 In his role as assistant manager, he helped lead Exeter City to the Conference National play-off final at Wembley at the end of the 2006–07 season, although they lost to Morecambe.After his time at Exeter City, Buckle was keen to pursue his own job as a manager and, in June 2007, he was appointed manager of relegated Torquay United by new Chief Executive Colin Lee, his former youth team manager at Brentford.In his first season at Plainmoor he led Torquay to a third-placed finish in the Conference Premier and thus a place in the end of season play-offs to get back into the Football League.