Torquay United Fans Forum

forevertufc wrote:Cough, cough, Port Vale........... cough,cough Norman Smurthwaite............cough, cough the ground freehold. Thanks to excellent work from members of all three Torquay United fans forums the entire fan base knows who you lot are and what you're up to, as Richinns says elsewhere don't fall for it, this should make us all the more determined to support our club, and galvanise behind the current board.

hector wrote:I am puzzled as to why 'Mushroom', if he really is a FD of a FL club, is even concerning himself with this messageboard. The emergence of several anonymous posters all saying the same sort of thing reminds me of the time 'Lewis and Russell' were involved with Exeter City and we know how that went.

I think anything these people say should be taken with a pinch of salt because it is clear that there is some agenda somewhere intent on stirring up trouble, when the club has enough of its own to be dealing with.

The interests of TUFC are best served with either TUST or Torbay Council owning the ground. The club owning the ground makes us vulnerable because there is no way that people without any affection or connection to the club/area would want to buy the club without is making them lots of money and the only way they can do this is through land and buildings when it comes to TUFC.

It is likely that there are companies paid to keep an eye on potential football clubs where there are land issues/possibilities for development - and the same strategies deployed to unsettle supporters and undermine those running the club. Steve Breed and Dave Phillips just have to sit tight because the aim of these people is probably to stir up the fanbase to react against a vulnerable regime, so they pack up and sell cheaply to a supposed 'white knight' who will ultimately rip the club apart.

There are probably two or three outcomes that would occur if an outside buyer was to buy the club...

1) They'd run us into the ground, fold the club and sell the ground for a big profit - forget the covenant, it would easily be dismissed once a developer set their sights on the land. All the owners of the ground would have to do is let the ground fall into such a state of disrepair that it became an eyesore and people were virtually demanding it be demolished, even if it took around 10 years to do.
2) They'd use us as part of project that involved selling Plainmoor (therefore making enormous sums on the sale of the land) building a basic stadium at the Willows with some other added elements to rake in money and charge us an exorbitant rent to play in the stadium.
3) Act as though there is some plan to move us to a new ground, sell Plainmoor, but have us ground-sharing with Exeter/Tiverton while the detail to build the new ground is worked out but it doesn't end up happening (and was never going to) and we are left homeless.

I do not for one minute believe that any outside investor would buy us because they want to help the club prosper. I don't think anyone's vanity project is going to be about Torquay United.

Whilst our current board are skint and a bit clumsy, at least they will be making decisions with the club's best interest at heart, even if, at times, they are a bit misguided or naive. Rather that, than some shark coming in and asset-stripping us and this sudden wave of new posters are likely simply stooges planted by someone who does not have TUFC at heart but their own interests and therefore Mushroom, WBW, George etc are best ignored in my view because it is all part of someone's long game and engaging with them encourages them to play it.

kevgull wrote:

brucie wrote:Phil - are you insane. We don't want Nicholson back, he's bloody useless. We need to improve the team not make it worse - jesus Exodus and Nicholson. Do you want a tortoise race or something?

wbw wrote: Never mind WBW if it was an asshole competition you would win....

wbw wrote: First game 1962/63 against Aldershot on Easter Monday if memory serves me right. It was a stupidly early kick off and I was taken by my late father. Still have the programme somewhere.

Watched prob about 150 games before moving away with parents.

Any more questions?