Disgrace

[tomogull]

Err, yeah I was there. In fact that 'challenge happened about 15 yards in front of where I was stood. We were awful - both before the sending off and obviously after it. We posed absolutely zero threat throughout. I had two friends in tow, neither of whom had seen TUFC for a couple of seasons, and both were staggered by our complete incompetence in all areas of the pitch. Two more that won't be back in a hurry unfortunately. Keep on swearing though Brucie, it makes your arguments much stronger.

If as you say, you were 15 yards from the sending off incident, you would have no doubt seen the Newport player who had gone to ground as if poleaxed jump to his feet as soon as the red card appeared and winked at the crowd. This I'm afraid is what football has come to - players feigning injury to get opposing players sent off. It maybe warranted a yellow card at most, but I was incredulous when the ref brandished a red card. Zero threat throughout ...... can't argue with that.

[gullintwoplaces]

The comment about the police dogs is interesting. On the way up to the ground the two Newport coaches were escorted in by two police motorcyclists - I don't think they were Devon and Motor Patrol Policeman so assume they were from Wales.
At the end of the game the police presence when the ref exited the pitch was by two welsh patrol officers.
So god knows how much overtime this lot were on but presume that we were paying for it.
Talk about overkill -it seems completely farcical to me.

The "Torbay Safety Committee" that decides on which games should be all ticket seems to be just a rubber stamp for the blank cheque to the police. Brilliant, they decide which games must be all ticket then they charge the club for the privilege of having coppers at the game on overtime. You couldn't make it up.

[ferrarilover]

Some people conveniently ignore what is staring them in the face. Apparently playing with ten men for three quarters of the game didn't make any difference to us losing.
Apparently the ref had a "brainstorm" despite the fact he clearly gave a free kick to us because Goodwin was fouled immediately before the clash.
The picture above clearly shows the Newport player leading with his elbow - perhaps Goodwin should have gone down and rolled around the floor.
Clearly the Newport players got Goodwin sent off - but of course none of that matters.

When you're right, you're right and right now, you're right.

Newport bloke goes up with his arm raised. Goodwin's shoulder hits that arm and the Newport bloke goes down like he's been shot (until the instant that Goodwin is sent off, then he's alright again).

Until they scored their horribly deflected goal from a free kick which been never should have been given, it was all Torquay.

After we went down to ten, we were shit, yet Newport rarely threatened and really should have lost the last 4/5 of the game 1-0 (because Downer should have equalised right at the end).

Two decisions now have gone against us and they will cost us FL status. Attempting to end Bodin's career is, apparently, fine. Jumping for a header with a bloke who is trying to break your nose with his elbow is worthy of a sending off. I can't prove it, of course, but I reckon we'd be 7 points better off had those two decisions gone the right way.
I'll grant you, we've not been world beaters this year, but we have been royalty shafted as well and to the point where it's taking a mediocre side from lower mid table obscurity down to bottom of the division relegation and that's not right or fair but there's **** all we can do about it.

Matt.

[tommyg]

You're in denial, Matt. Newport had plenty of chances after they scored. Rice made at least four saves including a double stop in the first half and they missed a free header from four yards out which hit the post.

We're not bottom because of bad luck and abysmal refereeing. We're bottom because our players aren't good enough and we've been too reliant on loanees. Any team which goes into a season with a strike-force of Benyon, Hawley and Yeoman is going to struggle to score goals. The only player who comes out with any credit is Pearce - and he was sidelined by Knill for two months. One of many woeful decisions made by a man who was out of his depth. He might be a decent coach which is why he was hand-picked by Wilder for the No.2 job at Northampton. But as a No.1 he didn't cut the mustard and that is what will cost us our Football League status.

[ferrarilover]

None of Rice's saves would have taxed out U18 lad. The double save was a 30 yarder which he should have done better with. Goalkeepers make saves, that's why they're there.
I don't say anything such disagrees in fact with what you've said.
We haven't been either the worst side I've seen this year, nor have we been anything like as poor as sides which have finished bottom in previous years.
I've said above that I can't prove it, but it's not too much of a stretch to find my 7 points aforementioned. Suddenly, we're not bottom and if we weren't, no one on here would be arguing that we should be bottom.

Matt.

[Dave]

Matt have you ever considered a career in political spin doctoring, I can see you would be very good at it and earn lots and lots of money. For a start Newport actually hit our post twice in the second half, they had one that went through and did clip the outside of our left post, before they hit the base of our right hand post, not bad for a side that carried no treat to our goal, Shane Fonda was right, Newport were physically head and shoulders above us, would , Goodwin's sending off have made any difference, well, we will never know.

We're not losing our F/L status on refereeing decisions and bad luck at all, Matt you've been one who over the years has enjoyed quoting stats, well I'll quote some now. 20 out 23 home match's played we've the some total of 20% of our home match's , 18 out of 23 away match's played we've drawn a some total of 6% of our away match's, after 38 match's luck and referring decisions don't come into it, you are where you are on merit, and those two stats are the reason why we're likely to be going down, and all evidence we need to realize that we are the worst side in the league, because, FACT only 1 side has a worse home record than us, and only 1 side has a worse away record, and it isn't the same team.

[Dave]

Sorry just to add to the previous post, to compare those stats to last season, we stayed up by 2 pts, winning 39% of our home match's and drawing 35 % of our away match's , that should give us all a good idea as to why, and just how poor we've been this term.

[ferrarilover]

Blah blah cherry picked, basically meaningless stat blah blah blah

They didn't hit our woodwork 4 times. That just didn't happen. I never said they carried no threat at all. Rice made some basic saves, but nothing noteworthy.
I'm not saying we're not shit...

Basically, the entire premise of your reply is based on something I never said.

Matt.

[Dave]

It's not though is it my old mate, I never said they hit out post 4 times . I said they hit our post twice in the second half, which FACT they did.

You said two referring decisions re; Bodin re; Goodwin have cost us our place in the football league, I replied with two stats to prove you wrong, not cherry picked, actually very important stats , a small club like Torquay working off a limited budget survives in F/L by winning home games and drawing the majority of it's away games, that's just FACT.

[jonnyfive]

I'm with ferrarilover - everyone is out to get us, most notably the Illuminati.

I was having a sherry with David Icke just last night. He confirmed that the Royal Family are all lizards, and that TUFC are the only team ever to suffer from poor refereeing decisions. I offered the naive contention that surely fans of every team up and down the country would have similar examples, but apparently no, it is only TUFC that the dark forces want to see relegated.

You live and learn. Have we sacked Labitie yet?

[Dave]

Not forgetting how the dark forces of evil managed to help divert the recent record rainfall around many areas locally, including Cricketfield Road Newton Abbot and the whole of Loddiswell, and Broadway, Kingsteignton, no forgetting Marnham road and push the rainfall right down a narrow strip in front of Bristow's Bench, just not fair.

[kevgull]

Stockely, a striker who wins 99% of headers, sits on the bench observing Yeoman and Benyon toiling aimlessly at the high ball being hoofed up to them.

A beautiful thing to pay for and watch.
You can't learn that!

[brucie]

What I don't understand is why people keep saying we were shit when we played three quarters of the game with ten men.
Of course Newport had the better chances in the second half we were playing without any full backs for most of the second half.
Its absolutely nonsensical to suggest that the sending off did not alter the game.
In the circumstances we did ok. Newport didn't manage to score again in the match and had there been any justice we would have nicked a draw at the end.
The team does deserve criticism this season but on this occasion most of it is ridiculous.
You cannot argue that crucial decisions have gone against us in big games though.
First Northampton and now this.

[Gloomy Gull]

What I don't understand is why people keep saying we were sh*t when we played three quarters of the game with ten men.
Of course Newport had the better chances in the second half we were playing without any full backs for most of the second half.
Its absolutely nonsensical to suggest that the sending off did not alter the game.
In the circumstances we did ok. Newport didn't manage to score again in the match and had there been any justice we would have nicked a draw at the end.
The team does deserve criticism this season but on this occasion most of it is ridiculous.
You cannot argue that crucial decisions have gone against us in big games though.
First Northampton and now this.

Is that any different to most of this season's games? We also seem to lack a cohesive midfield and a potent strike force!!

[tomogull]

What I don't understand is why people keep saying we were sh*t when we played three quarters of the game with ten men.
Of course Newport had the better chances in the second half we were playing without any full backs for most of the second half.
Its absolutely nonsensical to suggest that the sending off did not alter the game.
In the circumstances we did ok. Newport didn't manage to score again in the match and had there been any justice we would have nicked a draw at the end.
The team does deserve criticism this season but on this occasion most of it is ridiculous.
You cannot argue that crucial decisions have gone against us in big games though.
First Northampton and now this.

Agree with you on this one, Brucie. One thing, though - I couldn't understand Chris Hargreaves thinking about the substitutions. Firstly, I think he should have made them sooner. Secondly, I think he should have brought on Stockley and Yeoman for Showumni and Benyon as he did on Tuesday night, and as we had to go for broke, either Harding, Hawley or Cruise for Lathrope. Not that Damon was doing anything wrong, but it would have given us more attacking options against a makeshift defence and a goalkeeper who didn't seem too sure of himself. Hawley, I think, could maybe used as an attacking midfielder option. He's certainly not a target striker as he has been played for most of the season. But then, I'm not the manager ......