Let's Save Our Club!

[nickbrod]

The trust's silence at this time is both disturbing and indeed disappointing and will cost them much support

I, too, can't believe why TUST haven't sprung into action. They must have prepared for a scenario such as this.

[standupsitdown]

GI don't care for the club at all. They just want the land. Relegation will probably help them achieve this.
We are at least in the fortunate position that they didn't get the ground when they bought the club, but are reliant on the council, so it is the council to whom protests should be directed. And they are at least accountable need votes from the electorate every four years.
Don't be taken in by promises of a new stadium - too many other clubs have been let down.
I'm sure many people in the town want the club to survive but in the same what that Torquay fans aren't generally the type to invade the pitch it is not the sort of place where people get active and demonstrate their concerns.
It needs something to get a campaign rolling - not just match attending fans but backed by many in Torquay. It's a big shame the Herald Express don't care.
As a Trust member I have to say I'm disappointed to see little action - but also that not enough people have joined.

[Soupdragon]

I don't get the downer on the Trust. It is, after all, the sum of its members.

If, as a member, you want it to do something, speak up (and through the correct channels, not just on here). Send an email to the chairman. If you're not a member, and you want it to do something, then join.

Personally, I don't think the Trust should get involved in organising demonstrations that are likely to turn ugly if comments made recently on here are any indication of an outcome. Who would take them seriously afterwards? Certainly not any grant-awarding organisations. It smacks to me of just finding someone else, anyone else, to blame in this mess: whining that the Trust did nothing while Rome burned.

I'm certain that Michael and his Trust board colleagues will not be doing nothing.

But as individuals it's down to you, too, to at least try to do something. It's down to all of us, whether Trust members or not.

[westyorkshiregull]

What about filling the away end ???? It makes a point can still support kev and team and makes a mockery really if we all did that

[Jeff]

Given that it seems that GI have shown their hand with regards to how they intend to manage the club, in principal I am behind the idea of a phoenix club to take over when inevitably TUFC as it exists today goes out of business. However, there are a phenomenal number of things that will need to be considered, overcome before it can become a reality.

Just off the top of my head, the obvious things that stand out at this point in time are:

- Even if a group was able to mobilise now, the ship has long since sailed with regards to having a phoenix club for 2017-18. Let alone the timescales with forming a club and playing squad, league constitutions are as good as sorted. So there is no room at the inn. The earliest this could even be considered for is 2018-19

- As long as TUFC remains in business, irrespective of whether it is being run into the ground or not, any phoenix club we be treated as an entirely new entity and have to start from the bottom. Think more AFC Wimbledon or FCUM rather than Chester or Halifax. At a push, it might get accepted into the Western League first division straight off the bat, failing that it'll be the Peninsula league. Its a bloody long way back from there.

- Sorting a ground out. The obvious suggestions are Buckland or Coach Road. Both linked by the very obvious flaw of neither being in Torquay. Such a set of circumstances have been navigated by other such clubs - Darlington, Scarborough, Rushden, Northwich - but its hardly ideal. And then there is the prospect of whether a return to Torquay would ever be on the cards. The lack of available flat land is a massive problem. And I dread to think how far The Rec might be from being any sort of usable facility. A spell away from the town wouldn't be a show-stopper, but its degree of permanence might be

- Who would sort it? I assume the TUST are the obvious names in the frame despite their radio silence at the moment (for all I know they might already be working on this premise). There would have to be a board put in place, membership structure etc to finance the side. Given that it would have to play in local leagues for at least the first 3 or 4 years, how would exiles be catered for? Membership scheme or something similar?

- Apathy of the fan base. Do people care enough to still get 500+ through the gates week in, week out for what is a very low level of football? Other phoenix clubs have risen back through the divisions based on a strong fanbase, but I don't see us in the same position. It will be a long hard slog if only 150-200 people support the new venture

- Cash flow. Any start-up would need capital, starting from zero. Alluding to the points above, how would cash be generated to allow the new club to obtain the cream of the regions semi-pro players and rise back up? Membership scheme as mentioned above, so people could contribute as well as having a say in club matters (I think AFCW operate on this, but I may be wrong). What about season ticket uptake, how would that work

Thats just a few thoughts off the top of my head, and all open up further questions. Hopefully it shows that it would be a mighty task for any organisation to get something together.

I'm not saying that its the right or wrong answer. It will need a huge amount of effort, commitment and support from the fans to make work and I'm just not sure its there.

[Yorkieandy]

Magnificent post that Jeff.

[kevgull]

I will not buy another Season ticket in order to line the pockets of these shysters. I would rather force Administration and then offer my Season ticket money to the TUST. If enough people do the same and the council do not offer GI Plainmoor, perhaps he might reconsider his future at TUFC?

Do not attend any pre season friendlies as without early pre season money GI will be FCUKED!

[SenorDingDong]

- Sorting a ground out. The obvious suggestions are Buckland or Coach Road. Both linked by the very obvious flaw of neither being in Torquay. Such a set of circumstances have been navigated by other such clubs - Darlington, Scarborough, Rushden, Northwich - but its hardly ideal. And then there is the prospect of whether a return to Torquay would ever be on the cards. The lack of available flat land is a massive problem. And I dread to think how far The Rec might be from being any sort of usable facility. A spell away from the town wouldn't be a show-stopper, but its degree of permanence might be

I wouldn't worry too much about Buckland or Coach Road, they're only a few miles further away than GI's supposed stadium site, plus with the South Devon Link Road, you can be at Buckland very quickly. Given Buckland's proximity, it's amazing and a real indictment of the previous boards that we don't have a better relationship with them. They should be essentially our feeder club, giving youth team players competitive run outs and providing a location for Devon Bowl matches etc and in return United should be helping them with training facilities, admin etc. Of course given the club's total disconnect from the greater football community in Devon it's not particularly surprising, if disappointing, that we don't have links with them. Wouldn't be surprised if a good few dozen of their average crowd are lapsed United fans.

If such a Phoenix club ended up at Buckland and was successful and rose up through the leagues, they'd likely only be there for a few seasons before going back to Plainmoor.

- Cash flow. Any start-up would need capital, starting from zero. Alluding to the points above, how would cash be generated to allow the new club to obtain the cream of the regions semi-pro players and rise back up? Membership scheme as mentioned above, so people could contribute as well as having a say in club matters (I think AFCW operate on this, but I may be wrong). What about season ticket uptake, how would that work

TUST have about £30k, admittedly not much at all but it's a start, everything would have to be done by volunteers and it would totally rely upon retaining at least 500-1000 of the current fanbase to start making such a club self sufficient, which may be a long shot.

Anyway, we need to all stop thinking about a Phoenix club and start fighting for our current club. Everyone knows where the press sits at Plainmoor, how about people attending the match start asking Dave Thomas questions about why he isn't publicising GI's activities, more of their background, their broken promises to the fans and raising alarm bells? The HE had a decent role to play in publicising the fight against Roberts, they need to do so again. DT is practically in GI's pocket, he needs to be questioned about it because the average family stand fan will not know about this stuff unless the HE prints it.

[Terry Henry]

Is it worth someone putting a summary of the concerns onto somewhere like the SpottedTorquay Facebook group, to get more local people to understand what is going on? I'd do it myself, but I wouldn't want to get the details incorrect.

Judging from the amount of posts on there about lost cats/dogs/phones, it is quite an active group. There was also a fair bit of chat on there recently about the new hotel proposed in Torquay. There is a danger though that you'd get some people saying that they don't care if the club folds, so I suppose we'd need to be prepared to argue that without it turning into a slanging match.

[Dave]

Is it worth someone putting a summary of the concerns onto somewhere like the SpottedTorquay Facebook group, to get more local people to understand what is going on? I'd do it myself, but I wouldn't want to get the details incorrect.

Judging from the amount of posts on there about lost cats/dogs/phones, it is quite an active group. There was also a fair bit of chat on there recently about the new hotel proposed in Torquay. There is a danger though that you'd get some people saying that they don't care if the club folds, so I suppose we'd need to be prepared to argue that without it turning into a slanging match.

Nice idea, but you've already shown the problem with the idea. There's an awful lot of people around Torbay and the surrounding areas, that do not give two shats for TUFC, in fact I know a couple of people that live around Plainmoor that would love it if the club folded, and that's what we're up against.

[SenorDingDong]

It doesn't matter whether those people care, what is important is getting the information and news out to those who do care, those are the ones that matter and that need mobilising. For what it's worth I think it's a great idea. If someone could put together a post summarising everything we know and post it there, then everyone else can descend and add their comments.

Clarke Osbourn inadvertently touched upon something very important in his little propaganda video, TUFC is the largest social group/gathering that regularly meets in the Bay. Even though many people couldn't get two stuffs and are EPL gloryhunters, there are a lot of casual fans out there that have at least some affection for the club or who would against the only professional sports club in the Bay going under, even if they don't support them.

[Dave]

- Sorting a ground out. The obvious suggestions are Buckland or Coach Road. Both linked by the very obvious flaw of neither being in Torquay. Such a set of circumstances have been navigated by other such clubs - Darlington, Scarborough, Rushden, Northwich - but its hardly ideal. And then there is the prospect of whether a return to Torquay would ever be on the cards. The lack of available flat land is a massive problem. And I dread to think how far The Rec might be from being any sort of usable facility. A spell away from the town wouldn't be a show-stopper, but its degree of permanence might be

Personally think if the club was to fold, it would fold long before any bulldozers moved in, the key going forward is who owns the ground, as long as G.I do not, then there's no reason why a deal couldn't be struck to allow a phoenix TUFC to use plainmoor.

Aldershot, Chester, Halifax, are among the phoenix clubs that retained their original stadiums and I'm pretty sure, but could be wrong Hereford still use Edgar street.

However one problem regards TUST ownership now is a massive loss of goodwill, I know there were some, who were prepared to put a bit of money up for TUST ownership, who probably will not now, because it would be needed to pay off G.I, which many will not do.

[Dave]

It doesn't matter whether those people care, what is important is getting the information and news out to those who do care, those are the ones that matter and that need mobilising. For what it's worth I think it's a great idea. If someone could put together a post summarising everything we know and post it there, then everyone else can descend and add their comments.

Yes, indeed, but there's only about 1400 people who do care, the overwhelming majority of them already know. Put a post on facebook appealing to wider community as already said, the wider community don't give a damn, that's plain simple honesty, they don't, a waste of time.

[TUST_Member_Rob]

If the borecast trio at the Herald wont do anything anyone on twitter could try;

https://x.com/mrandyphillips - Weston Morning News sports editor

https://x.com/brentpilnick - Sports reporter for BBC in the South West

or ask Herald editor Jim Parker - https://x.com/HEJimParker

[DevonYellow]

I don't get the downer on the Trust. It is, after all, the sum of its members.

If, as a member, you want it to do something, speak up (and through the correct channels, not just on here). Send an email to the chairman. If you're not a member, and you want it to do something, then join.

Personally, I don't think the Trust should get involved in organising demonstrations that are likely to turn ugly if comments made recently on here are any indication of an outcome. Who would take them seriously afterwards? Certainly not any grant-awarding organisations. It smacks to me of just finding someone else, anyone else, to blame in this mess: whining that the Trust did nothing while Rome burned.

I'm certain that Michael and his Trust board colleagues will not be doing nothing.

But as individuals it's down to you, too, to at least try to do something. It's down to all of us, whether Trust members or not.

Thing is the memebrs have not heard ANYTHING from them for weeks. Not a single e-mail or press release.