Clarke Osborne says 'I'm not Genghis Khan'

[Richinns]

Exclusive in the HE today:
http://www.devonlive.com/exclusive-big- ... story.html

As a fan' petition to fight a sale of Plainmoor tops 5,000 signatures, Torquay United's new owner Clarke Osborne has dismissed a suggestion that landlords Torbay Council might do a cosy deal for the Gulls' home with his Gaming International company.

In an exclusive interview with the Herald Express, Osborne has responded to a wide range of criticism which has engulfed his regime since GI took over just before Christmas.

Osborne urges all Gulls fans to unite behind player-manager Kevin Nicholson and his team for Saturday's 'must win' final National League game of the season against North Ferriby United at Plainmoor.

But Osborne repeats that he will never move United out of Plainmoor before a new stadium is built, admits his regret that he and GI 'were not open enough with our supporters from day one' and insists that producing 'a winning team' comes before GI's long-term off-field ambitions.

He also reveals he has been 'deflated' by the personal nature of some criticism and stresses: "I am not 'Genghis Khan'".

Osborne said: "I can absolutely understand that supporters may be concerned and even sceptical. After all, who am I in their eyes?

"I do understand the emotional attachment, the history and people's connection with Plainmoor.

"But by no measure in today's world can the stadium stand up in a position for a sustainable League football club. It can't.

"It is going to take a while, but a new stadium is a cornerstone of the club's future, not because it might look good, but for all the people who will come to it and create new revenues there.

"All I can do is reassure everyone again that the club will only move from Plainmoor after a new stadium is built.

"It cannot be any other way.

"And do you think that the Council and the Mayor will just say: 'Yes fine, go ahead Clarke – off you go and help yourself'? No, of course not."

The next Council discussion on whether or not to sell Plainmoor has been put back to July 24.

In answer to criticism that GI have received over a new speedway stadium they are building at Swindon, Osborne said: "We did not close one operation there before the other is built.

"It's a big development, and the delays have mostly been down to technical matters of drainage, not the speedway track but to the whole site, which is massive.

"The new stadium is already half-constructed, and it rests in South Wales in huge packs – it all bolts together, as these things are constructed these days, and once it's on site, it's built in a matter of weeks.

"It's been hugely frustrating and expensive, and I should know because I'm the guy who writes the cheques."

Osborne went on: "If you read some of the stuff going round, you would think I am Genghis Khan.

"On a personal level, when people put things out which are just not true or are particularly vociferous, it makes you feel a bit deflated.

"But am I in any way anti-some of the headlines? No, I am not.

"Am I against that crazy article in a national newspaper (Observer/Guardian Online)? Actually, I am not. The last thing we want is for nobody to talk about the club.

"If there is speculation and rumour, it's because people feel they have something to say – brilliant. That's exactly where it should be.

"We live in this age where social media and the internet is there, and it does a lot of good.

"This football club, like any public-facing organisation, is going to live on that.

"But the other side is that it's possibly easy to create rumour and for that to spread very easily."

Osborne admitted: "When we did take over, things happened very quickly – and they had to in order for the club to survive at all.

"We didn't know everything and everybody, and I regret that we didn't have time to really open ourselves up and say all that we wanted to say to the supporters and the public at large.

"A lot of what we are facing now comes from the fact that we couldn't really present ourselves properly from day one. I regret that.

"But that's where it is and we've got to deal with it. We will redress that, and I hope that we will end up with the confidence of all the supporters of the club."

United, in conjunction with the Herald Express, is about to launch a Fans' Consultation Survey next week, when supporters will be asked their views on many issues affecting the club.

Osborne said: "We are very keen for people to engage with that, and it will hopefully shape the future of the club in lots of areas.

"But I have said it before – what I want for the club first is just what everybody wants, a winning team.

"We are working hard to rebuild the infrastructure of the club, including a new youth scheme, but none of that will detract from our drive to get where we want the first team to be.

"So the overriding priority now is for us all to help beat North Ferriby on Saturday and get over that line.

"We are already forward planning in all areas, but we'll get down to the details of that process after Saturday."

[torregull]

Couldn't present themselves properly from day-one? Difficult when you've got the track record GI have regarding Stadium development/non-development.Osborne never addresses his past record of not delivering and the damage they've caused to a number of other sports clubs ,which is the underlining reason for such mistrust as far as his ownership of TUFC is concerned.

[Southampton Gull]

Dave Thomas acting as GI's personal press officer. No need to question where his loyalty lays.

[GullatPlainmoor]

He still dosen't get or apologise/expalin for his biggest mistake so far......NOT funding a couple of players before the transfer/loan deadline.
Apologies for not communicating with supporters on takeover, yeah well whatever BUT you Osborne, FAILED to provide (a pittance to you) a small amount of funds for a month that would have helped enormously for our survival. That was the final straw for the many that were giving you a chance. You showed your true colours by no action. Now lets have an explanation and an apology for that please.

[Wraysburygull]

I think he has been put well and truly shocked by the reaction of fans and general public. Also the team and management who have somehow kept things going against ridiculous odds,all credit to them. The focus needs to really kick in after Saturday and GI watched like hawks. I reckon they thought this would be an easy little project for them, but they have hit a nerve and had no idea what this club means to do many!

[standupsitdown]

So does he think we'll trust GI now they've put this piece in the paper?
I don't think most of us are that gullible.

[standupsitdown]

As the HE seems unwilling to publicise the fans' concerns can I suggest again that we put these in comments to the articles, so at least readers aren't reading only what GI want them to see. Someone has to put the other side and it's a shame that the local newspaper seem so reluctant to show balance.

[westyorkshiregull]

Who is Genghis khan

[Lloyder5]

Genghis Khan, born Temüjin, was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death. He came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia.

In terms of CO building stadia, may Genghis Can't is more appropriate...

[merse btpir]

Who is Genghis khan

Ghengis Khan'ts cousin!

So Clarke Osborne goes on a belated charm offensive and uses the Herald Express as his publicity conduit ~ the very same Herald Express that has lost credibility as an authentic seeker and teller of truth; that invites ridicule for it's ambivalent and cosy approach to the manner in which Torquay United now conducts itself, failing to keep it's most important stakeholders ~ the supporters ~ in the picture and rendering them fearful of the owners intent and plans for the future.

Why do Gaming International think over five and a half thousand people sign a petition calling on the Mayor not to put the freehold of Plainmoor up for grabs? Why do they think over four thousand will stream into the ground on Saturday anxious that the club doesn't drop off the cliff edge of national football into a regional abyss of their own making?

It's because they care for and love their football club. It is not a greyhound stadium, nor a speedway club. It is a football club; a community football club that is denying them the freedom of information, transparency and communication they were promised by the last board of directors who gradually denied that; handed the ownership on to you in secretive circumstances and you have come in with a terrible history of closing down sporting venues never again to see their sport carry on in the towns in which they stood.

You talk about 'Swindon' and how it's new stadium lays in a yard somewhere in Wales waiting to be bolted together. You tell us how whilst it lays there the old stadium carries on functioning; but you don't tell us about what happened at Reading and why they no longer have the speedway and greyhound racing they once had. You don't tell us about what happened at Milton Keynes or why greyhound racing never returned to Bristol once you sold Eastville off to build an IKEA.....and don't even get us started on Bristol Rovers!

People see strangers in the house, sitting in the directors box, wearing club scarves but never before known as TUFC fans. Who are they and why don't you make yourselves known? Wouldn't you find it rather strange to come home one evening and find strangers sitting in your living room, TV controller in hand and changing your channels? Today you say you understand the emotional attachment, the history and people's connection with Plainmoor. Well you haven't got off to a very good start in getting their support and confidence have you? Of course they are concerned and 'even sceptical' as you put it. 'Even' sceptical? More than sceptical Mr Osborne; downright suspicious and fearful if truth be told!

I am glad you recognise that the whole point of people speaking to the Guardian/Observer was to drag this out into the open and get people aware of what is happening at the club because that is exactly what it was meant to do, has done and will continue to do now. Torbay can be a very sleepy place at it's worst, inward looking and apathetic. Articles like the one to which we refer are the antidote to that and now there is widespread attention on your intentions.

You say you didn't know everything and everybody, and regret that you didn't have time to really open yourselves up and say all that you wanted to say to the supporters and the public at large. Is it any wonder then that others have opened up for you and engaged those very supporters? You say a lot of what you are facing now comes from the fact that you couldn't really present yourselves properly from day one. You regret that...why couldn't you? Why couldn't Dave Phillips and his board be the open and communicative body they said they would be when they came in? Why did he sit at a fans forum saying one thing and yet a few days later do another?

You want the confidence and support of the fans? well don't rely on the Herald Express to achieve that for you because they have no credibility beyond being reduced to a mere mouthpiece that doesn't ask the real questions and ignores the obvious fears and suspicions of the supporters. Do you think we ~ BTPIR & torquayfans.com don't want to see a safe and secure future for our football club? You think we want to wallow in this pool of non league nonentity we are currently in for any longer than is necessary? It's not at all about just staying at Plainmoor and not being able to function in the modern day and age; it's about the worries and fear of being exploited and ripped off for gain, of the carcase of our football club being discarded once it has fulfilled it's purpose for perceived predatory ownership. Show us that you really want this football club and not just it's football ground Mr Osborne!

[merse btpir]

I trust those who are not already barred from doing so, will bombard the Herald Express article with their own comments

[westyorkshiregull]

Well said merse

[Wraysburygull]

That's spot on, look forward to reading it again in the HE consultation survey
Did they not extend an invite to you for the game on Saturday in one of the TV pieces? That would be entertaining!

[merse btpir]

Did they not extend an invite to you for the game on Saturday in one of the TV pieces? That would be entertaining!

I will be at my youngest son's match in London on Saturday morning and then hurrying home to follow the game via BBC Radio Devon followed by a lunch of:

STARTERS
Garlic Mushrooms & Garnish
or
Homemade Vegetable Soup   
MAIN COURSE CARVERY
Locally Roasted Topside of Beef
or
Locally Roasted Turkey Breast
with Roast Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables & Trimmings   
SWEET
Mixed Berry Meringue Bomb
or
A Hat-Trick of Ice Cream 
or maybe make that sardines on toast with a takeaway Maccy D for Calvin!!

[Yorkieandy]

If you are going to build a new stadium Ozzy then frigging well get on with it! Why waste time 'reassuring' us in pointless media soundbites. Stop talking and start building. Then we might start having some respect and some apologies to make. Nothing else you can say will ever be enough. They are just words.