did buckle get any abuse??

[Southampton Gull]

Warering the pitch to the extent it gets waterlogged is cheating, in my opinion.

BG I'll accept your wager. Because I'd like to make it a little fairer on your part, how about two clear goals instead of three? I'm that confident

Out of interest, how big is your away end? I can see close to 2000 making this match. We all want to see Buckle fall flat on his face. Btw, we had 8k at OT, not that it makes any difference in the grand scheme of things.

[BritishGAS]

Warering the pitch to the extent it gets waterlogged is cheating, in my opinion.

BG I'll accept your wager. Because I'd like to make it a little fairer on your part, how about two clear goals instead of three? I'm that confident

Out of interest, how big is your away end? I can see close to 2000 making this match. We all want to see Buckle fall flat on his face. Btw, we had 8k at OT, not that it makes any difference in the grand scheme of things.

To be fair Dave, I dont think watering the pitch can be classed as cheating, yes it could be portrayed as some as giving your team a sneaky advantage but certainly not cheating.

Its similar to home clubs using the multi ball system and not doing the same for the visitors, Or like Stoke handing out a towel to Rory Delap to wipe the ball before he flings it, and not for the opposition, or in most clubs cases have a plush, nice warm dressing room for themselves, yet allowing the away side to have the shabby, dirty, cold rotten one.

Our away end is only about 800 but when it is known that a club is likely to bring more then the south stand(Tent End) is also allocated to away fans taking it upto about 2k.

Ok Dave its a done deal, 2 clear goals it is then :~D

[Fonda]

I don't see how ignoring Buckle makes anyone the 'better man'. He's shafted us, and we have every right to chant about him.

It's not about being 'the better man', it's about doing what would most agitate Buckle and give our team the best chance of a result. Buckle will love to hear us singing about him - if he thinks we're still obsessing over him, his ego will be nicely massaged. If we ignore him, and direct our efforts at supporting Ling (in a way we never did Buckle) it will strike a chord. It might just help our team to have support for them, rather than against the opposition too. It's about our manager and our team.

[Jeff]

It's not about being 'the better man', it's about doing what would most agitate Buckle and give our team the best chance of a result. Buckle will love to hear us singing about him - if he thinks we're still obsessing over him, his ego will be nicely massaged. If we ignore him, and direct our efforts at supporting Ling (in a way we never did Buckle) it will strike a chord. It might just help our team to have support for them, rather than against the opposition too. It's about our manager and our team.

100% agree.

As I said on the other thread about this subject, hero-worshiping Ling, Olejnik et al will be far more productive than just booing Buckle and our ex-players. Despite what has gone on, I don't think that will reflect well on us as a group of supporters. The Rovers fans will be preparing to taunt us, Buckle will have briefed his team to expect a hostile response. What they will least expect is us to turn it into something like Cheltenham '04.

[Glostergull]

I think you already know the answer to that one

But we did take 46k to Cardiff and 48k to Wembley

Ere. No you didn't, You took 41,500 approx to Cardiff
and 40K to Wembley. they wouldn't let you take more cos there were no more tickets. I am not trying to belittle your effort but if stirring up banter make sure facts are acurate. . BTW I know. I was there in my Rovers hat that year cos I did both Finals.
Just as an aside. I enjoyed the stuffing Rovers gave City on the way to Cardiff and also hugely enjoyed the stuffing we gave em at Plainmoor the other night. There was a member of the City coaching staff seated by me and he didn't enjoy it one bit.
Don't belittle our support either. You know very well the goal our striker scored to beat you up there on damp night and we took several hundred which for an evening game was damn good. On a saturday it's not impossible we could sell 1,000 plus tickets esecialy as the game now has added significance.
You have always been a decent poster on here. Don't spoil it now with daft statements

[miagsygas]

Don't understand why there has to be bad blood between Rovers and Torquay fans, have only skim-read this thread but i think it's probably best both sides move on from the 'bantering'. I personally like Torquay as a club and i wish you all the best this season, except against us obviously. Ideally, we'd both go up, much prefer you lot than the likes of Swindle, Crawley etc. Also theres a good bunch of you on thefootballforum for some good natured conversation.

Obviously your not going to hold Buckle in high regard and i wouldn't blame you for sending some abuse his way, but alot of you seem happier with Ling - players playing in their correct positions, improved players etc just as we are a lot happier with Buckle - most optimistic i've been for years. Maybe theres a scenario where it's win win for the both of us.

Congrats on the good results in pre-season so far, sounds promising, and well done on beating the sheeds!

[Gullscorer]

I totally agree with Miagsygas. I can't believe a lot of the rubbish I've been reading here from many self-styled Gulls supporters. Have you forgotten so quickly what Paul Buckle did for the club? He built a squad up from nothing, took us to Wembley more than once, won promotion, and into the League 2 play-offs, all in four seasons.

My understanding is that he came to Torquay as manager on the basis that he could move to a bigger club if and when the opportunity arose, and that he left the Gulls to manage Bristol Rovers with the good wishes of the Torquay board, and nobody can doubt that Rovers are a bigger club with greater potential, certainly for the foreseeable future.

Are these are the same Gulls 'supporters' who were so full of negativity and pessimism regarding Martin Ling's arrival as manager?

Whatever you may think of some of Buckle's perceived personal qualities (and how well did any of us actually know him personally?) remember that none of us is perfect, and you cannot blame him for wanting to further his own career and improve his own prospects in life. That is something we are all guilty of.

The Paul Buckle era at Torquay is in the past. Let's wish him well in his job at Bristol Rovers, and move on to even better things with Martin Ling's yellow army, beginning with a massive victory away to Rovers next month !!!

[Plymgull]

I don't think anybody can blame Buckle for moving to Rovers Gullscorer, i think people are more annoyed in the manner he left. Telling us that no deal had been done with Rovers when in fact Rovers chairman said on west country news that a deal had been brokered before Torquay began the play-offs. Then of course there is the bit where he says he leaves us in good hands before ripping us off.

I have always liked Buckle and loved him for getting us out of that horrible tinpot BSP, but lying to the fans and all that = snake in my book.

[Mav]

why are we spending so much time on this guy, he's gone, I'm glad he's gone. On looking at we have now, it's highly probabl he has done us a huge favour in leaving. Let's just get on with giving Crawley a thumping, on a side note the grandstand being shut and a new manager may well stop the two tossers winding up the team and the crowd lets just make sure we bring out the Forklift truck song for Evans

[Gullscorer]

I don't think anybody can blame Buckle for moving to Rovers Gullscorer, i think people are more annoyed in the manner he left. Telling us that no deal had been done with Rovers when in fact Rovers chairman said on west country news that a deal had been brokered before Torquay began the play-offs. Then of course there is the bit where he says he leaves us in good hands before ripping us off.

I have always liked Buckle and loved him for getting us out of that horrible tinpot BSP, but lying to the fans and all that = snake in my book.

OK, I fully understand some supporters sentiments and feelings and how they might have arisen, but I can't help wondering if they might be mistaken and misconceived. You see, I am loath to rush to judgement when I don't know the full facts of a case, and do we really know all the facts?

How did this all begin? Almost certainly with a rumour, a leak of information which probably gave only a fragment of the full story. So I ask myself, was Buckle initially advised or told, either by Bristol Rovers or Torquay bosses, not to say anything, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, until everything was 'signed, sealed and delivered'? Was he advised to keep quiet until after the League 2 play-offs for fear of distracting players' minds during a very important occasion? Did he originally approach Rovers for this job or, more likely, was he 'head-hunted' by them?

In short, was the situation really his fault, or that of whoever leaked and discussed the original snippets of rumour. Rather than blame Buckle, should not supporters be looking more critically at other supporters? As for ripping us off, surely any manager can only sign players who are available to him as free agents, or made available after approaches to a player's club? The club remained in the good hands of United's board, as it turned out.

However, it's all water under the bridge now, and, I agree, we should move on. Things are in fact turning out far better than anyone could have envisaged a few weeks ago, and an exciting new era is about to begin.

[Regiment]

have the gas seriously taken to calling him "uncle bucks" ?? how sh*t is that ??

anyway, couldn't care less what he does or doesn't do. i'll be happy to go along with any suitable "tribute" to him at the mem, provided it's short and sweet, so we can then forget the little runt and concentrate on getting behind our own, more tactically switched on, new manager.

[Dave]

OK, I fully understand some supporters sentiments and feelings and how they might have arisen, but I can't help wondering if they might be mistaken and misconceived. You see, I am loath to rush to judgement when I don't know the full facts of a case, and do we really know all the facts?

How did this all begin? Almost certainly with a rumour, a leak of information which probably gave only a fragment of the full story. So I ask myself, was Buckle initially advised or told, either by Bristol Rovers or Torquay bosses, not to say anything, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, until everything was 'signed, sealed and delivered'? Was he advised to keep quiet until after the League 2 play-offs for fear of distracting players' minds during a very important occasion? Did he originally approach Rovers for this job or, more likely, was he 'head-hunted' by them?

In short, was the situation really his fault, or that of whoever leaked and discussed the original snippets of rumour. Rather than blame Buckle, should not supporters be looking more critically at other supporters? As for ripping us off, surely any manager can only sign players who are available to him as free agents, or made available after approaches to a player's club? The club remained in the good hands of United's board, as it turned out.

However, it's all water under the bridge now, and, I agree, we should move on. Things are in fact turning out far better than anyone could have envisaged a few weeks ago, and an exciting new era is about to begin.

Whilst most probaly do not know the full fact's,i do not think any fan on here is mistaken,how did it start?,the answer,a Bristol rover's employee and fan revealed on there fan's forum that Buckle was at there ground and had,a 2 hour meeting with there chairman,this was the Tuesday before our first play-off match.

I will leave his name out of this due to respect,i know someone who is very much in the public eye as far as Tufc are concerned,i had a chance meeting with him in the week leading up to the play-off final,i asked him is Buckle going,he said yes,and whats worse Buckle has been open with the squad,so the player's did know.

Your right,Buckle did have the right to sign free agents,now look back at the two previous January's,did Buckle not move on or re-sign any player who's contract was up in the upcoming close season,now ask yourself why is Bevan now a Rovers player,and Branston who i am sure Buckle thought he would get is now a Bradford player.

Now ask yourself a question,why when Stanley said himself he was going to sign for Torquay ,is he now a Rovers player,and finaly ask yourself,why did all of a sudden Zebroski a player who had 2 pretty good season's with us,and was still contracted to us,need to move back toward's his Swindon home,surely no one really fell for that story did they?

That said,i do agree with you gullscorer it is now time to move on,however not untill us gulls fan's have got it well and truely out of our systems up at the mem on the 13th

[Southampton Gull]

BG, when we played Crawley in the BSP the goalmouth was waterlogged, caused by a halftime Buckle request. It's a fact and it WAS cheating. It was condemned by many of our fans at the time and as much as I expect you to stand by your Manager, you're arguing with people who know more about his character than you do at the moment.

The bet is on and I'll be more than happy to give you double or quits when we play you at our place. Bets to be settled in Boots and Laces after the game. Agreed?

[DavetheRave]

Just been on exeweb for a read up of what they thought of the game the other night...

also saw some interesting posts from which shows a very different view on the Buckle leaving story...

http://www.exeweb.com/forums/showthread ... 755&page=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[blueboy]

I posted this on the Exeter thread by mistake. I didn't mean to double post.

I've got good friends that are Torquay fans and they haven't been slow to point out Buckles mistakes in the past and the fact he wasn't particularly well liked as a person. But going on the start he has made this pre-season there is not one Rovers fan at this moment that isn't anything but totally impressed with him. Friendlies don't mean much at all but we've played 6 winning 5 and drawing one. The opposition hasn't been great but we've played Burnley, Inverness (Scottish Prem) and Bath City who have a decent team.

Only time will tell but he's certainly going to be a vast improvement on anything we've had in recent history. We're also playing the best football since the Holloway days.

I'm very interested to see how you get on against Burnley Saturday as they were awful when we played them. Are you a little concerned that you haven't played many friendlies yet? My mate told me you've only played 3 friendlies so far and only have 6 in total which doesn't seem many at all, especially considering that's 45 mins for most players. The season could start with some players having only played about 200-280 minutes. Having played semi-professional myself this seems quite low.

Can't wait for the season now and the 13th especially. Nearer the time I'll come back on here to see where you all plan drinking for the gas game. Could meet up with a couple of you for a pint.