Club Ownership

[gullintwoplaces]

Protest yes but inside the ground. Show them it matters and make the atmosphere vitriolic

I agree with that. We should go to the game and make our feelings very clear when inside. Not going would just hasten the end.

[knightmaregull]

But who is going to be there to even hear any demonstrations or care about them?

DP - no chance, he'll be off racing but surely wouldn't risk it anyway.
Osborne & Co. - no way, doubt they even know there is a game on!
The Herald - I can just see the headlines - 'Fans Voice their Mild Unease at Plainmoor'
Nico - he'll probably be at home, free of this mess by then anyway. More's the pity as he's been one of the few on the inside trying to fight this travesty.
The Council - if we end up with the Council as our last resort of hope then God help us. I've no doubt that somehow GI have them in their pocket / have a plan that will get them in their pocket anyway.

The current / old board have left us absolutely high & dry. I weren't a football fan / a decent person I would probably look at this and applaud how it's all be so cleverly played out and manipulated to bring about the pot of gold for the few so greedy as not to give a damn about their fellow man.

[Lloyder5]

That maybe so, however we should do it for ourselves and all previous TUAFC supporters. It will be a benchmark to see who is up for the fight. TUST could use itas a recruitment drive.

[Dazza]

An insight to the future in one of the recent Herald Express articles. This seems to have gone under the radar due to yesterday's magnificent win. In the article Dave Phillips is pretty expansive about Masters and his future expected ownership role with us. He might not be a white knight but he clearly has the Torquay buzz. It's the nearest I 've seen to encouraging ownership news for a while.

[MellowYellow]

Yes, I note the article - Phillips states Masters "would still like to own the club one day" and "his loyalty to Truro wont last forever" and that "he may try to buy Torquay United ... in the future". We that in mind, maybe things will not turn out so bleak as we are all expecting with GI at the helm.

[gullpower]

Dave Phillips in the Herald:
"We have taken a lot of stick, and plenty of it during the last few weeks."

"He [Peter Masters] told us that we just had to get some money from somewhere, spend it on the team and stay up.
It was Gaming International who put that money in. And that ended up saving us."

http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/t ... story.html

It's hard to see how he can make the two remarks without seeing that the first is a direct result of the second. He ignored the fans and rejected TUST. He also seems to have forgotten (however things may have turned out) that his decision to act on Masters advice put the Club in hock to GI.

The one thing that I hope for in 2017 is a better relationship between the Board and TUST.

[Gullscorer]

Nonsense. Masters was right. Without that loan from GI, the club would have folded months ago. Philips and the board had no other options. And does anybody seriously expect a loan of that size to be made without collateral? We now at least still have a club, with GI as the new owners. Is anybody seriously suggesting that it would have been better to have no club at all?

As for the TUST, the problem with them is that they represent only a small minority of supporters, and that they have been behaving like a fringe ideological pressure group, with an obvious antagonistic approach towards the board (one of its members said 'hold them to account'), when what's needed is (a) TUST to gain many more members (not to mention funds) so they more truly represent the supporters, and (b) to work together positively with the board to achieve our mutual goals. This does not mean kowtowing and agreeing with everything the board says; it means proceeding in an atmosphere of mutual trust and love for the club.

[Plainmoor78]

Dave Phillips in the Herald:
"We have taken a lot of stick, and plenty of it during the last few weeks."

"He [Peter Masters] told us that we just had to get some money from somewhere, spend it on the team and stay up.
It was Gaming International who put that money in. And that ended up saving us."

http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/t ... story.html

It's hard to see how he can make the two remarks without seeing that the first is a direct result of the second. He ignored the fans and rejected TUST. He also seems to have forgotten (however things may have turned out) that his decision to act on Masters advice put the Club in hock to GI.

The one thing that I hope for in 2017 is a better relationship between the Board and TUST.

The board had no option but to take the loan from GI. If they had not Nico would not have been able to strengthen the squad. That would have led to relegation, part time football, further decreasing attendances and Nico being hounded out by the supporters (remember how popular he was when we were 12 points adrift).
The club was sold to GI because it had run out of money, it would have run out of money sooner had we been relegated because there would have been no boost to season ticket sales in the summer no matter what price you offered them for.
GI bought the club to protect their loan, which would have been lost if the club went into receivership since they were not secured creditors. Therefore with no loan there would have been no credible buyer.
Judging by the information posted on the forums about the prospective Chinese buyer you have to believe Dave Philips when he says the was no other credible alternative.
As for TUST, even if they could finance the purchase of the club I cannot see how they could possibly sustain and grow it.
As for Masters, much is made of his contempt for TUST, well Norman Smuthwaite, long held as a potential saviour, also holds the Port Vale supporters trust in contempt. I doubt there are many owners who actually welcome a trust poking its nose in .
Bizarre as it seems things may have worked as well as they possibly could have, the club are extremely fortunate still to be in existence.

[Dazza]

Why should they like Trusts. If a club has a value they will want to realise that value. Would a Trust provide that value. Never.
They want it donated for the betterment of the community. Their agendas separate at birth.

[Dazza]

Why should they like Trusts. If a club has a value they will want to realise that value. Would a Trust provide that value. Never.
They want it donated for the betterment of the community. Their agendas separate at birth.

[Rjc70]

I guess it was destined to be that those regarding GI as the best thing since sliced bread in a heartbeat would have amongst their number those wanting forever to moan about a supporters group whatever the weather.

"Nonsense, Masters was right"......yeah, OK. Let's not write history/parrot Dave Phillips' history just yet on this one when we know our new owners previous track record. Whilst it may be right or wrong, or the leopard may have changed its spots, it may be better to focus hope for the first impression money from GI to give us a little shot in the arm for now.

And then see what happens after that.

[hector]

Of course Peter Masters would have been 'advising' against TUST ownership, when, as Phillips says, he hopes to own the club one day. That ambition of his, obviously could never have happened had the club been taken on by TUST. So, what to do? Brief against the club's own supporters, that's what. This whole episode has been played to the tune of Peter Masters.

How was supposed TUST ever supposed to proceed 'in an atmosphere of mutual trust' when they were messed around so often? I hope that one day, that the role of Peter Masters in the fortunes of our football club, since the Spring of 2015, will come under some close scrutiny? Obviously we won't rely on the Herald Express for that as the players could be being snatched by aliens right under their noses and David Thomas wouldn't notice but I'm sure there will be someone with a story to tell.

[Dazza]

Maybe it's me but I just don't see this TUST thing at all. We are on the verge of administration or take over by GI pawnbrokers and where are they - saying they are upset about something and running some sort of half appeal. I am all for community ownership in principle and I am actually a member of TUST but I certainly I am far from convinced that it's possible to deliver a football league side on that basis and that's basically what I want to see.

[hector]

I don't think anyone is pretending tha TUST is the answer to all of our problems and would mark the start of a braver new world. However, with TUST as owners, we at least would know that every decision made would be in the interests of the football club and if we didn't like decisions, we could exercise our right as members to vote those making decisions off the board.

That surely has to be a better option than asset-stripping, property-developers using the club to further their land-grabbing aims. TUST wasn't given the opportunity to test potential growth, which would mean a realistic option of owning the club. They were just strung along and the momentum required to get fans behind a bid for the club was never allowed to grow because Peter Masters probably had the ear of the board.

Had TUST been able to take control, even if it was until a benevolent owner came along, that would have been a much better option than watching what is probably about to unfurl.

[Gullscorer]

TUST has never been in a position to be able to take over at Plainmoor, regardless of the attitudes of Masters and the board. The new owners have said they would like to have TUST representation on a newly constituted board. So perhaps you are being too pessimistic. We'll have a clearer idea as to our future prospects when this season is over and done with. In the meantime, any investment by GI to ensure the club's survival and in strengthening the playing squad is to be welcomed.