New Kit New Sponsor !

[Nick Potkins]

While I remain unsure of the home shirt, the away shirt works for me and looks great. Having said that, my two children, in their mid twenties love them both. So maybe it is a generational thing.

Further, if we win the league who cares

[knightmaregull]

I'm a fan of having sponsors back, even if they're not the usual commercial ones. Helps give kits an identity / link to an era for me.

I do wonder whether the local focus is part of Clarke's endeavours to win favour with the esteemed local council though as part of the grand development plans.

[Brewers boy]

No shirt looks good just hanging off a coathanger. Why didn't the club get one or several of the players to model it. Why don't we have a background board with all the main sponsors logo's or names on like they do on sky or MOTD.

[Dave]

I never buy an away shirt, usually every so often I'd buy a new home shirt, due one this season, however, have no intention of parting with my money for this kit, so Brucie or anyone else reading, trust me already over it.

As said in my first post, yes, no one will care whether they like the kit or not, soon enough, totally agree on that point.

The real point I was making, there's a bigger picture in play here, the point ignored it's about the club relationship with it's fans, you only have to look 20 minutes north of here, to see a club with a great relationship with it's fans go from strength to strength, pains me to say it, but it's true, while ours falls apart.

As said just imagine what could have been achieved if the club had engaged with the fans over it's kit design, get rid of those white skid marks that doesn't go, or make sense, even if they'd have been wider apart and blue, might have worked.

As for the club attempts to spin with all this international interest, yep, for all the wrong reasons.

Never ceases to amaze me, those who choose to downplay everything, those who say, it's only a shirt, are the same who put forward the player budget as an excuse for our, totally avoidable relegation.

As any club with a good relationship with it's fans, can experience higher attendances regardless of results, higher attendances lead to greater pre and post match sales in the club bars, can lead to greater merchandising sales, which in return all lead to a potentially higher player budget.

Clubs with a good relationship with thier fans can see traction, in boost the player budget campaigns.

Those charged with running our once great club, need to remove their collective heads from what holes they're stuck in right now, and get grips with this.

From those I know personally, who I've spoken to over close, half have not renewed their season tickets, a close friend so appalled by how he felt treated by the club, has withdrawn his player sponsorship, not renewed his season ticket, also no longer intends to drink pre and post match in the gulls nest stating, he'd rather spend his money where he was made to feel welcome.

[desperado]

You'll have to expand on that, on how appalled your friend was at being treated by the club ?
Sorry if I am being thick or not with the facts but in what way is our relationship with the fans so dreadful and Exeter's so wonderful ?
Because we weren't consulted over the shirt design !?

[Dave]

Well, when I referred to my friend withdrawing his player sponsorship, thought that might give a clue, other personal reasons are not for me to say, maybe the fact that a fan since the 1970s is feeling that way should be alarming in its self.

Christ do you have put me through the pain of posting you a list, information these days, is sent straight to us, unsolicited on social media.

They have regular live streamed fans forum from SJP, we have an owner who doesn't do statements, we have local board of which one will blank you, if you dare ask a vaguely critical question, the other will be rude, see it in person.

They have party in the park, free event to all, with music, supported by Crealy on a Sunday , we'll have a season ticket holder event only during the week where most can't attend.

They have a fan zone at the ground, we have cashless turnstiles, but hey can pay a £2 surcharge on match days if you que up by the swimming pool.

Their social media is full of content such as life's a pitch, cooking demonstrations, ours is contains well gaffer if we hadn't given away that penalty, we might have got point today.

Their squad did a park run, sure ours were doing
something.

Their doing stadium tours, we're doing? I don't know.

They did a kit out cliff campaign, to help raise money for state art training equipment, we're doing? I don't know.

Their winning new fans, we're doing? I don't know

Much as I can't stand that club, their getting everything right, now light years ahead of us.

While little or no information comes out of our club, little or no fan engagement, and half our fanbase have closed eyes. Never mind, we've already won the league, so all will be OK.

[DevonBee]

absolutely spot on Dave

Sadly they are miles ahead of us in every aspect.
And now 3 divisions higher which is mighty hard to take

Well, when I referred to my friend withdrawing his player sponsorship, thought that might give a clue, other personal reasons are not for me to say, maybe the fact that a fan since the 1970s is feeling that way should be alarming in its self.

Christ do you have put me through the pain of posting you a list, information these days, is sent straight to us, unsolicited on social media.

They have regular live streamed fans forum from SJP, we have an owner who doesn't do statements, we have local board of which one will blank you, if you dare ask a vaguely critical question, the other will be rude, see it in person.

They have party in the park, free event to all, with music, supported by Crealy on a Sunday , we'll have a season ticket holder event only during the week where most can't attend.

They have a fan zone at the ground, we have cashless turnstiles, but hey can pay a £2 surcharge on match days if you que up by the swimming pool.

Their social media is full of content such as life's a pitch, cooking demonstrations, ours is contains well gaffer if we hadn't given away that penalty, we might have got point today.

Their squad did a park run, sure ours were doing
something.

Their doing stadium tours, we're doing? I don't know.

They did a kit out cliff campaign, to help raise money for state art training equipment, we're doing? I don't know.

Their winning new fans, we're doing? I don't know

Much as I can't stand that club, their getting everything right, now light years ahead of us.

While little or no information comes out of our club, little or no fan engagement, and half our fanbase have closed eyes. Never mind, we've already won the league, so all will be OK.

[Southampton Gull]

Well, when I referred to my friend withdrawing his player sponsorship, thought that might give a clue, other personal reasons are not for me to say, maybe the fact that a fan since the 1970s is feeling that way should be alarming in its self.

Christ do you have put me through the pain of posting you a list, information these days, is sent straight to us, unsolicited on social media.

They have regular live streamed fans forum from SJP, we have an owner who doesn't do statements, we have local board of which one will blank you, if you dare ask a vaguely critical question, the other will be rude, see it in person.

They have party in the park, free event to all, with music, supported by Crealy on a Sunday , we'll have a season ticket holder event only during the week where most can't attend.

They have a fan zone at the ground, we have cashless turnstiles, but hey can pay a £2 surcharge on match days if you que up by the swimming pool.

Their social media is full of content such as life's a pitch, cooking demonstrations, ours is contains well gaffer if we hadn't given away that penalty, we might have got point today.

Their squad did a park run, sure ours were doing
something.

Their doing stadium tours, we're doing? I don't know.

They did a kit out cliff campaign, to help raise money for state art training equipment, we're doing? I don't know.

Their winning new fans, we're doing? I don't know

Much as I can't stand that club, their getting everything right, now light years ahead of us.

While little or no information comes out of our club, little or no fan engagement, and half our fanbase have closed eyes. Never mind, we've already won the league, so all will be OK.

All very valid points but what exactly do you expect when we have Clarke Osborne as an owner of the club?

It's ok saying we would have no club if he hadn't stepped in but there was an interested party who ran a mile once he knew of the hold Osborne had over the previous owners. How he got that hold over them was very questionable along with the actions of a certain someone in a position to allow it to happen. While Osborne pulls the strings us fans will have to get used to the notion that we just don't factor into their concerns. You can't liken us to Exeter because they are a totally different entity to us and the people making decisions are fans of their club unlike Osborne who probably prefers polo to football.

One day I hope we have a club meeting all the criteria you set out above and from my own perspective I really don't care what level we find ourselves at when it happens. Right now our Club is toxic, from fans to the very top.

[DWB]

Well, when I referred to my friend withdrawing his player sponsorship, thought that might give a clue, other personal reasons are not for me to say, maybe the fact that a fan since the 1970s is feeling that way should be alarming in its self.

Christ do you have put me through the pain of posting you a list, information these days, is sent straight to us, unsolicited on social media.

They have regular live streamed fans forum from SJP, we have an owner who doesn't do statements, we have local board of which one will blank you, if you dare ask a vaguely critical question, the other will be rude, see it in person.

They have party in the park, free event to all, with music, supported by Crealy on a Sunday , we'll have a season ticket holder event only during the week where most can't attend.

They have a fan zone at the ground, we have cashless turnstiles, but hey can pay a £2 surcharge on match days if you que up by the swimming pool.

Their social media is full of content such as life's a pitch, cooking demonstrations, ours is contains well gaffer if we hadn't given away that penalty, we might have got point today.

Their squad did a park run, sure ours were doing
something.

Their doing stadium tours, we're doing? I don't know.

They did a kit out cliff campaign, to help raise money for state art training equipment, we're doing? I don't know.

Their winning new fans, we're doing? I don't know

Much as I can't stand that club, their getting everything right, now light years ahead of us.

While little or no information comes out of our club, little or no fan engagement, and half our fanbase have closed eyes. Never mind, we've already won the league, so all will be OK.

Spot on Dave, I too was a fan for many years. I now live in Exeter but until the beginning of last season I supported the gulls by buying a season ticket and constantly drove down the A380 in support of ‘my team’. But unfortunately I became totally disappointed and disillusioned by the way the club was being run and I am now a season ticket holder at SJP where the fans are treated as such and the match day experience is so much more enjoyable. I know it helps to have a fairly successful team to support but that starts from the top down and I just can’t see that at Torquay. I am the same age as Gary Johnson and listening to his post match comments is the same old every time. I do think that they need to recruit a younger, energetic forward thinking coach and until that happens it will be de ja vue.
It pains me to have to post this but this is how I see it. Yes Torquay may well win the NLS or get promoted next season but that will only be covering over the cracks.
Sorry guys but this is how I see it!
P.S before people start saying “how on earth could you” I am a supporter of the football club of a place I now call home.

[Dave]

Sorry guys but this is how I see it!
P.S before people start saying “how on earth could you” I am a supporter of the football club of a place I now call home.

Unfortunately we have to be honest with our opinions, and tell it just how we perceive it to be . I could never contemplate going to support another club, but understand why you've opted to watch football where you live.

Personally never will give up on TUFC, however, for the moment, will divide my time equally between, going to TUFC, watching Ipplepen 1st team, and my passion for walking.

[Dave]

All very valid points but what exactly do you expect when we have Clarke Osborne as an owner of the club?

It's ok saying we would have no club if he hadn't stepped in but there was an interested party who ran a mile once he knew of the hold Osborne had over the previous owners. How he got that hold over them was very questionable along with the actions of a certain someone in a position to allow it to happen. While Osborne pulls the strings us fans will have to get used to the notion that we just don't factor into their concerns. You can't liken us to Exeter because they are a totally different entity to us and the people making decisions are fans of their club unlike Osborne who probably prefers polo to football.

One day I hope we have a club meeting all the criteria you set out above and from my own perspective I really don't care what level we find ourselves at when it happens. Right now our Club is toxic, from fans to the very top.

The best analogy I can come up with here is, if you shop at a budget retailer your not getting high end service, but you'd expect the very basic aspects of customer service and satisfaction to be delivered, no, we're never getting high end from CO , however football is an entertainment led business now, and my scenario 1 of continued ownership by CO, I'd expect the very basic standards of an entertainment led business to be met, TUFC isn't ticking any boxes on basics standards at all, is this deliberate, I don't know, however, even as the club stands now, with the ownership we have, our club can do so, so much better.

When you say; It's ok saying we would have no club if he hadn't stepped in Being honest, this was my opinion, and I posted across various platforms on many occasion, however, when you say our club is toxic, agreed, it is, from top to bottom, from side to side, my view point and opinion is beginning to change on this.

That brings me to my second scenario, TUFC becoming a fan/community owned club ourselves, yes in one sense this would be madness, because as a fan owned club, we could NOT sustain even NLS football, we'd have to start again from what ever level, we as a club could fit in to, I truly understand all the implications of that.

If there was such a thing as a community share issue in a Phoenix Torquay, I would happily buy £100+ worth , some would buy less, some more, along with local business that might get involved, TUST, etc sure there would be plenty of tradesman, and volunteers to help out, not even sure such a project would work to be fair, but if it did, regardless of what level we'd fall to, we'd have a totally clean, toxic free fan owned club, with potential community backing, could even attract lost TUFC fans back to the fold.

[Southampton Gull]

I don't disagree with any of the points you make but unfortunately despite the rose tinted fans of CO we'll never get the type of club we both want while he remains in control, previous history proves that over and over.

I don't pretend to know the answer to how we get our club treating fans the way they should but I'd match your commitment £ for £ to achieve it and I see no reason why we couldn't at least hold a fan owned club at NLS level, I'd prefer that to what we have now which feels like a club being allowed to die a slow death off the pitch while being slightly teased by promises of success on the pitch. I know you think Johnson should have gone and this is where we disagree. Let's see how next season goes before deciding which one of us is right. That aside it seems we both want the same things of our club although I do like that new shirt

[desperado]

Well thanks for explaining all that, sorry to put you to all that trouble
I don't read stuff about Exeter City so didn't know what they did and don't care.
I guess I'm an old fashioned fan, I drive to the game, hope to see a win and drive home.
I'm not interested in a match day experience or parties in the park or cooking demonstrations but if people have experienced rudeness from board members that's not acceptable. I think saying the club is
'toxic' from top to bottom is a bit over the top though !

[Southampton Gull]

Spot on Dave, I too was a fan for many years. I now live in Exeter but until the beginning of last season I supported the gulls by buying a season ticket and constantly drove down the A380 in support of ‘my team’. But unfortunately I became totally disappointed and disillusioned by the way the club was being run and I am now a season ticket holder at SJP where the fans are treated as such and the match day experience is so much more enjoyable. I know it helps to have a fairly successful team to support but that starts from the top down and I just can’t see that at Torquay. I am the same age as Gary Johnson and listening to his post match comments is the same old every time. I do think that they need to recruit a younger, energetic forward thinking coach and until that happens it will be de ja vue.
It pains me to have to post this but this is how I see it. Yes Torquay may well win the NLS or get promoted next season but that will only be covering over the cracks.
Sorry guys but this is how I see it!
P.S before people start saying “how on earth could you” I am a supporter of the football club of a place I now call home.

How could you? I just couldn't, never!

[jono_Gull209]

Agreed