Ambition or Submission?

merse btpir · Post by **merse btpir** » 14 Jan 2018, 09:07

Southampton Gull wrote: ↑14 Jan 2018, 07:47
Precisely this. Despite my personal dislike of trusts I'd come to the conclusion that trust led community ownership was the only solution, however the response from those currently running TUST has shattered any miniscule hopes I had left that there was light at the end of the tunnel. I'm a born fighter but I'm not sure I can stomach any more of this. We don't have a club that is at the heart of the community like Portsmouth, Wrexham even Exeter save for a couple of thousand people with probably 20% of those being exiles.

The area is getting the club it deserves just as the area gets the political representation it votes in and will only get the club those that still yearn for it (only 1400 there yesterday) and the political representation that would not sell off the borough's family silver if this manifestation is reversed through public dissent leading to public action........

What percentage of the population of Torbay actually care about what happens to Plainmoor and therefore Torquay United?
What percentage of that population love the club enough to go and support it?
What percentage of that percentage are actually aware of Clarke Osborne's business method and ambition to procure the freehold?
What percentage of the support actually subscribe to and belong to the trust?
What percentage of them are prepared to be 'active'?
What percentage of those on here are more inclined to throw personal abuse and innuendo the way of someone who tells it as it is and would rather do that over social niceties?

Ask yourself all these questions and you might just realise why the club is dying from apathy, vulnerable to predators; and even worse currently reliant on a predator to provide the lifeblood of finance even to keep it in business for another month.

The club has had great days under Eric Webber and Frank O'Farrell, and good days under Cyril Knowles, Kevin Hodges, Leroy and Paul Buckle as a contributor on TFF reminds readers this morning, but those days have gone as he so correctly says and look far less likely to return because of the above factors I list.

The past has been reliant on benevolence, the present is not benevolence but predatory business practice and the future will see the end of the club unless there is an immediate public awakening and extreme pressure put on the tame and reliant local media to paint the picture as it really is and not in the image that the local politicians, the predator and the ambivalent fools who present the Torquay United news to the public are publicly shamed and set upon by more than a 'keyboard warrior' from over two hundred miles away who has had a life of love and active support for this football club.

When Torquay United die I will just be an ageing fan spending the rest of my life remembering the days when we had a great little club to support and drawing comfort from that. I will have plenty of satisfactory local football to remain interested in becasue of my place of residence. What will YOU have ~ especially if you are local and one of those locals continuing to shout me down; trying to discredit the argument and continuing to pay lip service to recently failed management and a failed benefactor and her well intentioned but ultimately failed successors?

Everybody has got to join the trust; support the trust from within and thus determine it's policies and demand that the trust is far more active, provocative and actually begins the journey towards community ownership becasue falling short of any of that is kissing the club goodbye!

Post by **Southampton Gull** » 14 Jan 2018, 09:07

What I saw yesterday Phil felt like being hit in the face with a baseball bat and I know that feeling only too well.

Apathy, dejection, hopelessness, it was all on display yesterday. The most shocking thing of all though was the ridiculous response of those running TUST. To not engage fans on a match day is incompetence of the highest order and if anyone tries telling me that these people are the ones we need to be supporting then they're as stupid as I am for changing the views of a lifetime and considering committing mentally and financially to TUST.

I left devastated and it felt like the longest 2 hours of my life driving home. I won't be setting foot inside Plainmoor again until Osborne, Harrop and Owers are gone, or I decide to buy a house on Plainmoor Heights where there used to be a club ingrained on my heart and soul.

westyorkshiregull · Post by **westyorkshiregull** » 14 Jan 2018, 09:31

Perhaps it would help ofbthe trust had a locked thread at the top of the forum. Telling you how to join and updates on there. If the trust is too succeed it's needs to be really pushed in front of people's faces. It's embarrassing really for me as sat on sofa in the heart of west Yorkshire what I'm doing ? Nothing is the answer but hell i want too.
Leaflets being handed out at every corner of ground would be good.

Matt Gorman · Post by **Matt Gorman** » 14 Jan 2018, 09:40

*FAO Dave / Southamption Gull*

Morning Dave

I have just sent you (or thought I had anyway!) a private e-mail..I just wanted to make sure you have received it as it is not showing in my sent messages

Thanks

Matt Gorman

westyorkshiregull · Post by **westyorkshiregull** » 14 Jan 2018, 09:45

Ok well ive just paid my annual fee on the tust. So that's step 1 for me and now need to do more. Merse is right if we care we need to do more. I do think of we get a home gate of around 1500 then with the exiles and also people can't make it through work ect. Maybe can't afford some people or have just been out off. But there is enough people that care. It's what they do.
Remember the JFK quote ~ one person can make a difference and everyone should try

Yorkieandy · Post by **Yorkieandy** » 14 Jan 2018, 09:51

Thing with your last statement though Westie is that it's TUFC. When some people do try they either don't get backed, get abuse, get criticised, get ridiculed etc etc. I cannot envisage a time in the future where just about every Torquay fan will be able to come together for one common goal (as Merse and Dave SG did on here) and be able to work together and support each other for the saviour of TUFC because personal vendetta's and dislikes will always get in the way.

Each and every one of us has to bury the hatchet (not in any of us!

) and put aside petty differences and personality differences and work together. A clean slate.

If this cannot be done then there is absolutely no hope of a future.

alitufc · Post by **alitufc** » 14 Jan 2018, 10:02

Thank you westyorkshiregull, we do appreciate your membership. I see Matt has emailed Dave/Southampton Gull regarding his concerns. I could spend all day putting forward my personal views in response to comments such as we are incompetent. I would love for the TUST to be visible all over the ground and handing out leaflets. There is simply not enough people who are willing to commit their time. I am hoping this is changing. I personally cannot get to the game till well after 2pm. Aargh it is so frustrating. Thank you once again for your membership. Ali Bryant.

westyorkshiregull · Post by **westyorkshiregull** » 14 Jan 2018, 10:05

Agree Yorkie...we need a common coming together. I've joined the tust today and I urge everyone else too. Would a leaflet hangout at next match really be so hard !!! I will chip in money for it make no mistake. I can't hand them out as I'm 300 miles away with work commitments. But I'll do what I can

westyorkshiregull · Post by **westyorkshiregull** » 14 Jan 2018, 10:08

alitufc wrote: ↑14 Jan 2018, 10:02 Thank you westyorkshiregull, we do appreciate your membership. I see Matt has emailed Dave/Southampton Gull regarding his concerns. I could spend all day putting forward my personal views in response to comments such as we are incompetent. I would love for the TUST to be visible all over the ground and handing out leaflets. There is simply not enough people who are willing to commit their time. I am hoping this is changing. I personally cannot get to the game till well after 2pm. Aargh it is so frustrating. Thank you once again for your membership. Ali Bryant.

Your welcome

Right now we need the best brains on here to draft a leaflet. It would have to be factual. Perhaps it could be under the banner of the forum and also endorse the tust and benefits of it

Come on gulls let do something practical all this talk now is getting us no where

Yorkieandy · Post by **Yorkieandy** » 14 Jan 2018, 10:13

That's why I put forward a suggestion of forming a northern based Gulls supporters trust whereby Gulls who go to most away games in the north / midlands can be there distributing leaflets, canvassing for trust membership, hanging out banners and flags with pro trust messages, singing songs with similar messages amongst other things. Another group to bring fans closer together and proactive, especially the exiled ones who live in other parts of the UK.

Like survival for TUFC though, that ship has already sailed as with regional football next season, much of the northern away contingent will not be able to get to hardly any games I wouldn't have thought.

Ali makes a great point. People want others to do things for them but they aren't prepared to give up any of their precious time to help. That's the issue. When the club goes tits up then it's somebody else's fault. Myself included. I haven't joined the trust a bit because of the reasons Dave put forward but like Jerry says correctly in another thread, at least if you join it encourages others to join when they see more people are joining. People are like sheep mostly unless you have a neurological difference like I have :~D therefore theoretically it should be easy to recruit members. People don't want to miss out so they join the gang. This hasn't happened with TUST I think due to the lack of information and marketing but again, due to lack of helpers.

I haven't been able to help in any way really other than annoying people on here about GI and hoping more fans will wake up quicker. I can't say I've helped but that's not to say that we can't all start over, refresh and see how we can all move forward by utilising everyone willing to help including the ones that live away from Torquay.

It's not about what's gone before. It's about now and what is to come.

Plainmoor78 · Post by **Plainmoor78** » 14 Jan 2018, 10:15

If TUST wanted to hand out leaflets in the ground or campaign they would need the clubs permission and I doubt that would be forthcoming. Also handing out leaflets near the ground might lead to legal action by the club.

westyorkshiregull · Post by **westyorkshiregull** » 14 Jan 2018, 10:16

Agree yorkie

I would say we just need to get the ball rolling at next home game myself.

This leaflet can just be a letter stating what we talk about on here.
There are people who don't follow events like we do

Must reach out

Yorkieandy · Post by **Yorkieandy** » 14 Jan 2018, 10:18

Plainmoor78 wrote: ↑14 Jan 2018, 10:15 If TUST wanted to hand out leaflets in the ground or campaign they would need the clubs permission and I doubt that would be forthcoming. Also handing out leaflets near the ground might lead to legal action by the club.

I can't see how they can enforce a ban on handing out leaflets in streets away from Plainmoor but i'm not a legal expert so wouldn't know. Be a bit odd though. I mean they own the football club but not the streets surrounding. Interesting point though and I think there are many ways around this.

westyorkshiregull · Post by **westyorkshiregull** » 14 Jan 2018, 10:27

Plainmoor78 wrote: ↑14 Jan 2018, 10:15 If TUST wanted to hand out leaflets in the ground or campaign they would need the clubs permission and I doubt that would be forthcoming. Also handing out leaflets near the ground might lead to legal action by the club.

Near the ground no chance. It's not north korea

alitufc · Post by **alitufc** » 14 Jan 2018, 10:33

My understanding is that to hand out leaflets on the street TUST needs permission from the council. This is being checked out.

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