Next Tuesday will be a special occasion for Exmouth Town manager Kevin Hill, as he prepares to welcome the club that made his name in football.

When Hill joined Torquay United in 1997, nobody could have predicted he would go on to break records for most appearances in the famous yellow and blue of the Gulls. Hill was, and still is, a cult hero at Plainmoor, so welcoming Gary Johnson’s National League outfit to Southern Road will be a great moment in his coaching career.

Hill began his football journey as a youngster with Torrington and was spotted by Torquay manager Kevin Hodges, who gave him an opportunity in the pro game at the age of 21, relatively late in footballing terms.

His debut for the Gulls came in a 2-1 defeat at Macclesfield in August 1997 and Hill soon established himself as a regular at Plainmoor, despite a fairly frequent turnover of managers at the club.

He scored a massive goal at Barnet as Torquay avoided relegation on the final day of the season and then played a key role in the promotion-winning side under Leroy Rosenior, a team widely regarded as one of the best the Gulls have ever produced.

Hill passed the previous club-appearance record of 473 games in 2008 before moving into the non-league scene with Dorchester, Tiverton and, of course, Exmouth Town. Congratulations Hilly on a tremendous evening ahead.

Town are expecting a decent-size crowd for the game, turnstile will be open at 6.15pm for the 7.30pm kick-off, with the clubhouse available for drinks and Kerry’s kitchen open for food.

Admission at the gate will be Adults £7, Concessions (O65 /U18) £5, U16s accompanied by an adult, NHS and Armed Forces members are Free with ID. Season-ticket holder are also allowed free entry.

Parking will be limited to players and officials only on the evening but anyone requiring disabled parking can book by contacting Martin Cook in advance on O7599 346689. The club advises people to get to the ground early to avoid large queues around kick-off time.