Potential Buyers

[Wolborough]

Suspect there are no other bidders?!

[Griff1n]

More than one interested party according to this statement from the club:-

https://torquayunited.com/supporter-update-28-03-24/

[brucie]

And they have put that out straight after the TUST went public. Strange....

[CP Gull]

And they have put that out straight after the TUST went public. Strange....

Absolutely. Hidden in amongst all the praise for the support of the fans there is that little “nugget”. Clearly in response to the TUST’s announcement today … but unlike with the TUST’s openness about those TUFC fans who are behind their bid …. we still have no clue as to who this other party is and what their plans are and who may, or may not, continue to be involved in the decision making at TUFC?

[Yeofan]

Wow

https://www.tust.co.uk/post/a-bright-yellow-future

Talks about a "sustainable model" , which I was decried for suggesting as possible .....

[culmstockgull]

Absolutely. Hidden in amongst all the praise for the support of the fans there is that little “nugget”. Clearly in response to the TUST’s announcement today … but unlike with the TUST’s openness about those TUFC fans who are behind their bid …. we still have no clue as to who this other party is and what their plans are and who may, or may not, continue to be involved in the decision making at TUFC?

Obviously there is a lot more to the situation than we are being told or can logically deduce with the amount of information we are receiving, the club today clearly stated there is more than one potential bidder but they are bound by non disclosure orders, fair enough, then the tust came out with their bid idea and even named their potential investors as if they are trying to force the issue or bring about a solution that is beneficial in their view on fan ownership of the club or maybe force the other bidders out of the woodwork.

[hector]

What we can tell from the club statement is that nothing has changed. The same resentment towards supporters and their representatives exists behind the “your club” nonsense they’ve been spouting whilst straining for our donations. They mention two “alternative” bids without saying alternative to what, as if we didn’t know. Just more gaslighting of TUST.

As exciting as the prospect of TUST being involved in the ownership is, I don’t think it will happen. Those at the club could not bear to see TUST in the boardroom and out of spite will scupper any deal. We are better off going into administration and letting administrators make the decision rather than Clarke Osborne and George Edwards.

[North Curry House]

I have grave doubts about the calibre of the TUST personnel, which are shared by real business people (past and present). It appears more about them than the club.

I question why a small minority of "fans" are in talks with potential owners and what right do they have to represent every other supporter - when were they elected? and by who? Certainly not me!

Sounds a great idea for fans to run a club BUT needs the proper people in charge, NOT the butcher, the baker, fish & chips shop worker, retired teacher and supermarket worker......None of whom I want representing me or my club.

Speaking to a top TUST member yesterday, he was mentioning the talks they are having with potential buyers, saying Edwards had wanted to get his hands on the cash donated to pay wages etc. He also said, when asked that he thought the club were "a couple of months" behind with HMRC payments, which would be a concern for me.

I hope the local man, made good can take over quickly and sort the club out......from top to bottom - on and off the pitch.

The sooner Osborne and the arrogant Edwards are jettisoned out of Plainmoor, the better.

[Stoneybroke]

Just listened to Nick Broderick on Radio Devon.

When asked about the future running of the club he said Torquay United cost about £100,000 a month to run at present, and this was not sustainable in the league they are currently in.

When asked if this meant the club would go part-time in future, his answer was well at the present its part-time or no club!!!

Sounds like they would only return to full-time when they returned to a higher level!!

So is this the answer?

[TUST_Official]

Morning North Curry, there are professionals sitting on the TUST board but it is a good mix of people that all bring something different to the table and work really well together as a team. If you look at the Exeter model, their trust appoints directors with the relevant skill set to run the club and in the event of a successful bid I would think we would do something very similar. This model has after all, taken them from the National League to league one.

[hector]

I have grave doubts about the calibre of the TUST personnel, which are shared by real business people (past and present). It appears more about them than the club.

I question why a small minority of "fans" are in talks with potential owners and what right do they have to represent every other supporter - when were they elected? and by who? Certainly not me!

Sounds a great idea for fans to run a club BUT needs the proper people in charge, NOT the butcher, the baker, fish & chips shop worker, retired teacher and supermarket worker......None of whom I want representing me or my club.

Speaking to a top TUST member yesterday, he was mentioning the talks they are having with potential buyers, saying Edwards had wanted to get his hands on the cash donated to pay wages etc. He also said, when asked that he thought the club were "a couple of months" behind with HMRC payments, which would be a concern for me.

I hope the local man, made good can take over quickly and sort the club out......from top to bottom - on and off the pitch.

The sooner Osborne and the arrogant Edwards are jettisoned out of Plainmoor, the better.

What right do they have? They are the elected officials of TUST. TUST is an organisation and as such is entitled to bid for control of the football club as much as anyone else is. TUST might be your only option or the shark that is Edwards might be the alternative. You’ve already alluded to misgivings about Edwards integrity.

And anyway, TUST have business people linked to their bid so to disparage them as well-meaning amateurs is unfair? What football club owner is an expert at owning a football club at this level and look at what being owned by “business people” has got us. I’ve no idea if someone like Jon Gibbes is involved in it, but if he was, he is a highly skilled accountant and a man of the utmost integrity who is passionate about Torquay United and other TUST officials are the same, whereas we know all about George Edwards don’t we?

[greb46]

Whatever transpires with whoever takes over can only be of benefit and the TUST have the clubs best interests at heart which is different from the previous/current incumbent.How refreshing at Easter to end the life of the one who tried his best to kill us off and hopefully soon have a rebirth with more promise.Happy Easter.

[Taelee73]

For goodness sake Yeofan, will you give it a rest. Nothing worse than an ‘I told you so’ post.

You alluded before you have lots of experience in fund raising, have you offered your services yet?
Maybe just enjoy your clubs success, or get them to reproduce the fantastic gesture Weymouth did for us.


Obviously the other interested party is Osbourne who must also be trying to get funding together and doesn’t want an alliance with TUST.

[numpte]

Interesting timing of the club statement but Edwards still involved is he? Fishing for the others to put up or shut up perhaps. At the very least it looks like there is an option to stay in this division combined with a couple more wins rather than phoenix and lower down.
They’re going to get £500 of my dosh at share issue and another £500 if they go the full 100%. Been a TUST member for years and know very little about the board or those involved but they are the ones that took action, got themselves organised, built the membership for just this event and I could care less what business acumen they have (because very likely they will have people from all walks of life) and I’ll take a punt to save our club. Maybe this will be the only serious bid but ill equally welcome no TUST involvement if it meant the club was still there.
Time to out your shoulder to the wheel skeptics!

[culmstockgull]

For goodness sake Yeofan, will you give it a rest. Nothing worse than an ‘I told you so’ post.

You alluded before you have lots of experience in fund raising, have you offered your services yet?
Maybe just enjoy your clubs success, or get them to reproduce the fantastic gesture Weymouth did for us.


Obviously the other interested party is Osbourne who must also be trying to get funding together and doesn’t want an alliance with TUST.

I do not see Osborne wanting anything more to do with the club in any shape or form, Edwards may be a diffeent story and while he is still in the directors chair has unique insight of any other bids and by whom.
The club up to now has had a deep seated antaganism towards the TUST for reasons I do not fully understand, yes they can probably play as dirty as osborne with unofficial briefings to councillors and MP,s but there are good reasons why the club kept the TUST at arms length and yesterday showed me one of those reasons, we have heard that the TUST along with several business people have lodged a bid for the club, as such they would have signed a non disclosre agreement after which they would have been given access to the clubs running costs and outstanding debts, yesterday Nick Broderick saw fit to break the first rule of non disclosure by stating the club costs a 100K a month to run., information he could only have got from the club.In the utopian world of many bidders that would have got the TUST disbarred from making any form of bid because they cannot be trusted.