Welling.v.Torquay Sun 28th 3pm

tivvygull · Post by **tivvygull** » 28 Dec 2014, 23:51

Good to see you posting Andy. Agree with a lot you say and hope someone from the club reads it.

taxilady · Post by **taxilady** » 29 Dec 2014, 00:07

actually, I still miss you Austrian Andy & think that the forum is poorer without you. You post some valid comments about club involvement; however, our regenerating Trust would have welcomed you much more quickly than in 30 years ! I will still laugh myself silly if York sign Billy Bodin !!!! Hope our paths cross again sometime ......

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 29 Dec 2014, 00:13

suffolkgull wrote:Good to see you posting Andy. Agree with a lot you say and hope someone from the club reads it.

Means a lot suffolkgull thankyou so much.

If i may use another analogy like Matt did. Did you get a dog in the end Matt?

Anyway, take a mother whose son comes in from school and persistently treats the house like a doss house, he eats the cupboards bare, borrows money off her without so much as a buy your leave and generally does nothing but take, take , take.

The mother is in an awful predicament. Her son is flesh and blood. Her son is in her veins, in her heart but this cannot go on anymore. At some point the son has to wake up and realise how lucky he is and what he has and that he cannot keep bleeding her dry and kicking her in the guts without any remorse or offer of compromise. At some point his mum surely is going to kick him out and wash her hands?

She is in a dreadful position.

There is love in her heart but she cannot continue to be treated with such contempt.

Does she do the right thing for her own conscience and refuse to be treated like a cash cow and doormat or does she continue to give in to her son because he is blood?

Maybe i'm a bad mother and with sadness in my heart having to tell people i have befriended and known that i no longer can see them ever again is the price i have to pay but i know i've done the right thing.

Anyway, Welling away. What the **** happened?!!!

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 29 Dec 2014, 00:21

taxilady wrote:actually, I still miss you Austrian Andy & think that the forum is poorer without you. You post some valid comments about club involvement; however, our regenerating Trust would have welcomed you much more quickly than in 30 years ! I will still laugh myself silly if York sign Billy Bodin !!!! Hope our paths cross again sometime ......

York won't sign Billy Bodin in a million year Nina. This lot simply won't tolerate a fancy dan with no end product. They'll tell you so and you can't ignore it.

The Trust is a positive step and i would be happy to join and contribute financially in some small way if that were permitted. The sad thing is i'm not sure how many people would be up for joining. The main worry i had about Torquay is if they went tits up would enough be bothered about forming a new club?

It would mean getting hands dirty and some serious dedication.

I'd be happy to help in any way.

As for taxi drivers. ................it was like a scene out of The Thing round here on boxing day with blizzards, cars stranded and 15 cm of snow yet taxi drivers were trying to overtake me!!! Bloody law unto themselves!! :na:

Burnhamgull · Post by **Burnhamgull** » 29 Dec 2014, 00:49

I totally agree with much of what Andy has said in his lengthy post......yes I read it all!

The sad reality is that reading through the various posts on this site, there is a slow steady flow of supporters starting to find alternative entertainment on a Saturday afternoon. The marketing side of the club is absolutely terrible and almost expectant that we ST holders will just renew without any need for incentive. I commented last season on the lack of contact from the club with regards to renewing my ST and the only contact I had was when I was offered a tour of the ground. When you been round the Bernabeu, Plainmoor doesn't really have much to offer.

I've said previously that I chose not to renew my ST but the family stepped in and renewed it for me as a birthday present.......I hate them all.

The performances this season have left me so far feeling like I have wasted their money and right now I have no interest in renewing again. I have supplemented my weekend fix with midweek matches around the country wherever I'm working and feel much happier without the burden of worrying about the match result.

I, as will many others, still support the club. We are just choosing not to throw money at what appears to be a lost cause currently. The rot has set in since the shambolic episode involving Ling. The tales of how YTFC look after their fans is a million miles apart from how we're treated. Is there a Junior Gulls?.......Does it have many members?

It's very sobering to read so many fellow supporters reducing their support for the club but it's been coming for a couple of years and how long before Thea wants out and then we're really in the shit?

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 29 Dec 2014, 01:08

Burnhamgull wrote:I totally agree with much of what Andy has said in his lengthy post......yes I read it all!

The sad reality is that reading through the various posts on this site, there is a slow steady flow of supporters starting to find alternative entertainment on a Saturday afternoon. The marketing side of the club is absolutely terrible and almost expectant that we ST holders will just renew without any need for incentive. I commented last season on the lack of contact from the club with regards to renewing my ST and the only contact I had was when I was offered a tour of the ground. When you been round the Bernabeu, Plainmoor doesn't really have much to offer.

I've said previously that I chose not to renew my ST but the family stepped in and renewed it for me as a birthday present.......I hate them all.

The performances this season have left me so far feeling like I have wasted their money and right now I have no interest in renewing again. I have supplemented my weekend fix with midweek matches around the country wherever I'm working and feel much happier without the burden of worrying about the match result.

I, as will many others, still support the club. We are just choosing not to throw money at what appears to be a lost cause currently. The rot has set in since the shambolic episode involving Ling. The tales of how YTFC look after their fans is a million miles apart from how we're treated. Is there a Junior Gulls?.......Does it have many members?

It's very sobering to read so many fellow supporters reducing their support for the club but it's been coming for a couple of years and how long before Thea wants out and then we're really in the sh*t?

Great post Burnham and i see you have been disillusioned for some time as i have read your posts. The key point i am making that i don't want to be lost is that those that know me know i would be trying to juggle my family life to get to every game i could even in the conference and even if we were bottom. The reason for my withdrawal of support has absolutely nothing to do with what league TUFC are in, what position in the league they are in or how badly they are playing. It is purely and simply a lack of activity by the board. It is like time has stood still. Torquay United are NOT a lost cause at the moment, they are a handful of points off the play offs despite having some atrocious players, shaking off the turmoil of last season and a rookie manager and not much cash. Thea has pumped in some cash as have some other board members but we have no leaders in there. We have nobody like Gordon Ramsay to come in, kick ass, tell it like it is and what the way forward should be. There is no direction. Gordon Ramsay knows that there are two things a business needs to survive - a quality product and excellent customer service / engagement.

Torquay have neither.

Actually, Gordon Ramsay coming into footy clubs and kicking off would be a great idea for a programme. BOARDROOM NIGHTMARES WITH GORDON RAMSAY.

Torquay are like the titanic, desperately trying to stay afloat with stiff upper lip like Captain Edward Smith whilst all around are deserting. A Jack Dawson is needed.

If i ran a football club i'd be that excited i'd actually be urinating myself in the street. Just think how they could be promoted and just think how i could bring together a whole community just because of this one thing. I'd be like a kid in a sweet shop but without any understanding of how to run a football club.

So long as i'm not in control of finances i'd never sleep.

PlainmoorRoar · Post by **PlainmoorRoar** » 29 Dec 2014, 01:55

supposed TUFC fan, then a derby county fan, then back to TUFC, then someone says hello at York and its YORK TILL I DIE

I'd rather listen to brucie.

friendlygas · Post by **friendlygas** » 29 Dec 2014, 10:40

Very interesting thread and it is amazing how many of the things that have been mentioned apply to us also. I must admit the saddest comment is the "change of alliance" as that is something I could never do no matter what because I always say that "supporters" who support clubs outside of their Home town club never have the emotional aspect that we have. It is a bit like shopping at M & S rather than supporting the £1 shop but in my opinion the affection for your home club can be strained but never broken if you are a true supporter. In Bristol it is sad that two coaches of "United" or "Liverpool" supporters travel each week to Premiership games but IMO the only way they are supporters is that they turn up but all they are really doing is getting on the bandwagon of success. I would go as far as to say that I respect Bristol City fans far more than these Big Club Charlies because like me those who support City, Torquay,Exeter or any other local club it is in their Heart. I even more respect the fans we meet every week now because many of them are near the "Big" clubs and their decision must be even more difficult to make.
Anyway to conclude IMO for those who support through the bad times, the good things that happen every now and again mean so much more to them.

RussianGull · Post by **RussianGull** » 29 Dec 2014, 14:01

I'm not reading Andys post because they're normally about 1% content, 99% crap/thanking someone for welcoming him back on to the forum.

Moving on, Hector - what you posted was spot on.

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 29 Dec 2014, 14:06

RussianGull wrote:I'm not reading Andys post because they're normally about 1% content, 99% crap/thanking someone for welcoming him back on to the forum.

Moving on, Hector - what you posted was spot on.

That's a shame "Russian", as it was a well thought out post about where he thinks the gulls have gone wrong - and has, in my opinion, got it pretty much spot on really.

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 29 Dec 2014, 15:29

RussianGull wrote:I'm not reading Andys post because they're normally about 1% content, 99% crap/thanking someone for welcoming him back on to the forum.

Moving on, Hector - what you posted was spot on.

Oh yes, Hectors post which in itself was very accurate but also in it he said that he understood the reasons why fans don't go anymore, falling out of love with TUFC i believe he said.

So you fully understand this but make an exception for me? I'm touched.

Here is a teaser for you to get your head around then, obviously you've learned Russian so you are a very intelligent individual. Hoepfully before you dismiss this as the 99% crap you'll get a chance to work it out and see where i'm coming from. Not fussed if you don't, it's just your opinion and not truth.

Firstly, i know there are many fans who have stopped going to games either because they are fed up with the poor football or the way they have been treated or the way they feel let down by the board. A variety of different reasons has seen fans 'fall out of love with TUFC' so they either don't go anymore or go as and when.

I am not judging any of these fans and have no reason to doubt their reasons for doing this or their integrity, this is their own personal choice but i need to highlight this to make my point.

As superfan Plainmoor Roar and others are oft chomping at the bit to point out, the role of the true supporter is to dig in and keep going even during darkest days REGARDLESS of any factors that would otherwise make them stop attending. If it's poor football, relegation, administration, anything. I 100% agree with this which bizarrely is something he and others somehow fail to comprehend.

So i am fuming with the board and the club for letting me down in a nutshell so what do i do? Do i stop attending until the current board leave thus causing more hardship for the club and then when the new board come in start going again?

I can't do that as i would be a hypocrite.

So i am sick to the back teeth of the standard of football and stop going like Brucie and others have until the club sign some players or performances and results improve?

I can't do that either because when the club needed me during those bad days i bailed out so to turn up again when the going gets good is not acceptable. Again i'd be a hypocrite. Some fans like Brucie are happy to miss games because they are fed up and return when they fancy it again or the results have got better. I can't do that. You either go or don't. Not for a bit. You either go or you don't.

I cannot continue to give the club any more of my money for the reasons you all know about so rather than come back when the problems have gone i have to sever ties and pretend that TUFC is no longer in existence. Why? Because i'd be a hypocrite and want my cake and eat it.

So you see maybe you should be looking closer to home at the ones that stay away until it's all sunshine and roses again and leave the childish remarks for them?

Now do you get it? :ping:

Post by **Southampton Gull** » 29 Dec 2014, 22:18

Andy, for almost all of us the Club is in our blood and whether we attend or not doesn't make us hypocrites. I can't pretend to understand how you can swap allegiances like you have in the past as I just couldn't do it. I've supported Torquay for as long as I can remember but when I lived in Oxford I watched them and likewise I watched Saints when I moved to Southampton. I hate everything about Portsmouth which most people assume is because of a fondness for Saints, it's actually manifested through years of playing against Portsmouth based teams and working the doors of some of the leading clubs in both Southampton and Portsmouth.

As soon as I retired from playing there was only one team I wanted to go and watch. The road network got better, I had the time and could afford to go to nearly every home game. No matter how bad it gets and no matter what league we play in I will always be a Torquay fan.

I just couldn't do what you've done and suddenly decide to support another team. That doesn't mean I think you're a hypocrite, to me the club just couldn't have been in your blood like it is for the rest of us in the first place. I neither like or dislike you more for your choice on who to support, there are plenty of other reasons you're a dick

bobby93 · Post by **bobby93** » 30 Dec 2014, 13:49

I'm not sure if anyone will read this as we're a few pages in.

We've moved away from focusing on the actual game here but there are some really interesting points in this thread. I think Andy speaks a lot of truth, particularly with regard to marketing etc.

I understand that those at the club must be incredibly stretched professionally and most of us will know what that is like. I sympathise. With that said, however, I think the way we as a club project ourselves and engage with supporters is pretty poor. There is certainly room for improvement and it's something I have been thinking a bit about lately. For example, if you take a look at the social media accounts of most clubs like us (particularly the likes of Plymouth), we are really lagging behind in that respect. I'm not saying that something as simple as tweeting more often is going to win us more supporters, but the way other clubs interact with their fans is often much more informal, creative, funny and human than us - but still professional. We need to be looking at this sort of thing as an example and trying to have more of a presence in the local community. Like it or not, things like social media are now an extension of the club and go some way to contributing to people's perception of the atmosphere and experience at TUFC. By putting more effort into this area - and others - we can give off the right impression and encourage people to engage with the club a bit more.

taxilady · Post by **taxilady** » 30 Dec 2014, 13:53

anyone new to this forum will see predominantly fans fighting each other, insulting each other & leaving the supporters' base in droves.

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 30 Dec 2014, 14:38

taxilady wrote:anyone new to this forum will see predominantly fans fighting each other, insulting each other & leaving the supporters' base in droves.

A bit like our Board then....

:devil: :devil:

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