Do the fans count?

[Richinns]

It would seem not.

Forster or Hughes were the fans choice.

So what do the board do? Appoint someone who had an epic fail at one of the biggest clubs in the BSP.

Thanks - you really represent us well don't you.

[hector]

It would seem not.

Forster or Hughes were the fans choice.

So what do the board do? Appoint someone who had an epic fail at one of the biggest clubs in the BSP.

Thanks - you really represent us well don't you.

Obviously they are party to things we are not, during the interview process but they are privvy to the same as us when veiwing someone's managerial record. If he cannot manage Cambridge in the BSP, what makes them think he is going to do anything other than struggle with us in League 2. terrible appointment.

[andygull]

No, the club doesn't give a shit about the fans, the same as about 99% of other clubs around the country. I just find it staggering the number of cock ups and abysmal decision making by the club on a regular basis and they expect the fans to pay up and shut up. People have berated me on this site for always slagging things off but i would like to be able to say, ' Yes, Baraclough / Hargreaves / Hughes is our new manager, what an exciting appointment' and i reckon most gulls would agree with me. Instead its Martin Ling, who most aren't happy about, i'm not on my own there. I'd like to be able to say, 'Yes, i love the new shirt design because it was designed by a fan and i voted for it / it was designed by sombody who isn't registered blind ' but i cannot. The shirt is dreadful. The availabilty of the shirt has been a **** up from start to finish, not to mention ticket fiascos and players leaving plus the whole mess of Bucks leaving and signing our players as though it wasn't a problem!! The club just really get on my tits sometimes and it makes me wonder why i continue to spend hard earned money on TUFC when we are treated like this all the time.

[brucie]

Here Here - I finally gave up attending regularly last year as shelling out my hard earnt cash just didn't make sense. Picked my games instead. I probably won't attend at all this year. This is a piss take.

[honkytonkconk]

Yeah because all the board want is for the club to fall into decline and get relegated. The last thing they want is for us to be successful. Stop your whining and give the man a chance

[gullintwoplaces]

In short, no, not in any way, never, not ever, not on any day of the week, any week of the year, any year of the century.

[andygull]

The club must love fans like you. They can do and treat you how they like and you are happy to absorb it and laugh it off. You don't question anything, just turn up pay your money and its all great because if the club were ever in a state of financial ruin because they couldn't find their arse with both hands, then you my friend would be only to happy to help them out with some money to help keep the club afloat whilst just accepting that thats how it is.

[miltonkeynesgull]

The fans never have, and never will, influence whois appointed as manager at any club in the land. Although they have given us plenty of reasons to doubt them, you have to trust that the board know more about appointing managers than fans do. Otherwise we'd have ended up with Chris Hargreaves and Alex Russell. I'm as underwhelmed as everyone else on this one, but I think we're going to just have to trust the board that they've made the correct call.

[honkytonkconk]

I love the club and trust the board it's as simple as that. Where would we be right now without them?

[andygull]

With respect Miltonkeynesgull, what would have been wrong with Hargreaves and Russell, despite inexperience.

[stevegull]

Yeah because all the board want is for the club to fall into decline and get relegated. The last thing they want is for us to be successful. Stop your whining and give the man a chance

It is genuniely shocking at the amount of fans who have immediately turned on our new boss and think that the board are a bunch of idiots! Try judging the board's decision after some time at least. We are like an hour in to this guys reign and he seems to have most corners of the ground against him. That's not a great way of supporting your club! GET BEHIND THE TEAM!

[miltonkeynesgull]

With respect Miltonkeynesgull, what would have been wrong with Hargreaves and Russell, despite inexperience.

Exactly that Andy. I love them both, and they may well have been a real success, but you'd have to admit with the club in it's current state (e.g squad needs rebuilding, no backroom staff, and little in the way of funds) it would have been an unnecessary risk putting the club in the hands of two complete novices. Like I said, I'm hardly thrilled to bits with Ling, but the fans rightly don't have any say in who the manager should be (unless you're part of that weird Ebbsfleet ownership website, and we saw how that turned out!).

[andygull]

I love the club and trust the board it's as simple as that. Where would we be right now without them?

I don't doubt that but all i'm saying is if we never make decisions as individuals about things then we just follow along like sheep and every individual is different. You may be happy simply because you have a club to support and thats fine, i too am happy to have a club to support, but if my support is not welcomed or being abused in some way then i have a right to take issue and either not go to games or not spend my money on anything Torquay. I also have a right ( like customers do when they are filling in questionnaires about the service they have received from a particular company ) to say what i feel and to let them know. Us fans often don't know what is best, but sometimes the board don't know either. Like in the appointment of Martin Ling.

[andygull]

Exactly that Andy. I love them both, and they may well have been a real success, but you'd have to admit with the club in it's current state (e.g squad needs rebuilding, no backroom staff, and little in the way of funds) it would have been an unnecessary risk putting the club in the hands of two complete novices. Like I said, I'm hardly thrilled to bits with Ling, but the fans rightly don't have any say in who the manager should be (unless you're part of that weird Ebbsfleet ownership website, and we saw how that turned out!).

Cheers MKGULL. I would probably though on the face of it rather have an inexperienced guy ( a lot of you wanted Forster ) than a guy like Ling who IS experienced but has failed at our level and below.

[Sexy_Gulls]

No they dont, most fans think they know everything about the game but in reality they don't. (Myself included)
Listen to any football phone in and some twerp is outlining his tactical masterplan for England in the next world cup.
"Play Rooney in the hole!!" Thanks for that, someone pass it on to Cappello.
Most fans are incredibly blinkered as well. Just look at all the calls for Hargreaves to be our manager, despite any evidence that he'd be good at it. But he's a Torquay legend so go figure. Bring Sills back!

Football clubs are businesses and are run as such, we fans are treated as customers and all boards will come up with a plan that involves getting as much money from us as possible. Just as a shop sets it's prices as high as it can get away with. Yeah I'll have a moan at what the club is up to and I'll slate the manager from the stands if I think he's got it wrong, but really I know that it makes little difference. Besides anyone actually think that all those pathetic Liverpool protests against Hicks and Gillett, where they marched from the pub they'd be in anyway to the game they would be attending anyway, had any affect on the situation?