Whilst a regular scorer for Torquay's reserve side, which played in the Western League, the form of Robin Stubbs meant that Binney's debut would have to wait.
It finally came in September 1967, a 1–1 draw away to Grimsby Town, but Binney could not gain a regular place in the side and was loaned to Exeter City in February 1969, scoring 11 goals in 17 league games.
The following season Binney was still not a regular in the Torquay side and in March 1970, after scoring 10 goals in 34 league games for the Gulls, he moved to Exeter City for a fee of £35,000.
In 1972–73, Binney scored 28 league goals for Exeter, making him the joint-top goalscorer for the season, alongside Pop Robson of West Ham United.
Unsurprisingly he was noticed by a number of higher-level teams, and in May 1974 was signed by Brian Clough for Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee of £25,000 with John Templeman and Lammie Robertson moving to Exeter in exchange.