Ball looking to the future as Torquay prepare for play-off
Torquay United manager Jimmy Ball says he has already started his side's recruitment process for next season.
Jimmy Ball has won five and lost two of his eight games in charge at Torquay United [Shutterstock] Torquay United manager Jimmy Ball says he has already started his side's recruitment process for next season, despite no knowing which league they will be in. The Gulls face Dorking Wanderers in the National League South play-off semi-finals on Saturday. Victory will see them play against either Hornchurch or Weston-super-Mare for one of the two remaining places in the National League for the 2026-27 season.
"The recruitment process has already started for us," Ball told BBC Sport. "We've already got targets, we're already speaking to different people. " Ball is just six weeks into his time with the Gulls - the former AFC Totton boss replaced the sacked Paul Wotton as manager last month.
"It's very difficult because you've got players here and I said when I came 'we're concentrating on football, I'm sorry and I know you've got there's a few of you out of contract, but we're concentrating on football, because if we if we lose concentration on the objective we won't achieve it," added Ball. "My first conversations will be with the out of contract players and then we will continue and solidify some of our recruitment targets. "You never stop recruiting, that's football.
That's always on your mind that you're always looking at, that the harsh reality of it. "There's other clubs out there that are finished who are trying to sign players that I want, so it's just the nature of the beast. "You've got to be proactive in this thing, I don't want any of our players to be thinking about anything other than Dorking Wanderers on Saturday.