Gaming International have taken our club hostage

[Kit_robin]

They may well want a greyhound track, but it certainly won't be at plainmoor, which by 21st century standards is in the worst possible place for new sporting infrastructure.

[grahamsmithygull]

Yes Graham, this is a very plausible option as they have invested into many Greyhound tracks in Swindon and other leisure facilities. They feel that they can expand on this down here in Devon.

Yeah and I mean they've got a proven track record of success in this type of venture so I can see it very much being on the cards in the future, as they've already proposed plans for a new stadium by the willows so I mean although a greyhound track in the freehold of Plainmoor sounds a million miles away, it actually is more a reality than not.

There's also been very strong talk of a future Phoenix club before formed in some capacity of an AFC Torquay setup, I mean Steven Breed who was Chief Executive of the football club, has very strong ties as we all know with the football club, with his various work that he previously did for the supporters away travel, and also radio Devon. To elaborate on this point, Steven left the football club after all due to personal differences and certain divisions between him and the board which left his position untenable in the end, and as we all know he got treated badly by the board come the end. But basically to cut to the chase, I've heard there's actually developments behind this phoenix club, because Steven now manages local team, Watcombe Wanderers, and hes started to go into coaching because obviously for his love of the game but there's more to it than that, and that's that he has ambition and a burning desire to form a Phoenix club of an AFC Torquay setup and basically do an almost like AFC Wimbledon. Because come the end I know that he felt divided from the club and out of touch from it too like many fans do, and he believes now is the right time more than ever to do this, I mean the fans have already raised in an account 20k just incase this takeover fell through, and I know he's had enough of all this constant limbo that our club faces.

[S4fedr1ve]

I feel a lot more positive about GI than Phillips et al. Hopefully, once the new owners have introduced themselves and their plans, some fans will be less worried.

My short term hope is that they put together a team of staff that run the club more professionally, create a unifying and rewarding supporters club and invest in Kevin Nicholson and the team.

[northlondongull]

It is strange but I feel relieved at this probably bad news today. I had geared up for administration and immediate oblivion but instead what we have is potential prolonged misery. Anyway...we still have a club and the silent GI needs to make some statements about their proposals asap however hollow these may be.

If they want a stadium then in theory they need to Torquay United. If they just want the land that Plainmoor is on then they need Torquay to collapse...

[lucy6lucy]

GI have to make a statement of their intentions ASAP, boycotting plainmoor will not benefit the club. The easiest way to bugger up Dave Phillips is to not bet on his bookmakers whilst at races at newton Abbott/Exeter races and his bookmakers it self. And until I am satisfied of GI intentions, I am now £10 a month better off.

[lucy6lucy]

As supporters of TUFC a lot has been said about the situation we find ourselves in. Until the matter resolves itself there will be conjecture, rumours and speculation. As a supporter of 28 years I am as anxious as anybody to see a successful outcome to this sorry mess.

The reason for the post is that I am appalled by the disgraceful personal attacks on Dave Phillips. I have known Dave as a friend for many years and can tell you the following: He is as genuine a man as you could wish to meet, a fan since the early fifties who like you has followed them through thick and thin. The image that seems to have been created is that being a bookmaker he must therefore be a crook or a shyster, fleecing the man in the street. The FACT is that having worked with bookmakers on many racecourses, bookies are just normal guys and do not consider punters as "mugs".

Dave cares passionately about TUFC - why else would he put tens of thousands of pounds of his hard earned money into the club and spend countless hours every week for eighteen months trying to save YOUR football club when at 71 years of age he could have just put his feet up at home and lived an easy life. He did not see his cash as an "investment" as I am certain he never did expect to see it again - if he did, well that was a bonus.

Dave would be the first to admit that the board has made mistakes but he didn't inherit a going concern, he inherited an already ailing business. The "keyboard wankers" remark although perhaps ill-judged was in my mind perfectly understandable after the disgraceful personal abuse to which he has been subjected.

One simple FACT is this. Without Dave (and others) putting their money in, YOU would not have been able to cheer on the lads for the past two seasons. The man is doing his utmost to keep your club alive and I know that the silent majority out there can actually see this. It is the few that subject him to continuous and slanderous abuse that should be looking at their actions. Shame on you.

Thanks for reading this.

Welcome to the forum Clarke Osborne

[furmax]

Alot of new users posting on here tonight.........And their posts seem to have a theme........ Keyboard wankers

[Dazza]

Yes 'shame on you' appears a suitable and appropriate phrase today.
From one who until now has largely sought to defend Mr Phillips.

d.

[Lloyder5]

'Grubby little opportinists riding the coat-tails of history'; we will find out soon enough about the motivations of GI. History finds TUAFC at its lowest point. However, we hold the history of our club and whilst events play out, we must be ready to defend it. First step, turn up in numbers on Boxing Day and show it really matters.

[S4fedr1ve]

As supporters of TUFC a lot has been said about the situation we find ourselves in. Until the matter resolves itself there will be conjecture, rumours and speculation. As a supporter of 28 years I am as anxious as anybody to see a successful outcome to this sorry mess.

The reason for the post is that I am appalled by the disgraceful personal attacks on Dave Phillips. I have known Dave as a friend for many years and can tell you the following: He is as genuine a man as you could wish to meet, a fan since the early fifties who like you has followed them through thick and thin. The image that seems to have been created is that being a bookmaker he must therefore be a crook or a shyster, fleecing the man in the street. The FACT is that having worked with bookmakers on many racecourses, bookies are just normal guys and do not consider punters as "mugs".

Dave cares passionately about TUFC - why else would he put tens of thousands of pounds of his hard earned money into the club and spend countless hours every week for eighteen months trying to save YOUR football club when at 71 years of age he could have just put his feet up at home and lived an easy life. He did not see his cash as an "investment" as I am certain he never did expect to see it again - if he did, well that was a bonus.

Dave would be the first to admit that the board has made mistakes but he didn't inherit a going concern, he inherited an already ailing business. The "keyboard wankers" remark although perhaps ill-judged was in my mind perfectly understandable after the disgraceful personal abuse to which he has been subjected.

One simple FACT is this. Without Dave (and others) putting their money in, YOU would not have been able to cheer on the lads for the past two seasons. The man is doing his utmost to keep your club alive and I know that the silent majority out there can actually see this. It is the few that subject him to continuous and slanderous abuse that should be looking at their actions. Shame on you.

Thanks for reading this.

[Wubble U]

The only ray of light must be Pete Master's quote that ""In the agreement, there are a number of conditions that they need to fulfil and are obliged to fulfil."
Perhaps this specifically refers to a guarantee of a completed stadium before Plainmoor is sold.

[Rjc70]

They'll chuck a few quid at this problem for a bit. Enjoy the short term.

As someone who read Clarke Osbourne's statements over a number of years about my other sporting love whose stadium was knocked down over 8 years ago I feel fairly distraught tonight. That club no longer exists.

[Tarrboy1]

I'm sure Mr Phillips is a nice bloke. I have no doubt that he's worked very hard this last eighteen months and tried to do the best for Torquay United.

Unfortunately though, as he's not communicated with us, we have no idea about any of that. All we (now) know is that he's sold us to GI, a company that has an appalling record of false promises and putting sporting stadium users out of business for their own financial gain.

I certainly don't condone any personal abuse directed at Mr Phillips. I can certainly understand it though.

[tomogull]

Lucy .... no idea who Clarke Osborne is and frankly I could not care less. My post voiced my personal feelings of the treatment of Dave Phillips. If you disagree, well that is your right. Just a pity that unlike me you do not have first hand knowledge of the man himself.

I agree with much of your post - some of the criticism levelled at David Phillips has been unacceptable. However, he has brought much of it upon himself. He says he has made mistakes. I'm glad he realises it.
1. His total disregard for the lifeblood of the club - the fans. The lack of communication for months and months has been a disgrace.
2. When the original GI deal fell through (when Torbay Council correctly refused to make Plainmoor available), Mr Phillips admitted that GI were not suitable bedfellows and he repeated it at a Fans Forum.
3. He, and the Board members, have now sold the club to these 'unsuitable bedfellows'. The track record of Gaming International and their web of subsidiary companies is there for all to see. Many Fans, me included, begged him not to sell out to Clarke Osborne and his cronies. We have been ignored and I can see no future for the club.

You say you don't know who Clarke Osborne is. Well, franky, you must have had your head buried in sand for twelve months. Just do a bit of digging around and it won't take you long to find dirt about Clarke Osborne and his GI companies.

David Phillips may well be a long-standing supporter and he and the Board members may have 'ensured we had a club to support' over the past two years but I believe that he has today signed the Death Warrant of Torquay United AFC. At no time has Clarke Osborne shown any interest in Torquay United as a football team.

[Yorkieandy]

Tarrboy spot on.

'Communication'

There's been none. Phillips has the club at heart. Fine. Congrats. He doesn't give a toss about the supporters though.

That is as plain as day.