Martin Rice

[Modgull]

I agree with Soton - this is not the bad signing some people make out.

[tufcbrett]

So, Brucie and Hector decide Rice is crap without seeing him perform for over 2 seasons?

He was first choice for Truro last season and that side won promotion to the Conference. Perhaps either of you two would like to come up with a name and one that would be happy to bide his time sitting on the bench and still train hard when not exactly emptying the coffers of the little money left in them. So chaps, lets see what names you can come up with who fit the criteria set out by our Club when looking for a second keeper.

When he was here before, we were building a side to secure promotion. When Potter was here last season i always felt, and so did the management, that we were capable of getting promoted. To that end I wasn't impressed with Potter. This season is a totally different prospect, we're aiming to stay in this division and consolidate, do you think our budget is such that we could sign a keeper of the calibre of Michael Poke? No, it's such that we had to look at a keeper with less experience, costing less money and someone that won;t throw his toys out of the pram. Rice fits the bill perfectly and anyone who can't see that is being totally unrealistic. Martin Rice will only have a problem if he gets into the team and some numbnuts decide to barrack him. Get behind him, encourage him, give him some confidence and then we might finally see the best of Martin Rice.

Very well said.

If bobby was to get injured im sure we would loan someone in. Still need a keeper on the bench who wont break the budget.

[Scott Brehaut]

The trouble with some Torquay fans is that they are not happy with virtually anybody that is signed by the club, constantly stating how s**t the player is etc etc.

Then said player rams the criticism down their throat by player a lot better than people give them credit for, and then the poster disappears without a trace from the site until said player makes one simple error, and then they are back on the site quicker than a guy with a serious case of the s**ts can make it to the toilet, saying I told you so.

Really, I do question what some supporters actually expect at times. Money is tight, and our last manager was showered with lots of money, meaning that we were spoilt for good quality players (and even then the same posters moaned about them until they were proven otherwise - which was fairly quickly into the season), and now the board have tightened their belts we are being forced to bring in players that do not cost the earth, and are willing to play for less money per week than maybe some of the players we had last season were on.

Some people need to get real!!

[TUFC92]

The trouble with some Torquay fans is that they are not happy with virtually anybody that is signed by the club, constantly stating how s**t the player is etc etc.

Then said player rams the criticism down their throat by player a lot better than people give them credit for, and then the poster disappears without a trace from the site until said player makes one simple error, and then they are back on the site quicker than a guy with a serious case of the s**ts can make it to the toilet, saying I told you so.

Really, I do question what some supporters actually expect at times. Money is tight, and our last manager was showered with lots of money, meaning that we were spoilt for good quality players (and even then the same posters moaned about them until they were proven otherwise - which was fairly quickly into the season), and now the board have tightened their belts we are being forced to bring in players that do not cost the earth, and are willing to play for less money per week than maybe some of the players we had last season were on.

Some people need to get real!!

Sounds like someone familiar but I just can't quite think who.... :na:

[friendlygas]

Its the same with every club and in Supporters minds lots of players are only as good as their last game.You can generally get one or two players who are "gods" as far as supporters are concerned ,one or two are picked out as "scapegoats" and the majority will swing either way!
Reading a lot of forums it is always very interesting to see what supporters think of their own players and it seems that in a lot of caes nicer things are said by the supporters of other teams about your players than you say-of course other teams might see your players twice whereas you see them every week.

[Behind-the-Gulls]

Herald Express says that Ling and Rice did "have a brief chat on Wednesday"(at the Tiverton match),"but that's as far as it appears to have gone to date".
Suggests we may be looking at other options but keeping Rice "in the loop",should nothing else transpire?

[royalgull]

i think the Herald are very out of the loop if that's what stage they think this is at.

[Glostergull]

Herald Express says that Ling and Rice did "have a brief chat on Wednesday"(at the Tiverton match),"but that's as far as it appears to have gone to date".
Suggests we may be looking at other options but keeping Rice "in the loop",should nothing else transpire?

I was sat with Martin Rice before the game in the Bar and he told me he hadn't been contacted by anyone regarding a move. Neither is agent or either of the club chairmen had spoken to him, Yet I was also told that one of our fans spoke to Paul Baker at around the same time before the Tivvy game and was told they were hopefull. Now make of that what you will.

[tufcbrett]

I heard that Baker said its in the pipline and would expect something done by the end of the week?

[Glostergull]

I just had an awful thought. You don't suppose in the talk with Kevin Heany that we may have a few extras thrown in for good measure too do you? Buy a goal keeper and get part of Argyles stadium thrown in. Buy two players and get the whole stadium. wow what a bog off

[tommyg]

I have nothing against Rice personally. He seems a decent chap and a positive character to have around the club. We should be grateful for the times he helped us in training and pre-match at Plainmoor when we were a keeper short after he had been released.

But as a goalkeeper, he was terrible for us. Two years have passed, but if the objective of the No.2 is to never actually play (assuming we would use the loan market should Bobby get injured/suspended), then I would prefer to hand out a contract to an untested rookie who at least has some potential to become a reliable goalkeeper at this level in the future - something I cannot see Rice ever representing. Under the tutelage of Kenny Veysey, and working with Bobby on a daily basis, it would give a young nipper the chance to develop as a player while acting as an apprentice and earning their stripes.

[Boom Boom]

The only thing worse than signing Martin Rice as our No.2 is infact probably signing as our No.1. The only positive is that he probably won't play more than a couple of games this season.

Rice is useless. If Exeter, Plymouth, Bristol Rovers etc. we'd all be pissing ourselves saying he's rubbish, yet he signs for us & he's quite good.

[Fonda]

It doesn't matter how good he is - he won't play. All that matters is that he's reasonably cheap, and won't be throwing his toys around when not selected. If Olejnik gets injured, we'll get a loanee in.

I'm not sure what's so hard to understand. We need to focus our attention (and more importantly budget) on improving the team that will actually take the field every week. Rocket science it is not.

[royalgull]

Right, I’ve been pleasantly surprised actually reading most of the replies in this thread. Seems the main consensus is that people are happy to give him a chance and to be the backup keeper.

I’ve actually known about this move for about 10 days or so and as such it’s been difficult to remain quiet about it (especially some of the false information) but out of respect and the wishes of the player then I remained silent on the issue.

The deal hasn’t been signed yet, it’s meant to be completed on Friday afternoon (i wrote this post yesterday, he's there now to sign the forms). I am unsure as to the length of the deal at this point. The slight delay being down to a mutual agreement between him and Truro that he wouldn’t leave them without them having a replacement sorted out. A small thank you from him to them for the last couple of seasons which is a nice touch.

By Ricey’s own admission he ‘pissed about’ last time. He gave his all when he played but he was a young man with not a lot of responsibility at the time and didn’t appreciate quite what he had. This spell out of the professional game (like others have alluded to) has definitely made him realise what he had and how much he missed it. He’s been having to earn a living in the off season working on building sites getting to work for 7am starts, alien things to an ex footballer. But it’s made him learn quite a bit.

Football wise he’s done very well for Truro, in a much more physical league where keepers tend to get less protection from referees. In fact I met him post match in Exeter last year and his ear was a bloody mess, he’d just got back from the hospital after taking an elbow from some brute from Stourbridge. In the games i saw him play and I’m not just saying this you can see his confidence was back and his game had improved. He was coming for and collecting more crosses than i’d seen him do previously he’s not going to be a Bevan, physically he can’t but when he comes for crosses he tended to get them (far superior and far fitter than Potter), his kicking has always been excellent and his communication/bollockings were much much better.

One thing Ricey has always been is a superb trainer, the lads and especially Kenny love him and he works harder than just about anyone else. He’s come in and helped out the club when he didn’t have to the other season, he has continued to train with Torquay over the last 18 months despite not being contracted so that tells you all you need to know about not only his desire to continue to train hard but also how he’s thought of at the club.

All this he’s an Exeter fan stuff is a nonsense to be honest, he’s an Exeter lad and has lived in and around that area all his life. So by that very notion.....it makes him a Man Utd fan!!! Him and his family followed Exeter as it’s their local club but i guarantee you this, he has a strong bond between him and TUFC and truly WANTS to be here, nowhere else.
He’s older, he’s got his own family now he has been desperate for this 2nd chance in the game, he will come in work his absolute nuts off, support and put pressure on Olejnik and I have 100% faith that this time he really won’t let anybody down if and when he is needed to play next season.

He’s not Casillas or Julio Cesar but he’s an honest, hard working lad that is still improving and has a passion to want to improve and can do a very good job for the team next season as the supporting goalkeeper. People asked for a talented young non league keeper, well in all honesty we’ve got one. He’s 25, on the back of a league winning season, a bit of previous experience in the game and desperately wants to play for TUFC. He feels he has unfinished business not just at TUFC but in professional football as a whole. It’s the 2nd chance he wasn’t sure he was going to get and I know he is hell bent on taking it.

I wish him the absolute best of luck not only personally but professionally. I have full confidence in him this time to do things the right way off the field as well as to perform on the pitch (if required) to the standards he sets himself and I just hope and pray that he gets a fair crack of the whip from the fans, Because he can do well for us if his confidence is there again like it was last season. Delighted for you mate and seriously best of luck for next season and the future.

[Southampton Gull]

Quality post, Ian.

It's just a shame not many others can't put forward a sensible and balanced view.