Non-league club commit to refunding away fans after 600-mile round trip to watch 7-0 thumping

Eastbourne Borough’s 7-0 collapse away to Torquay United prompted an immediate and strongly worded response from the club. Within an hour of the final whistle, the Sussex side posted a message on X confirming that players would personally reimburse supporters who travelled for the National League South match. The full statement read: “Following today’s unacceptable result, Eastbourne Borough’s 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 course.”

The gesture comes after 45 fans undertook a long, costly and ultimately demoralising 600-mile round trip only to see their side capitulate inside seven minutes and never recover. Torquay’s Louis Dennis opened the scoring early and went on to complete a hat-trick, while Jordan Young and Dylan Morgan both scored braces in a match where Eastbourne were four goals down by half-time. The magnitude of the defeat, combined with the exhausting travel, sparked widespread frustration among supporters and forced the club into swift action.

The result leaves Eastbourne sitting 23rd in the table after a miserable run of just two wins in 18 games. It is a stark contrast to last season, when they finished third after a dramatic seven-team title race before falling in the promotion play-offs. With a new ownership documentary airing just a week earlier, the club’s disastrous afternoon in Devon could hardly have come at a worse moment.

Eastbourne manager Tommy Widdrington addressed the defeat in an emotional post-match interview, openly acknowledging the scale of the setback. He 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.”

Speaking on his plans with the squad, Widdrington added: “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.”

The Eastbourne boss stressed that major changes may be required after such a damaging performance. He added: “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.”

Widdrington then turned his attention to the travelling supporters and made clear he felt a personal responsibility. He said: “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.”

Eastbourne’s thrashing came against a Torquay United side revitalised by the return of key players and the presence of new loan signing Sonny Sharples-Ahmed on the bench. Paul Wotton’s team produced their most complete performance of the season, carving through Eastbourne repeatedly and creating an almost constant stream of chances. Dennis set the tone early with two excellent first-half finishes before completing his hat-trick shortly after half-time in a game where nearly every Torquay attack carried danger.

The lopsided scoreline highlighted the contrasting trajectories of the two clubs, with Torquay climbing steadily while Eastbourne continue to wrestle with inconsistency and a relegation fight. Their defensive frailties were exposed repeatedly, their midfield was overrun, and their confidence visibly drained as each Torquay goal went in. The defeat has also intensified scrutiny on the squad’s mentality and tactical response under Widdrington as the pressure builds on the club’s early-season survival efforts.

Eastbourne Borough now enter a crucial period as they attempt to regroup following one of the heaviest defeats in their recent history. Widdrington has already hinted at tactical and personnel changes, and the absence of a midweek fixture offers a rare window for reflection, recalibration and potentially a reset in training. The manager will also meet with club officials and the Supporters Club to finalise arrangements for the promised ticket reimbursements.

Eastbourne will now take on fellow National League South strugglers Hampton & Richmond Borough on November 30 as Widdrington's men look to fight back from their lull at home.