Torquay United Fans Forum

Is that answer not good enough for you? Please elaborate.

sgf wrote: ↑23 Jun 2018, 11:16 Then why delete it.

He was asked to delete it by his employers.

YES it was probably not the most sensible thing to write on social media, YES it would have been better to deal with it internally. BUT these insults and comments are just nonsensical. I've seen insults on here, BTPIR, and Twitter, they are all getting rather personal and, at best, irrelevant.

During the season, the forums and social media, apart from a few, were in agreement that Gowling was our best centre back, he was a calm head in the back line and was a decent, experienced leader on the pitch, have we all forgotten this? Injury problems are always going to come along with a 34 year old player who has been playing professional football since 2002, That much experience is going to come with compromises.

Also, since this debate is questioning the maturity and professionalism of Gowling's attitude, calling him an 'utter knob' and a 'complete prick' is, apart from being unnecessarily personal, a bit hypocritical isn't it?

Aside from all this, a few of you are suggesting that Gowling's tweet was dishonest and not factually correct. I'm surprised that with CO and GH's track record, you're ready to believe their side instantly and not question it from the player's point of view at all. To me, it sounds exactly like something they'd do.

Have we ever considered that Gowling HAD tried to resolve this internally, but wasn't getting anywhere so he had to force a response? Or, does he see himself as a whistle blower type figure, trying to let the fans know what sort of stuff is really going on behind the scenes?

nickbrod wrote: ↑31 May 2018, 18:32 By 'him' do you mean Efete? Or Andresson?

Efete

The club has offered him something, he'll no doubt be getting interest elsewhere though.

In case people haven't yet seen it, the following statement was issued by Michel Thomas earlier this afternoon;

We have been aware for some time of the growing desire of our members, and many supporters, to obtain more clarity as to our owner's long term plans, which could move the club in many directions. We also believe that now, in the interests of our club and Mr Osborne himself that transparency and communication from the owner are vitally important. This is critical in not only maintaining the confidence and support of the fan base and community as a whole, but whichever league we find ourselves in next season there will be a need for him to assess the viability of whichever plan he intends to follow for TUFC in the short, medium and longer term. We are willing to work with Mr Osborne and help him accordingly if we believe these plans are aligned to our own mission statement of “ensuring the long term sustainability of Torquay United Football Club”

 

To this end we have already, through emails, letters and via our monthly structured meetings with senior representatives at TUFC requested face to face meetings. So far, we have only had written communication which has previously been published to members. All contact has been through our local meetings with senior club representatives.

 

We have acknowledged that Mr Osborne has committed to funding full time football next season, whichever league we find ourselves in. Also, that he is supporting improvements to the training ground at Seale Hayne, whilst searching for a new location. We feel there is a good line of communication with the club locally and an increasing willingness to work together with all bodies associated with the club. The Premier League Fans Grant being an example and a catalyst for some of this work.

 

However, we feel this alone is no longer sufficient.

 

At our latest meeting last week we made it clear that we thought, at this juncture, a face to face meeting was now imperative in the interest of the 'stakeholders', the supporters and in sustaining support and regaining positivity for the future.  A further request has therefore been made through the club to arrange this.

 

If there proves to be any further problems in arranging this face to face meeting we will approach Mr Osborne directly and will also offer to travel and meet him at a more preferable location if this is more convenient in view of his other business commitments. We are keen to remove any such barriers to a meeting.
 

We acknowledge that Mr Osborne is first and foremost a businessman, but whatever your objectives are it is always productive to engage with stakeholders, interested parties and customers alike.

 

As a significant proportion of the supporter base are now members of TUST and with numbers increasing, we feel it is only right for all parties that we should engage with Mr Osborne. Whilst we appreciate his approach to ownership may be different to others and his privacy in respect of business interests there exists no “normal” board structure for us to engage with and hence we believe there is no alternative to such a direct approach.

 

We are keen to stress at this point that nothing should detract from matters on the pitch. Unless we are mathematically relegated to the National League South, all efforts should be directed towards supporting the team. But, as the TUST board we are aware of our commitments to members and our independence. To be clear the overriding point is that we remain the “Critical” friend of the club. We must keep our focus on the long term picture as well as the short term on-pitch issues. Please rest assured, this continues to be the case.

 

When a meeting has been arranged, we will inform you, and of course of the outcome. We will also encourage our members to send us specific questions they would like us to include.


 

Michel Thomas

pp. TUST board

Osborne turns down requests for meetings by everybody, Harrop's probably sick of hearing 'no, you talk to them' so he doesn't pass requests on because he doesn't want to talk to them either.

Osborne is secretive and untrustworthy, Harrop is lazy and incompetent.

Barnes
Evans
Gowling
Young
Reid

Neal wrote: ↑12 Apr 2018, 12:45 Nicho was probably sacked NOT because of results but because he wouldn't sign up to CO's plans and demolition of the club.

Of course that's a reason he was sacked. What do we think that Osborne is more interested in? Results on the field or the possibility of profiting through a property deal?

Nicholson said in an interview shortly after being sacked that some 'very naughty' things were going on behind the scenes. Who knows what's going on now that he is out of the way.

GAME ON

Pitch inspection planned at 12:30

merse btpir wrote: ↑31 Mar 2018, 17:42 Herrera has done the right thing by distancing himself from this circus and is far more likely to gain employment within a coaching structure somewhere if he accepts the terms and conditions and location.

He has in the last couple of weeks rejoined Plymouth's academy as a professional development coach (Shaun Taylor's old position)

Best of luck to him

There's a huge difference between confidence and complacency.

I fear that if we spend the summer thinking we're the 'big fish' or that we're bigger and better than the others then there is a real danger of ill-preparing the squad, them becoming over confident, thinking this league's nothing and then suddenly on a Saturday afternoon in August we're being dicked 4-0 by East Thurrock and wondering how it happened.

Whatever our past, once we are in the NLS we are of exactly the same stature as the opposition. Yes we may have a bigger ground, yes we may have more fans but we are in the same league, we will be of similar ability and we are fighting for the same thing. We cannot go in to any games thinking that we are better because we are bigger.

I was also surprised to see Hedges at Maidenhead, getting himself some chips with Harrop, I did wonder why he was there and that surely a Torquay game is the last place he should be. He also frequents home games. Why?

Shouldn't he be out sizing up the next opposition or looking for new talent? Instead he seems to spend a lot of time watching Torquay games. I.e the only group of players that he doesn't need to watch as they are already recruited.

Maybe someone can enlighten me as to why he does this. There must be a reason, I'm just failing to see it.

Do you read this forum?

Have a look back through Clarke Osborne's track record and then come back to me. Maybe then you will understand why I and many others are sceptical of his intentions.