TUST Not An Option

[PhilGull]

i sometimes despair of some of you. the offer from TUST may have no strings attached. (depends on who is running TUST bearing in mind some of the things said on here about them) but where does anyone have any proof that TUST can afford to buy United. I see nothing apart from promises as yet. there is nothing confidential in giving us an idea where the money comes from seeing as they have said various bodies would give grants. if thats so lets see the proof of this. because I know for one thing. grants are not just giveaways and they have all sorts of strings attached so there is no guarantee that we could get all or even part of any grants. and would they even amount to enough to buy united.
As for expecting fans to come up with cahs. we have seen the response so far. Im not very optimistic even allowing for my rose tinted outlook on life. I have seen many many people in various walks of life make these sort of promises and it all came to nothing.
So if TUST had been given an exclusive period and then said at the end; Sorry guys we can't do it. then the loan would be in serious jeopardy of not being paid and we would end up in the hands of GI

I think the public share issue is where the bulk of the money will come from to fund things in the immediate future. I would hope that the current owners - being the fans that they are - would hand the club over at cost (£30000 each?) if not for free.

[SenorDingDong]

i sometimes despair of some of you. the offer from TUST may have no strings attached. (depends on who is running TUST bearing in mind some of the things said on here about them) but where does anyone have any proof that TUST can afford to buy United. I see nothing apart from promises as yet. there is nothing confidential in giving us an idea where the money comes from seeing as they have said various bodies would give grants. if thats so lets see the proof of this. because I know for one thing. grants are not just giveaways and they have all sorts of strings attached so there is no guarantee that we could get all or even part of any grants. and would they even amount to enough to buy united.
As for expecting fans to come up with cahs. we have seen the response so far. Im not very optimistic even allowing for my rose tinted outlook on life. I have seen many many people in various walks of life make these sort of promises and it all came to nothing.
So if TUST had been given an exclusive period and then said at the end; Sorry guys we can't do it. then the loan would be in serious jeopardy of not being paid and we would end up in the hands of GI

When the other option is asset strippers who will kill the club, isn't it worth the chance?

[Kit_robin]

i sometimes despair of some of you. the offer from TUST may have no strings attached. (depends on who is running TUST bearing in mind some of the things said on here about them) but where does anyone have any proof that TUST can afford to buy United. I see nothing apart from promises as yet. there is nothing confidential in giving us an idea where the money comes from seeing as they have said various bodies would give grants. if thats so lets see the proof of this. because I know for one thing. grants are not just giveaways and they have all sorts of strings attached so there is no guarantee that we could get all or even part of any grants. and would they even amount to enough to buy united.
As for expecting fans to come up with cahs. we have seen the response so far. Im not very optimistic even allowing for my rose tinted outlook on life. I have seen many many people in various walks of life make these sort of promises and it all came to nothing.
So if TUST had been given an exclusive period and then said at the end; Sorry guys we can't do it. then the loan would be in serious jeopardy of not being paid and we would end up in the hands of GI

So if the owners of the football club came out and said the best option to continue TUFC into the future was as a community run club, you wouldn't put in any money? £100? £50? £10?

TUST currently has over £25k in their forever yellow find - and that's with no one giving two hoots. I would proffer that if the existence of the club was on the line then a community share issue would raise probably about as much as any of these potential owners are willing to put up. Sure we only have 2000 fans turning up on a semi regular basis, but one look at our away support should tell you that nationally (and internationally) our support is at least quadruple that. If 8000 people chuck a tenner in, that's £80,000. I have also heard through the grapevine that if it came to the crunch certain people would put in considerably more than £10.

That's also not even starting on other community agencies, local businesses etc supporting a community share issue. When Wrexham did there's, and as Bath are finding out, many local organisations stumped up cash to support what would be a community asset. That's also without any fundraising activity in addition to "please give us some money."

There is also a current scheme called the "Community Shares Booster Scheme" which offers to match fund community share offers in deprived areas (which we are) up to a potential £100,000. That means if the fans could raise £100,000, they would give us £100,000. £200,000 is likely more money than most will start with but I would expect TUST could potentially raise more.

I find in these things that the main barrier is people always looking small, and not believing that things are actually very possible. Mindsets change very quickly when the ball gets rolling.

[MarkL]

It really isn't hard to imagine matching Newport or Bath's share issue scheme. I'd definitely chuck in over £100 ... how much more would be determined by my financial controller you understand. :slap:

[Burnhamgull]

I think the club is finished, nobody gives a stuff about TUFC. Apart from a core amount of supporters which is dwindling every week nobody is interested. The council couldnt care less, the local population of Torbay are not interested, over the last few years anybody that did care, the club has shafted them.
The club has completely self destructed from one disaster to another, managers, directors, players, money and lots of it.

[gullpower]

Only TUST ie the supporters as owners, would have the club's best interests in mind.

GI and Peter Masters would want to line their pockets with silver, perhaps even at the expense of the club's survival.

[Burnhamgull]

Probably so but without them, we could be finished a lot sooner.

The rich get richer and the poor go bust.

[gullpower]

The rich get richer and the poor go bust.

That sums up English football for me.

[Burnhamgull]

For a long time I have believed that eventually the professional english game will consist of only two professional divisions. Almost certainly populated with the football clubs from the largest towns and cities.

In reality, clubs from larger towns or cities can always rely on big support the minute there's a sniff of a half decent season. Just look at how Argyle are top of the league but still getting moderate attendances.

Somebody once said on ths forum that if TUFC offered free entry, we still wouldn't fill Plainmoor. That sums up the local population. Nobody cares and nobody has ever cared. It's a shame but it's a sad reality.

[PhilGull]

For a long time I have believed that eventually the professional english game will consist of only two professional divisions. Almost certainly populated with the football clubs from the largest towns and cities.

In reality, clubs from larger towns or cities can always rely on big support the minute there's a sniff of a half decent season. Just look at how Argyle are top of the league but still getting moderate attendances.

Somebody once said on ths forum that if TUFC offered free entry, we still wouldn't fill Plainmoor. That sums up the local population. Nobody cares and nobody has ever cared. It's a shame but it's a sad reality.

But if they were involved through TUST ownership and a community share scheme would they become more interested? I think they would.

[hector]

There is a murky cloud hanging over TUFC. Masters has been loitering like a bad smell for some time and GI are clearly only in this for the property and building. Now it was only a couple of months or so ago that the deal to buy TUFC fell through because of the inability of Phillips/Masters/GI to wrestle the ground from council ownership.

What do GI want with a football club that they cannot get the ground for? As Jon pointed out on TFF, PLainmoor with TUFC as tenants is worthless but Plainmoor without TUFC is worth millions.

I think people like Matt think the likes of Masters/GI are going to pump a fortune into the club so we can reclaim our place in the higher leagues. That is a ridiculous and naive supposition.

The club will fold/be liquidated under the ownership of Masters/GI. They want property. It has been so obvious for so long - only David Phillips et al have been too blind to see it. They have blocked TUST at every turn when had the club really supported community ownership, then they could have been helping build up TUST for the last 18 months.

Instead they have handed it on a platter to GI. It's too late now. The club is gone - you better hope TUST has enough support to start up a phoenix club.

[Burnhamgull]

And sadly, that's where a previous poster comes in.......

The public in Torbay do not care about the football club. If you don't back a club, you won't survive. This hasnt happened over the past 12 months. This club has always been on the edge. Right back to the days when we always had to seek re-election to the football league.

[gullpower]

There is a murky cloud hanging over TUFC. Masters has been loitering like a bad smell for some time and GI are clearly only in this for the property and building. Now it was only a couple of months or so ago that the deal to buy TUFC fell through because of the inability of Phillips/Masters/GI to wrestle the ground from council ownership.

What do GI want with a football club that they cannot get the ground for? As Jon pointed out on TFF, PLainmoor with TUFC as tenants is worthless but Plainmoor without TUFC is worth millions.

I think people like Matt think the likes of Masters/GI are going to pump a fortune into the club so we can reclaim our place in the higher leagues. That is a ridiculous and naive supposition.

The club will fold/be liquidated under the ownership of Masters/GI. They want property. It has been so obvious for so long - only David Phillips et al have been too blind to see it. They have blocked TUST at every turn when had the club really supported community ownership, then they could have been helping build up TUST for the last 18 months.

Instead they have handed it on a platter to GI. It's too late now. The club is gone - you better hope TUST has enough support to start up a phoenix club.

[PhilGull]

And sadly, that's where a previous poster comes in.......

The public in Torbay do not care about the football club. If you don't back a club, you won't survive. This hasnt happened over the past 12 months. This club has always been on the edge. Right back to the days when we always had to seek re-election to the football league.

I think the attendances towards the end of last season and when Buckle was in charge show that people do care. This current board, even more than those previous have done nothing to encourage the fans, and with the way they have dealt with the TUST they have actively discouraged fans from involving themselves with the club.

[Burnhamgull]

Paul Buckle was involved 20 years ago! 20 years ago, SKY was in it's infancy. Now kids can watch a better level of football almost every day of the week at home. Why go to Plainmoor?

24 years ago, I watched Justin Fashanu score a winner against Stoke City at Plainmoor. Last night I sat in the Bet365 stadium watching Stoke beat Swansea in front of big crowd. We used to be in the same division as both those clubs but over the last 20 years they've grown. Why? Because they're from largely populated areas that will back a club when it does well. South Devon has a fairly decent population but we attract 1600 to homes games.

I've never expected the club to be anything more than L1 at best but currently, I would crave L2 football.