Final seat in place at Torquay United's Bristow's Bench12th June 2012

The last of the 1,750 seats in Torquay United’s brand new £1.9m stand, built by construction firm opco, has been installed.

The final seat was placed at The Gulls’ new stand by Thea Bristow, the widow of the former director of the club Paul Bristow at a ceremony attended by current Torquay United chairman Simon Baker.

The structure, named Bristow’s Bench in memory of former director, includes players’ dressing rooms, disabled facilities and press box. 

The eagerly-awaited stand, replaces the existing Main Stand at the 2011-12 League Two play off side’s Plainmoor ground, taking ground capacity at the west of England club to some 6,500.

Mrs Bristow said: “It is both an honour and a privilege to be here today to install the very last seat in this wonderful new stand. Paul, who loved the Gulls, would have been extremely proud, as I am, to have this honour and to have this quite magnificent stand named in his memory.”

Torquay United chairman Simon Baker said: “The faithful old Grandstand saw some wonderful football played here at Plainmoor and we are now eagerly awaiting the next stage of the progress of our club with the opening of Bristow’s Bench, which is a wonderful, fitting tribute and memorial to the our former chairman Paul Bristow."

Opco Construction Director, Bruce MacDonald, said: “Opco was extremely proud to have been selected to create this iconic, all seater stand, Bristow’s Bench, at Plainmoor for Torquay United football club."

Architects for the project are Kensington Taylor.

Picture caption: Taking her seat: Thea Bristow installs the last seat in the new 1,750 stand at Plainmoor watched by Torquay United Chairman Simon Baker and Bruce MacDonald, of Opco.