Yeovil Town manager Chris Hargreaves and his Torquay United counterpart Gary Johnson are looking forward to facing each other in the National League next season.
The pair are legends at their respective clubs with Hargreaves having been part of the Torquay side which won promotion back to the Football League in 2009, whilst Johnson guided Yeovil out of non-League and in to League One in his first spell as manager before returning to take us to the Championship.
Speaking to Torbay Weekly, Johnson said: “I’m pleased that Chris has got the job there – I’m sure in his mind he always wanted to get back into it. He’s missed it, but he’s young enough to give it a right go.
“He’s got a bit of work to do there, but when you take over a club, it’s not a bad thing when you’ve almost got to start from scratch.
“There will be a professional rivalry between me and Chris, but there’ll always be a rivalry between the two clubs and everyone enjoys that.”
Hargreaves returned the compliment saying he was “really looking forward” to a return to his old stomping ground with his new club.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to it. I respect Gary for the fantastic job he did here, and for the way he’s turned things round at Plainmoor, but you’ve got to do things your own way.
“Both clubs need to be in the Football League. I played for Plymouth and Torquay, coached at Exeter, managed at Plainmoor and now I’m here, so I want all those old West Country rivalries back, and I’m sure the fans do.
“One thing’s for sure, I’m too long in the tooth, as Gary is, for anything to get personal next season, and that’s a good thing.”
Over the past three seasons since the Glovers dropped out of the League, the two clubs are level after six matches with Darren Sarll’s men getting the better of Johnson’s Gulls twice in 2019-20, each side winning their home match the following campaign, and then Torquay winning home and away last season.