Ambition (again)

[usagullmichigan]

Do we now have proof in the pudding that Torquay seem to have no ambition?

I have to admit it does seem that staying in the league this season is the goal. Is that ambitious?

[kingsgull]

Do we now have proof in the pudding that Torquay seem to have no ambition?

I have to admit it does seem that staying in the league this season is the goal. Is that ambitious?

with the money we are spending is just hopefull realism

[royalgull]

Define ambition. is it chucking a load of money we don't have at a load of players for a short term fix?

or is it rebuilding of the stadium/training facilities as well as restore youth football to try and hopefully in the long run produce our own players making the club sustainable?

There's only been talk on here that surviving is the aim, not anywhere else. i'm sure the board/management/players probably know a repeat of last year probably isn't likely. It was an excellent season above expectations, if we can get mid table around 12/13th place with the changes going on around the club we've had a great year.

Our board doesn't have some multi millionaire who isn't bothered about putting money in he'll never see again. They are local blokes probably with enough money to keep the club ticking over, while that's the case and while we get 1500 for home games you will not see Torquay chucking money at players left right and centre and thank God for that. It would be very easy for a club like ours to go bust.

[Jerry]

Define ambition. is it chucking a load of money we don't have at a load of players for a short term fix?

or is it rebuilding of the stadium/training facilities as well as restore youth football to try and hopefully in the long run produce our own players making the club sustainable?

There's only been talk on here that surviving is the aim, not anywhere else. i'm sure the board/management/players probably know a repeat of last year probably isn't likely. It was an excellent season above expectations, if we can get mid table around 12/13th place with the changes going on around the club we've had a great year.

Our board doesn't have some multi millionaire who isn't bothered about putting money in he'll never see again. They are local blokes probably with enough money to keep the club ticking over, while that's the case and while we get 1500 for home games you will not see Torquay chucking money at players left right and centre and thank God for that. It would be very easy for a club like ours to go bust.

Spot on!

Read this and thank your lucky stars we have the board we do:- http://www.twohundredpercent.net/?p=13622

[ferrarilover]

Define ambition. is it chucking a load of money we don't have at a load of players for a short term fix?

or is it rebuilding of the stadium/training facilities as well as restore youth football to try and hopefully in the long run produce our own players making the club sustainable?

There's only been talk on here that surviving is the aim, not anywhere else. i'm sure the board/management/players probably know a repeat of last year probably isn't likely. It was an excellent season above expectations, if we can get mid table around 12/13th place with the changes going on around the club we've had a great year.

Our board doesn't have some multi millionaire who isn't bothered about putting money in he'll never see again. They are local blokes probably with enough money to keep the club ticking over, while that's the case and while we get 1500 for home games you will not see Torquay chucking money at players left right and centre and thank God for that. It would be very easy for a club like ours to go bust.

Absolutely applaud this attitude

We all know the dangers of spunking a shed load of money you don't have in the hope that it will lead to success. The bare arsed fact is that only a small number of clubs can achieve promotion in any given year. If the number of clubs spending miles beyond their means in order to achieve this is greater than the number which can be promoted, then it is guaranteed that one or more clubs will be disappointed and it is almost certain that, if a club spends on the never never for more than, say, two seasons without success, they are right deep in the brown and smelly.

We will reap the benefits of our fiscal policy in 5 years time, when Rovers, Crawley, Bradford etc are all bankrupt and playing as AFC whatever in the Ryman 4th division.

No, we won't be making any great strides forward over the next year or two, but what we certainly won't be doing is taking that giant leap backwards into the Conference, a division from which I fear we would never re-emerge.

At the moment, with the way of the world and the way of football, success at Torquay United MUST be maintaining the status quo, avoiding relegation.

It's exactly the same principle as Muhammed Ali's famous 'Rope-a-Dope". Let the big hitters spend their way into L1 or oblivion, whichever somes first, then, when everything has calmed down, we will make our move. Let the world financial crisis blow over, let Torbay (sorry Troj) regenerate itself. Let salaries reach the point where 5000 people can afford to attend each week. Let the football authorities pull the plug on big spenders in order to preserve the game as we know and love it, then our time will come.

When the revolution comes, the meek shall inherit the earth, the same is true of football.

Matt.

[Plymgull]

I'm 23 years old and have supported Torquay since 1999, Despite living in Plymouth all my life (family got me into Torquay) i have plenty of friends in Torbay and one of the biggest reasons they give to me when i ask why they support premiershite rather than Torquay is because Torquay have no ambition and will never go anywhere...

Being a small club with an average of 2500(lower recently?) fans there are obvious limits to what we can achieve... but i have always felt that our club has always been satisfied with remaining in league two.

Personally i don't think we would ever get anywhere near the championship in my life time but i'd at least like us to get to league 1 and remain there this time, if this was to mean over spending and end up like Argyle though... then i'm more than happy with a mid table finish in league two.

[CP Gull]

Absolutely applaud this attitude

We all know the dangers of spunking a shed load of money you don't have in the hope that it will lead to success. The bare arsed fact is that only a small number of clubs can achieve promotion in any given year. If the number of clubs spending miles beyond their means in order to achieve this is greater than the number which can be promoted, then it is guaranteed that one or more clubs will be disappointed and it is almost certain that, if a club spends on the never never for more than, say, two seasons without success, they are right deep in the brown and smelly.

We will reap the benefits of our fiscal policy in 5 years time, when Rovers, Crawley, Bradford etc are all bankrupt and playing as AFC whatever in the Ryman 4th division.

No, we won't be making any great strides forward over the next year or two, but what we certainly won't be doing is taking that giant leap backwards into the Conference, a division from which I fear we would never re-emerge.

At the moment, with the way of the world and the way of football, success at Torquay United MUST be maintaining the status quo, avoiding relegation.

It's exactly the same principle as Muhammed Ali's famous 'Rope-a-Dope". Let the big hitters spend their way into L1 or oblivion, whichever somes first, then, when everything has calmed down, we will make our move. Let the world financial crisis blow over, let Torbay (sorry Troj) regenerate itself. Let salaries reach the point where 5000 people can afford to attend each week. Let the football authorities pull the plug on big spenders in order to preserve the game as we know and love it, then our time will come.

When the revolution comes, the meek shall inherit the earth, the same is true of football.

Matt.

Crikey Matt, I reckon Martin Ling could do worse that get you in the away dressing room for a little pep talk before the Christians take on the Gladiators ( I mean Torquay play Rovers) at the Memorial Ground next month!

[royalgull]

A good friend of mine is the vice chairman of the football supporters federation and some of the stories he tells about clubs and their spending policies would seriously make you shudder. If football ran by the same rules and ethics as many businesses, we'd probably have about 25 professional clubs left. Seriously there are so many that financially are taking huge huge gambles it's frightening. Even at our level with Crawley who in his words 'The FL are keeping a close eye on because it's widely accepted they are bent as a 2 bob note'.

Chester City are the example we need to look no further than. a very similar club to ourselves in terms of history and status. Who chucked money everywhere chasing dreams and it all ended in a massive disaster, AFC Chester and Evo Stik football. Rushden and Diamonds are the latest one and Crawley will follow suit. Clubs with no fans and no long term income that chase dreams end in disaster. It might not be this year or next year, might be 5/6 years or 10 years down the line but Crawley will end up like Chester, like Rushden, like Gretna and they will be utterly screwed and nobdoy will bail them out.

Portsmouth should have folded and if they did the rest of the football community in this country MIGHT have started taking some action, the fact they got bailed out by the Premier League set a terrible precedent for the rest of football. 'Run your business illegally as much as you want we'll help you when it comes crashing down'. Football needs an established club, not a Chester or a Rushden but a Portsmouth or Cardiff to go to the wall. Only then might we get some change. Football needs to play by the same rules everyone else does and clubs should be really forcefully managed int erms of spending what they generate and no more loans, gambling and borrowing.

[Regiment]

I'm 23 years old and have supported Torquay since 1999, Despite living in Plymouth all my life (family got me into Torquay) i have plenty of friends in Torbay and one of the biggest reasons they give to me when i ask why they support premiershite rather than Torquay is because Torquay have no ambition and will never go anywhere...

Being a small club with an average of 2500(lower recently?) fans there are obvious limits to what we can achieve... but i have always felt that our club has always been satisfied with remaining in league two.

Personally i don't think we would ever get anywhere near the championship in my life time but i'd at least like us to get to league 1 and remain there this time, if this was to mean over spending and end up like Argyle though... then i'm more than happy with a mid table finish in league two.

and how often do these torbay based premiershite fans actually go and see their teams ?? i'm afraid it's this sort of attitude of people not supporting their local club that ensures we never will be any bigger.

[usagullmichigan]

I would not want us to throw money around either but if you were a hald decent player at L1/L2 level would you be tempted to come to us? Its not about money it is about long term. I don't the manager appointed is very ambitious and I don't think signings like Mcphee is ambitious (Though it is an OK signing). I dont think players not being pushed for contracts after January is ambitious nor letting valued assets like Zebs go for the reported figure being touted around. If you were non Torquinian living in Torquay and a gulls fan was trying to get you to go to matches at plainmoor would you?

I love Torquay through and through and played for the under 11's - 16's and before I moved to the states went to plainmoor as often as I could but I am just very saddend by the way its going. Marting Ling has my full support but other than the GK and maybe Saah I think we look we are going to be very heavy in this league this season.

[usagullmichigan]

and how often do these torbay based premiershite fans actually go and see their teams ?? i'm afraid it's this sort of attitude of people not supporting their local club that ensures we never will be any bigger.

True Brady. I am a Man U fan aswell but my mum is from Manchester so I am half gulls and half Man U and I used to go to OT alot aswell but I support Torquay like a religion as I was born in Chelston. Torquay is my hometown and no matter what I support them and have paid to go see them even things were real bad.

[AustrianAndyGull]

agree, i think young kids attending fl games wearing man u, chelsea shirts etc should be refused entry - or at least their parents be given a good kicking round the back of the stand!

[Boom Boom]

If you want a great idea of ambition then look at Stockport County. Relegated to the BSP yet they've bidded for Ryan Lowe from Bury, 28 goals for them last season in League Two! Also made offers for Jamie Vardy & Sean McConville interestingly.

[Regiment]

True Brady. I am a Man U fan aswell but my mum is from Manchester so I am half gulls and half Man U and I used to go to OT alot aswell but I support Torquay like a religion as I was born in Chelston. Torquay is my hometown and no matter what I support them and have paid to go see them even things were real bad.

might sound a bit hypocritical coming from me (london born and bred) but my first taste of live football 30+ years ago was a cold wet boxing day match at plainmoor, and despite going to chelsea, arsenal etc here and there with friends over the years, particularly when i had to rely on public transport in my yoof, if i could get to a torquay match, it was always my first choice, and it's the same now for my 8yr old son. i wish i could be a season ticket holder, and get to every home game but i can't, but it is annoying knowing there are people in torquay (and surrounding areas) who have NEVER been to see torquay play.

[royalgull]

I would not want us to throw money around either but if you were a hald decent player at L1/L2 level would you be tempted to come to us? Its not about money it is about long term. I don't the manager appointed is very ambitious and I don't think signings like Mcphee is ambitious (Though it is an OK signing). I dont think players not being pushed for contracts after January is ambitious nor letting valued assets like Zebs go for the reported figure being touted around. If you were non Torquinian living in Torquay and a gulls fan was trying to get you to go to matches at plainmoor would you?

I love Torquay through and through and played for the under 11's - 16's and before I moved to the states went to plainmoor as often as I could but I am just very saddend by the way its going. Marting Ling has my full support but other than the GK and maybe Saah I think we look we are going to be very heavy in this league this season.

To answer both questions you posed the answer is no to the players one. Torquay due to it's location and the fact they don't pay half as well as a lot of other clubs when you also factor the ground and fairly basic training facilities as current it's hardly enticing to a lot of players. I do think the improvements made to the latter will help somewhat but ultimately players move for success and finance. Two things this club isn't awash with. As a town and area Torquay is great but to play for the club means a mammoth house move and then the travel for matches I have no doubt puts players off. Every away game is a mission that if you played for Northampton for example wouldn't be the same issue.

Hard to answer about the fan one, for me i would go but that's just because i like football and expecially lower league football. It's more honest, it's still good and it's (just about) affordable. But There would be people brought up believing the Sky hype of the Premiershite that wouldn't want to go thinking it's rubbish.