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Why are we being diverted from talking about our retained list to arguing about Merse's boy and his career? By the way, do we KNOW for sure that these lads didn't have it made perfectly clear to them that they were on the way out? With all due respect, if I was in either of their shoes, I wouldn't have expected a contract renewal and would have made appropriate arrangements...

madgull wrote: ↑09 May 2017, 02:52 Why are we being diverted from talking about our retained list to arguing about... that these lads didn't have it made perfectly clear to them that they were on the way out?

Because no-one has been retained! A list has been made but no contracts signed. So to while away the hours Merse comes to the rescue again with information on two young lads who were not retained. Annoys some; humours others and informs many. At least he creates valid debate on the retention issue whether we agree with it or not. Keep up the good work Merse.

There's a difference to being 'retained' and 're-engaged'.......

Retained is when an option is exercised on a contract and agreed between both parties to extend it ~ as United would like to do with Luke Young and players staying to complete an agreed contract as in the cases of Sam Chaney and Damon Lathrope.

Released applies to Charlie Duke, Will Hancox and Ben Gerring who have come to the end of their contracts and not being offered re-engagement terms.

You'll notice then that only retained players remain on the payroll in National League football unless they can negotiate a renewal which commences paying them seamlessly.

Those 'under consideration' are therefore released and off the payroll as things stand from the final whistle of the North Ferriby game and perfectly free to pursue options elsewhere.

I don't know about Hancox, but I am of the understanding that Duke (and possibly Gerring too) had reason to believe they were being re-engaged subject to there being enough in the budget to re-engage them.....obviously this was not the case.

Those who have taken the trouble to watch the video on link I provided re the FLE release trials and those options to players throughout their contracts to make provision for their future, will see that being released at one club in no way finally determines the end of a player's professional career if they don't want it to and the many and varied opportunities available to them. For instance it could well be that Duke or Hancox secure development contracts at higher status clubs than Torquay United where they can be patiently and constructively improved within a proper football infrastructure such as Exeter City for instance.

One option I encouraged a couple of suitable lads to pursue last season was the Scandinavian one where you would be surprised how many have gone over to (say) Sweden; taken up a short (3-4 month) semi-pro contract and settled into staying there, enrolling in education and building a very nice lifestyle.

United physio Gareth Laws was the beneficiary of building a professional career in his field after his playing opportunities came to an end at Plainmoor too.

Integration into the American or Canadian college soccer scholarship scheme is another and very often those who chose that stay and develop a new lifestyle through that. Remember Leon Hapgood anyone? He's been in Calgary for a good few years now after doing that after hacking away on the part-time circuit with Bideford after leaving Torquay United ten years ago. His boss at Calgary Foothills FC is Tommy Wheeldon another Torquay lad who took that path:
http://www.foothillsfc.ca/Default.asp?id=home&l=1

Remember Tommy Sermanni? Look at him now after packing his bags on leaving Plainmoor in 1982 and travelling the world from Australia, to Sarawak, Canada and the USA where he is now head coach of leading US Womens Soccer club Orlando Pride and previously coached the Australia women's national team, and the United States women's national team from 2013 to 2014.

None of these opportunities are denied those who attend the FLE release trials ~ there are scouts there from all over the global world of football and Duke and Hancox were denied the responsible care of duty they were entitled to as young professionals.

Being young, free and single presents a different opportunity to being married with a young child or two where the option of paid work and part-time football nearer home might be the priority and that could well be the road Ben Gerring chooses to go down; who knows but I do know that by his manner and actions in the evening immediately after the euphoric victory over North Ferriby he was not exactly anticipating 'being on the scrapheap' within a week........far from it.

Rjc70 wrote: ↑08 May 2017, 18:23 There is information on season tickets and early bird offers by now every year. This year is the exception.

Here's a piece of information that the club are omitting to pass on:

A pre-season friendly away to Tiverton Town on July 14th with a 7.15pm kick-off..it might need to be 5-a-side the way things are right now! :~D

Caldwellanddobson wrote: ↑08 May 2017, 21:09 It's Torquay United. The one which once paid you and which I still support. I have no agenda, I'm just bored with reading your posts. That is all.

Click his name, click add foe. Happy days everyone is happy

threelittlepiglets wrote: ↑07 May 2017, 23:56 He won't sign... don't worry

great news then...

Rjc70 wrote: ↑08 May 2017, 18:23 Absolutely. No idea what threepiglets is on about whilst trying to defend the club's owners ad nauseam. There is information on season tickets and early bird offers by now every year. This year is the exception.

Indeed. Surprisingly 3LP has gone quiet on his argument - it's funny what the facts can do!

The FACTS are that the club have made no effort whatsoever to interact with the supporters over any form of sales or is even attempting to get them on board for next season.......

No season ticket offer
No announcement of pre-season friendlies
No statement on admission prices
No attempt to market any new replica kit for next season
No attempt to utilise the stadium facilities to open revenue streams through the summer

It's obvious this is either abject inability to run a professional football club on behalf of the sole owner by his staff or a blatant manoeuvre to send it into a comatose state. With half a million of debt now stacked against the club by Osborne rather than spending half a million of his own money; this is a very dangerous and potentially fatal state into which the football club is being sent.

It is essential that Clarke Osborne does not get the freehold he desires because it is becoming more obvious with every one of these days that passes that the intention could well be to render the business mortally wounded thus making it prone to being wound up and the vacant possession of the freehold becoming vastly more valuable overnight.

The Mayor doesn't appear to care about it; neither the council or their officers and the Herald Express doesn't want YOU to know about it. It's a conspiracy of silence that only the trust and the two forums that have taken an active lead in keeping people in the picture at the expense of being personally insulted by weasels like Tim Herbert (and threelittlepiglets, if they are by any chance a different person) the abject silence of the TUOSC and Bernard Noble and it is time to realise just who is on your side as a supporter ~ them or the 'Keyboard Wankers' that he referred to whilst indulging in the delight of Dave Phillips and Merv Balson who delivered the sacrificial lamb into the clutches of Osborne under the Svengali influence of Peter Masters.

merse btpir wrote: ↑09 May 2017, 14:01 The FACTS are that the club have made no effort whatsoever to interact with the supporters over any form of sales or is even attempting to get them on board for next season.......

No season ticket offer
No announcement of pre-season friendlies
No statement on admission prices
No attempt to market any new replica kit for next season
No attempt to utilise the stadium facilities to open revenue streams through the summer

It's obvious this is either abject inability to run a professional football club on behalf of the sole owner by his staff or a blatant manoeuvre to send it into a comatose state. With half a million of debt now stacked against the club by Osborne rather than spending half a million of his own money; this is a very dangerous and potentially fatal state into which the football club is being sent.

It is essential that Clarke Osborne does not get the freehold he desires because it is becoming more obvious with every one of these days that passes that the intention could well be to render the business mortally wounded thus making it prone to being wound up and the vacant possession of the freehold becoming vastly more valuable overnight.

The Mayor doesn't appear to care about it; neither the council or their officers and the Herald Express doesn't want YOU to know about it. It's a conspiracy of silence that only the trust and the two forums that have taken an active lead in keeping people in the picture at the expense of being personally insulted by weasels like Tim Herbert (and threelittlepiglets, if they are by any chance a different person) the abject silence of the TUOSC and Bernard Noble and it is time to realise just who is on your side as a supporter ~ them or the 'Keyboard Wankers' that he referred to whilst indulging in the delight of Dave Phillips and Merv Balson who delivered the sacrificial lamb into the clutches of Osborne under the Svengali influence of Peter Masters.

Some posting that merse

This is panning out as many feared.We have the petition, am sure most on here have emailed the MP, mayor and councillors to death. I am 200 miles from Torquay and am not as close to the inner workings of the club and local politics as others. My question is what else we can do as individuals or collectively to save the club from what seems a slow painful death? It could be that things are going on in the background with TUST, but it seems to me as a minimum we need this to be a high profile topic in the General Election and not lose focus between now and end of July.I cannot believe the HE is behaving as it is. Are there any other outlets down there that can get the message out ? Am brain wracking so feel free to shoot me down or make suggestions.

I have just phoned the Club.
The Early Bird season tickets are as follows:

Bristows bench & Family Stand...... Adult £275. Concession £200.

Pop Side.................................Adult £250 Concession ?

The offer is up until June 6th I believe.

I was told that it would be announced later today.

Regarding the retained list. Both Richards and Moore have until midnight to re-sign. 3 pigs might have information on Moore but nothing concrete yet, Richards looks/appears to have gone as well. Either way Nicholson has a big month ahead