen in this division this season by some distance, but they allowed them to get into a stride that we found it difficult to break back, you know, get back into it.
“So, whilst we had chances to score goals, we should have scored them, three or four ourselves, but we should have scored more than the seven that we did. And that was ultimately because we did it, in my opinion, on real weak-minded people.”
Interviewer: “Without sounding too harsh, I guess, what do you think went wrong in the first half?”
Tommy: “Well, I could say everything, but it wasn’t, because ultimately, I asked the players just then, you know, was everybody comfortable with what their role was in today’s team, shape, the tactical approach, what we were thinking about they would do. They did.
“Did we handle it? No, we didn’t. And that was only because I felt, and this is where it’s the unacceptable bit, I thought they ran harder than us, won more second balls or duels than us, made more tackles than us, landed on more second balls than us.
“Everything that you need to win, to win a football match, we came up second in most of the areas, particularly at the back of the pitch.
“So, when that happens, it’s always going to be a difficult day. Now, I don’t know. I’ve seen Torquay play two and a half weeks ago in a away game, and there were spells where they played like they did for the whole 90 minutes today. So, I knew it was going to be a tough game.
“Like I said, I think they’re the best side in this division, but if you don’t stand up to that and be honest with yourself, I’ve just asked people there if they think they deserve to be paid after that, and some actually put their hands up, which I’m actually flabbergasted at.
“So, you know, I’d have to regroup. It’s very, it’s raw right now because it’s not very often I’ve been beaten 7-0, but I don’t want that ever. Never mind the scoring.
“It’s not the rules that you can’t lose a football match, but it’s unacceptable when I feel that certain players are just out of the depth and that’s it.
“And I have to say that because you don’t get to where you are on the table at this stage of the season by fluke. It is what it is, and we’ve got to sort that out very, very quickly.
Interviewer: “This week, looking forwards, obviously the first midweek where we haven’t got a game since you’ve arrived. That gives us the chance to regroup and then look ahead to next Saturday.”
Tommy: “Well, the plan was to give them a rest because they’ve had a hell of a long period of Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday. But to be honest with you, I mean, I’m so, my head’s going round and round at the minute, and it’s like, I’ve got long enough on the bus to think about it, I suppose.
“But we’ve just got to have a change of strategy, and whether that’s a personnel change as well as a change of strategy, then that’s something that the book stops for me.”
Interviewer: “And finally, 45 supporters made the trip here this afternoon and a shout out to their supporters.”
Tommy: “Yeah, and listen, I never, ever, ever apologise to supporters because that’s what they are, the supporters.
“And I know the people of Eastbourne, and they paid a horn and cash to come here. I’m telling you now, they’ll be reimbursed for that one way or another.
“It’s unacceptable that we put on that performance for people who have travelled five, six hours. Some of them have come down for the weekend, and we have just royally ruined it, certainly ruined mine.”
Paul Wotton said to BBC Radio Devon: “My boys run for me, you saw that today, their commitment and their effort, that’s always been there.
“I’m proud of them, and I thank them for their efforts again, it was a near perfect a performance as you can get.
“We’ve obviously had a very tough week or 10 days, a lot of disruption, so I think we needed that.
“They needed a game, because training hasn’t been great, it’s been flat for obvious reasons, so it’s good, I’m very proud of them today.”
Twitter users gave their reaction as Eastbourne players reimburse fans after their 7-0 defeat gives Torquay their biggest win since 2018…
@pww8afcb: Sorry but don’t agree with this…. you don’t support a team and then expect a refund if they lose! That’s what’s being a supporter is all about, you take the highs and lows!
@hercules_w1899: Should be a grand total of about £86.50 given your away following
@tomcafc: Hopefully Ben Stokes and the lads at @englandcricket do the same for the Barmy Army in Perth.
@bhafc_fb: should torquay make their fans pay double tho?
@C_Rolfe81: Die hard fans won’t want reimbursing. Supporters follow through it all. Players don’t deliberately lose, why hit them in the pocket?
@hampshirerose7: Any responsibility being taken by the Manager or those above him? Just wondering…..
@Pyrofusbol: Christ this could get pricey by the end of the season for your lads
@MurdoMacleod6: Fucking hell, Maidenhead United owe me a fortune..
@BenTrant7: Respect to the club – travelling fans should never been taken for granted regardless of results
@TheDB30: When you buy a match ticket you do it in the hope that things will go your way but also knowing there’s a chance they won’t. If I got reimbursed for every bad Gateshead performance I’ve seen I’d have bought the club myself and we’d have one of the highest budgets in the league.
@ColinPep1: Don’t really agree with this. That’s where supporters have turned into customers. Getting a refund if the product disappoints. Maybe that’s the way football has gone.
@ShrimpsPast: If you go to the cinema and watch a bad film do you ask for a refund?? Nope…… thought not.
@AdamStevenson7: Players have had a bad day. But no way should the players have to reimburse supporters. Supporters make a choice and the result is always a gamble. There’s not a chance I would take the players wages away from them and their families if it were my club.
@Gaz_THFC: Great gesture, however not a god given right to win. You follow your team regardless. Hopefully the fans hand it straight back to the club.
@Tommy_Oldham1: Clubs don’t have to do this, as a football fan you accept good weeks and bad weeks and in some circumstances absolutely shocking games but it’s clear when fans have made that long journey it’s a nice gesture and way of accepting we appreciate your support and today we was poor.
@ButlerAndy: Completely against this sort of thing, you go to a game & nothing is guaranteed, you take the rough with the smooth, the good with the bad & win,loose or draw you go back for more. It sets a very dangerous precedent IMHO. And if it were backdated @bostonunited would be bankrupt
@JoshBUFC: That entitled modern fan attitude creeps into lower levels. Who actually goes to away games demanding a win and feels like their day is ruined if they don’t???? Proper weird
@fchalifax12: So if you bet on them and they lose do you get your money back
@caseyjones_xx: Supporters make the CHOICE whether or not to travel to away games! Just because you lost 7-0 should in no way mean your supporters get/expect to get reimbursed. Never would I expect to get reimbursed no matter how far or how poorly my team lost – that’s a joke.
@BigTom0491: Totally disagree with this idea and could easily bite you arse later in the season, you a buy a ticket to support the lads and ultimately that take gamble
@AllAtSeaFanzine: Utter woke nonsense. Seriously, players are human beings, sometimes they don’t play very well. As fans, we take the chance.
@RHVlogs_: I will never understand this. Seen my team lose 8-1 on a 5 hour round away trip on a Tuesday night to Hednesford and never once did it cross my mind about getting my money back. You pay to watch your team play, that’s it. Sets a dangerous precedent otherwise.
@ian_wfc: Absolute clown show. Look forward to the fans paying double and donating the proceeds directly to the players in the unlikely event of them ever winning 7-0
@harry_qpr: Nothing annoys me more than this shit. Fans go to matches to support their club. Win lose or draw. Don’t want to see your club lose? Don’t go
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