Torquay United Association Football Club - Sole Director Clarke Osborne

[Southampton Gull]

For what it's worth, Chris Rich yesterday confirmed the Five Year plan is alive and well and in draft form. When or whether it'll see the light of day wasn't discussed.
(Target Number One: To get out of the National League!!)

Yes but we all thought that was UP and out of the National League, not DOWN and out of it

[lucy6lucy]

Yes but we all thought that was UP and out of the National League, not DOWN and out of it

I like the comment "draft form ". In other words they haven't a bloody clue

[gullintwoplaces]

5 year plan?

[Plainmoor78]

Osborne has admitted he knows nothing about football. If he is a competent businessman he knows that if his plans for a land grab fail, which is highly likely, just read the post from merse above, then the value of his investment will fall off the cliff if we are relegated to National League South.

Merse's post does not say the value of Osbourne's investment will fall of a cliff if we are relegated. It says the current leasehold is only valid whilst the team remain at plainmoor. Therefore Osbourne is still sitting pretty even if we do go down as long as the club remain at plainmoor.
What peeves me off is that people are only now starting to complain about the running of the club due to the recent run of results, when the real issue (that is Osbourne's plans for the freehold) has been around ever since he reared his ugly mug back in march of 2016.

[Southampton Gull]

What peeves me off is that people are only now starting to complain about the running of the club due to the recent run of results, when the real issue (that is Osbourne's plans for the freehold) has been around ever since he reared his ugly mug back in march of 2016.

What? I've been banging on about this since BEFORE they acquired the club and so have some others. This has NOTHING to do with results for me.

[Plainmoor78]

I didn't mean you or certain other people. But it is noticeable that the volume of anti Osbourne sentiment has only risen since the Maidstone debacle.

[merse btpir]

Merse's post does not say the value of Osbourne's investment will fall of a cliff if we are relegated. It says the current leasehold is only valid whilst the team remain at plainmoor. Therefore Osbourne is still sitting pretty even if we do go down as long as the club remain at plainmoor.
What peeves me off is that people are only now starting to complain about the running of the club due to the recent run of results, when the real issue (that is Osbourne's plans for the freehold) has been around ever since he reared his ugly mug back in march of 2016.

Osborne's hold over the football club is the same sort of stranglehold the developer/owners of Dulwich Hamlet's ground have over them.

These people only fund the football club as leverage to get hold of the land and when they get what they want they dispose of the club or even worse if they don't get their way then they apply blackmail by withdrawing the funding putting emotional blackmail pressure on the local authority to give in to their approaches.

At any rate; with the club 'oownership' now going once again from Gaming International (a subsidiary of Clarke Osborne owned Toklon) to the sole ownership of Clarke Osborne; it remains in the same hands but is highly likely now indebted to Gaming International if it was them who have been funding the operation since Dave Phillips and Co lost their shareholding as surrendered co-lateral on the GI loan.

[merse btpir]

it is noticeable that the volume of anti Osbourne sentiment has only risen since the Maidstone debacle.

Well it bloody well shouldn't have been; it's been screamed from the rooftops for ages!

[gullintwoplaces]

Some fans have no doubt turned a blind eye to GI. However, many of us have raised our deep concerns about Osbourne and GI from the start. Memories are long, and some of us realised as soon as we heard his name what could be in store for our beloved team.

For me, it is what he did to Bristol Rovers, I was living in Bristol when he effectively turfed Rovers out. I have great memories of games at Eastville, and I feel sad every time I see the Tesco/IKEA complex. I also went to the last dog race in the late 90s at Eastville.

For others, they have seen the shenanigans about speedway stadia in Swindon and Reading.

Property developers have no soul, they don’t care about history, they don’t care about local culture, they only care about profit and lining their pockets.

[Teigngull]

Portgull.
I'm afraid we have no chance of avoiding relegation this season , our luck has just plain & simply run out, no amount of wishing, praying or what ever celestial being you direct your wishes at will do no good , we are down & out , you can feel it on the pitch you can see it in the players eyes the management carry themselves as if they have the worlds woes on their shoulders and the fans aren't even expecting us to score let alone even win
& Plainmoor itself feels a dour dank place to be. It isn't going to change anytime soon its all part of the 5 year plan

[greb46]

Gullintwoplaces,you've described things to a tee,the plan by Osbourne was to squeeze the lifeblood out of the club ,kill it off and the next step to try to get his grubby mits on the free hold for housing with no thought for a football club whatsoever, very sad it has been able to get to this point.

[Teigngull]

THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T JUST KEEP TURNING UP ON MATCH DAYS AND WATCH THIS SEASON PETER OUT WITHOUT MAKING A RACKET ABOUT THE 'RACKET' GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES, WE NEED TO BE LOUD WE NEED TO GET ON HARROPS TITS SO MUCH HE REACTS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
If he's prepared to warn other forum members to back off he'll surely react to constant badgering from us.

[Southampton Gull]

Some fans have no doubt turned a blind eye to GI. However, many of us have raised our deep concerns about Osbourne and GI from the start. Memories are long, and some of us realised as soon as we heard his name what could be in store for our beloved team.

For me, it is what he did to Bristol Rovers, I was living in Bristol when he effectively turfed Rovers out. I have great memories of games at Eastville, and I feel sad every time I see the Tesco/IKEA complex. I also went to the last dog race in the late 90s at Eastville.

For others, they have seen the shenanigans about speedway stadia in Swindon and Reading.

Property developers have no soul, they don’t care about history, they don’t care about local culture, they only care about profit and lining their pockets.

Since he took over my biggest fear has been founded on the fact that if he can do it to a club like Bristol Rovers he can easily screw us over. Our support isn't as vitriolic as theirs and nowhere near their size so realistically what chance do we have of stopping him from getting his way? It's the Bristol Rovers scenario that keeps buzzing away inside my head like a bloody honey bee.

And one thing, can we all at least spell the bastards name right. It's OSBORNE. (Not a dig at you but everyone who spells it wrongly)

[MellowYellow]

I like the comment "draft form ". In other words they haven't a bloody clue

I believe Chris Rich as the 5 year plan is so farcical, it must be in 'Daft' form

[portugull]

merse Toklon is the ultimate holding company of Gaming International and its subsidiaries
I can confirm that in the Annual Accounts of Riviera Stadium Ltd for the year ended 31st March 2017 RSL had a creditor of £360,000 namely an unsecured loan to Torquay United AFC. RSL is a subsidiary company of Gaming International.
As we know on 8th September 2017 GIL disposed of its holding in TUAFC and this decision begs many questions.
I really do think we should all start ringing Torquay United and Dave Thomas at Devon Live(Herald Express) asking them to urge Clarke Osborne to put out a Statement on what is going on.
.