Disgrace

[Dave]

We played 75% of game with 10 men, so what, who the **** cares. Yeovil Town Championship bottom 3 on March the 1st went away to promotion chasing Reading, Yeovil had a player sent off in 66th minute, them played 3 minutes with 10 men before Reading levelled in the 69th minute, Yeovil had a second player sent off 71 minutes, then played the next 17 minutes with 9 men before they had a third player sent off after 88 minutes, they finished the game with 8 men away at Reading and still took a **** point.

The fact is we were losing with 11 men, we didn't look like scoring with 11 men, we were hoofing the ball down the park to weed from bill and ben the flowerpot men with 11 players on the park, the only clue we had Saturday from start to finish began with the word "no" then followed by a swear word.

[hector]

What I don't understand is why people keep saying we were sh*t when we played three quarters of the game with ten men.
Of course Newport had the better chances in the second half we were playing without any full backs for most of the second half.
Its absolutely nonsensical to suggest that the sending off did not alter the game.
In the circumstances we did ok. Newport didn't manage to score again in the match and had there been any justice we would have nicked a draw at the end.
The team does deserve criticism this season but on this occasion most of it is ridiculous.
You cannot argue that crucial decisions have gone against us in big games though.
First Northampton and now this.

Brucie. What was the score when Goodwin was sent off! That's all you need to know.

We have fielded a full team most weeks with the same outcome. We are crap, plain and simple.

[Yellow74]

I can understand the frustration at the officials however they can't be blamed for the situation the club are in. The problems are deep and in my opinion the days of TUFC are numbered unless some drastic changes are made at all levels.

For a must win game I expect to see players roll their sleeves up and fight for their lives which just wasn't evident on Saturday, biggest culprit is Bodin who bottled at least 7 tackles. These guys are paid to play football something I would have given anything just to have the opportunity they have, in any other job they would be sacked for consistently under performing.

I have no issue watching the team lose if they have a go but against a not very good team in Newport we hardly had an effort on goal, lost out in midfield and made numerous mistakes at the back in what was supposed to be a win or bust game.

It's not just on the pitch where the problems lie, the club has stood still or even gone backwards over the past 3 years football is not just about what happens on the pitch it is a business and im afraid to say this business is failing in so many areas.

Ticket Prices - We live in a low income area, the football is poor and worst of all the entrance fee does not equal good value, Even the kids for free day was a shambles with a few balloons and a juggling uni cyclist the only evident difference from a normal match day. I am luckily to be in a position where If I wanted to take my children to the game I can, however I refuse to pay £17 for myself and £5/£6 for the children when the match day experience is so pitiful. I don't particularly like rugby but the kids love going to watch Exeter Chiefs because of the atmosphere and entertainment before and after the game. Don't even get me started on the terrible decision to announce season ticket prices next year before knowing which league the club would be in.

The Board I have no doubt that the board love the club but look at the members, where is the experience of running a club? Thea has been instrumental in financing the club but chairwoman??? Enough said really.

Management Team We all know Chris Hargreaves is a decent bloke but as a manager I think this has been a step to far, I don't blame him for the situation we are in I just hope that once this all goes wrong he can learn from the experience and get back into coaching and get more experience. If we were going to go with an untested rookie the board should have put a more experienced assistant / mentor in place rather than Hodges. A short term 3 month contract just to ease Chris into the role and advise.

Playing staffUp until a few weeks ago I did actually think that we had a decent squad that was just under performing or being miss managed however I have now changed that opinion at the end of this season we need a major clear out of dead wood, I can only think of a handful that I would keep for conference standard football. Pearce, Downes, Rice (Yes I know), Cameron (based on recent performances), Lathrope. The rest just either don't have the ability or are not of the right mindset to use their talent to its potential. One im not sure about is Chappell bags of potential but there must be a reason he is not in the starting line up and I can only presume that he is not showing the right attitude.

Commercial Things have got to change and move with the times, a football club is not a good investment for businesses especially a failing one so other revenue streams and partnerships need to be explored. I am of the opinion that this club is more than capable of getting a gate of 3000 week in week out if they focused more on local schools and getting the match day experience right. the extra revenue that 1200 extra supporters per game would generate would mean a huge amount to the club. TUFC just isn't cool at the moment in fact when I bring my children to Plainmoor I receive all sorts of jokes from friends about social services needing to be informed! Jesus the kids are the future entertain them and capture their imagination.

Anyway rant over Im sure some will agree and some will disagree but hey thats what a forum is for and I am so disillusioned with the club right now I had to get it off my chest.

[hector]

When you're right, you're right and right now, you're right.

Newport bloke goes up with his arm raised. Goodwin's shoulder hits that arm and the Newport bloke goes down like he's been shot (until the instant that Goodwin is sent off, then he's alright again).

Until they scored their horribly deflected goal from a free kick which been never should have been given, it was all Torquay.

After we went down to ten, we were sh*t, yet Newport rarely threatened and really should have lost the last 4/5 of the game 1-0 (because Downer should have equalised right at the end).

Two decisions now have gone against us and they will cost us FL status. Attempting to end Bodin's career is, apparently, fine. Jumping for a header with a bloke who is trying to break your nose with his elbow is worthy of a sending off. I can't prove it, of course, but I reckon we'd be 7 points better off had those two decisions gone the right way.
I'll grant you, we've not been world beaters this year, but we have been royalty shafted as well and to the point where it's taking a mediocre side from lower mid table obscurity down to bottom of the division relegation and that's not right or fair but there's f*** all we can do about it.

Matt.

It is one thing being partisan but quite another to be deluded. The excuses you have been making for our ineptitude all season are just farcical, as convincing as Elliot Benyon in front of goal. The refs, the BBC etc just nonsense.

We are comfortably the worst team in League 2. And the worst for some years. We can thank your mate, Alan Knill for that, and teams are not 7 points adrift after 38 games because of bad luck. It is because they are dire. Playing a whole season with no forwards, headless chickens in midfield and slow full backs past their sell-by-date is the recipe for disaster that we have witnessed this season.

The fact that Rice, Poke, Downes & Pearce are the only ones of our own players to emerge with any shred of credit this season, says it all. To think we are lumbered with the likes of Tonge, Hawley & Benyon for another year is depressing.

[hector]

I can understand the frustration at the officials however they can't be blamed for the situation the club are in. The problems are deep and in my opinion the days of TUFC are numbered unless some drastic changes are made at all levels.

For a must win game I expect to see players roll their sleeves up and fight for their lives which just wasn't evident on Saturday, biggest culprit is Bodin who bottled at least 7 tackles. These guys are paid to play football something I would have given anything just to have the opportunity they have, in any other job they would be sacked for consistently under performing.

I have no issue watching the team lose if they have a go but against a not very good team in Newport we hardly had an effort on goal, lost out in midfield and made numerous mistakes at the back in what was supposed to be a win or bust game.

It's not just on the pitch where the problems lie, the club has stood still or even gone backwards over the past 3 years football is not just about what happens on the pitch it is a business and im afraid to say this business is failing in so many areas.

Ticket Prices - We live in a low income area, the football is poor and worst of all the entrance fee does not equal good value, Even the kids for free day was a shambles with a few balloons and a juggling uni cyclist the only evident difference from a normal match day. I am luckily to be in a position where If I wanted to take my children to the game I can, however I refuse to pay £17 for myself and £5/£6 for the children when the match day experience is so pitiful. I don't particularly like rugby but the kids love going to watch Exeter Chiefs because of the atmosphere and entertainment before and after the game. Don't even get me started on the terrible decision to announce season ticket prices next year before knowing which league the club would be in.

The Board I have no doubt that the board love the club but look at the members, where is the experience of running a club? Thea has been instrumental in financing the club but chairwoman??? Enough said really.

Management Team We all know Chris Hargreaves is a decent bloke but as a manager I think this has been a step to far, I don't blame him for the situation we are in I just hope that once this all goes wrong he can learn from the experience and get back into coaching and get more experience. If we were going to go with an untested rookie the board should have put a more experienced assistant / mentor in place rather than Hodges. A short term 3 month contract just to ease Chris into the role and advise.

Playing staffUp until a few weeks ago I did actually think that we had a decent squad that was just under performing or being miss managed however I have now changed that opinion at the end of this season we need a major clear out of dead wood, I can only think of a handful that I would keep for conference standard football. Pearce, Downes, Rice (Yes I know), Cameron (based on recent performances), Lathrope. The rest just either don't have the ability or are not of the right mindset to use their talent to its potential. One im not sure about is Chappell bags of potential but there must be a reason he is not in the starting line up and I can only presume that he is not showing the right attitude.

Commercial Things have got to change and move with the times, a football club is not a good investment for businesses especially a failing one so other revenue streams and partnerships need to be explored. I am of the opinion that this club is more than capable of getting a gate of 3000 week in week out if they focused more on local schools and getting the match day experience right. the extra revenue that 1200 extra supporters per game would generate would mean a huge amount to the club. TUFC just isn't cool at the moment in fact when I bring my children to Plainmoor I receive all sorts of jokes from friends about social services needing to be informed! Jesus the kids are the future entertain them and capture their imagination.

Anyway rant over Im sure some will agree and some will disagree but hey thats what a forum is for and I am so disillusioned with the club right now I had to get it off my chest.

Really good post and I agree with it all. Like you mention, I enjoy going to watch Exeter Chiefs. Like TUFC, they too announced season ticket prices for next season. For an extra £40 I could get a Chiefs season ticket to watch a team that has won a major trophy, play in a full and expanding stadium, playing against the best teams in the country in a match day experience that is in a different universe to the staid, dull, soulless experience you get at Plainmoor.

Because I have a season ticket for TUFC, I watch Chiefs whenever I can if TQY are away and Chiefs are at home but I am giving serious consideration to reversing that for next season. At a time when money is short, I get much better value for spending money I have earned by watching something I enjoy, rather than endure.

Chiefs v Leicester Tigers or Torquay v Braintree? It is becoming increasingly more difficult to justify the latter.

A friend of mine said on Saturday how he now understands why his father no longer attends, and I suspect most of us know people who no longer go. It is one thing for some people to trot out the fair-weather/fickle fan mantra when they are spending someone else's money but it ends up making people feel resentful, handing over a, not insignificant amount of money, to feel poorer and less happy at the end of it.

For me, apathy has largely already settled in. I'm resigned to relegation, to a non-league, long-term future, playing football in an even emptier ground, with even less atmosphere, watching Benyon trip over the ball, whilst teams like Telford come to Plainmoor and win.

Season ticket sales will drop like a stone and there will still be people wondering why.

[frenchgull]

Good post yellow74,my thoughts entirely.As for going to watch Exeter Cheifs yes if it was an important game but football in my first love and apart from watching England on the TV I would always go to plainmoor if possible dispite all the troubles,poor value for money,terrible football and no atmosphere but hey,we are Torquay United what did you expect!.

[PlainmoorRoar]

Oh yeah Exeter Chiefs they're a foot..

oh no its rugby

[chunkygull]

I can understand the frustration at the officials however they can't be blamed for the situation the club are in. The problems are deep and in my opinion the days of TUFC are numbered unless some drastic changes are made at all levels.

For a must win game I expect to see players roll their sleeves up and fight for their lives which just wasn't evident on Saturday, biggest culprit is Bodin who bottled at least 7 tackles. These guys are paid to play football something I would have given anything just to have the opportunity they have, in any other job they would be sacked for consistently under performing.

I have no issue watching the team lose if they have a go but against a not very good team in Newport we hardly had an effort on goal, lost out in midfield and made numerous mistakes at the back in what was supposed to be a win or bust game.

It's not just on the pitch where the problems lie, the club has stood still or even gone backwards over the past 3 years football is not just about what happens on the pitch it is a business and im afraid to say this business is failing in so many areas.

Ticket Prices - We live in a low income area, the football is poor and worst of all the entrance fee does not equal good value, Even the kids for free day was a shambles with a few balloons and a juggling uni cyclist the only evident difference from a normal match day. I am luckily to be in a position where If I wanted to take my children to the game I can, however I refuse to pay £17 for myself and £5/£6 for the children when the match day experience is so pitiful. I don't particularly like rugby but the kids love going to watch Exeter Chiefs because of the atmosphere and entertainment before and after the game. Don't even get me started on the terrible decision to announce season ticket prices next year before knowing which league the club would be in.

The Board I have no doubt that the board love the club but look at the members, where is the experience of running a club? Thea has been instrumental in financing the club but chairwoman??? Enough said really.

Management Team We all know Chris Hargreaves is a decent bloke but as a manager I think this has been a step to far, I don't blame him for the situation we are in I just hope that once this all goes wrong he can learn from the experience and get back into coaching and get more experience. If we were going to go with an untested rookie the board should have put a more experienced assistant / mentor in place rather than Hodges. A short term 3 month contract just to ease Chris into the role and advise.

Playing staffUp until a few weeks ago I did actually think that we had a decent squad that was just under performing or being miss managed however I have now changed that opinion at the end of this season we need a major clear out of dead wood, I can only think of a handful that I would keep for conference standard football. Pearce, Downes, Rice (Yes I know), Cameron (based on recent performances), Lathrope. The rest just either don't have the ability or are not of the right mindset to use their talent to its potential. One im not sure about is Chappell bags of potential but there must be a reason he is not in the starting line up and I can only presume that he is not showing the right attitude.

Commercial Things have got to change and move with the times, a football club is not a good investment for businesses especially a failing one so other revenue streams and partnerships need to be explored. I am of the opinion that this club is more than capable of getting a gate of 3000 week in week out if they focused more on local schools and getting the match day experience right. the extra revenue that 1200 extra supporters per game would generate would mean a huge amount to the club. TUFC just isn't cool at the moment in fact when I bring my children to Plainmoor I receive all sorts of jokes from friends about social services needing to be informed! Jesus the kids are the future entertain them and capture their imagination.

Anyway rant over Im sure some will agree and some will disagree but hey thats what a forum is for and I am so disillusioned with the club right now I had to get it off my chest.

Brilliant!

[hector]

Oh yeah Exeter Chiefs they're a foot..

oh no its rugby

It could rugby, it could be the cinema, it could be a day in the pub. Wasting money on TUFC is simply becoming harder to justify, that is the point being made.

[PlainmoorRoar]

It could rugby, it could be the cinema, it could be a day in the pub. Wasting money on TUFC is simply becoming harder to justify, that is the point being made.

Well that's your opinion and I disagree

I like live football, I can't stand premier league crap and as I'm moving back to the area I'll get a season ticket for next year no matter what division we are in.

[ROADRUNNER]

Well said plainmoor roar, its plainmoor next season regardless, torquay till I die.

[Yellow74]

I have so much admiration for those who will continue to buy a season ticket even if we were in the southern league with the likes of Dorchester, Im sure that I will still attend as I have supported the club for 30+ years. I have just hit a point where I feel that the club has become complacent and made some catastrophic decisions. I love watching football but I can go and watch Devon League games that quite honestly are better than the absolute rubbish that I have witnessed this season.

I just don't feel that the club and players have shown me enough for me to give the loyalty of buying a season ticket, also the opinions of my children say it all, they are at an age where they don't fully understand rugby or football as a spectator, but if I ask where they would like to go it would be rugby every time because they love the atmosphere nothing to do with the game. I think back to my early days as a child when my dad took me to games and I would meet up with friends from school and kick a ball around in the area next to the old mini stand whilst taking in some of the game, having chips and a Bovril and getting excited about maybe being in the programme as face in the crowd. Its just not the same and that's totally down to how the club is run and promoted, The club would be better spending a decent salary on a good commercial manager who can build a new fan base for the future and work on improving the all round match day experience without this I can guarantee their will be no TUFC as we know and love.

I hope to god I am wrong but I see no positives at the moment for next season and fully expect us to be mid table to bottom half of the conference and quite possibly facing administration by this time next year. We need to find a leader to take this mess by the scruff of the neck and sort it out! Any volunteers????

[Bomber]

Really good post and I agree with it all. Like you mention, I enjoy going to watch Exeter Chiefs. Like TUFC, they too announced season ticket prices for next season. For an extra £40 I could get a Chiefs season ticket to watch a team that has won a major trophy, play in a full and expanding stadium, playing against the best teams in the country in a match day experience that is in a different universe to the staid, dull, soulless experience you get at Plainmoor.

Because I have a season ticket for TUFC, I watch Chiefs whenever I can if TQY are away and Chiefs are at home but I am giving serious consideration to reversing that for next season. At a time when money is short, I get much better value for spending money I have earned by watching something I enjoy, rather than endure.

Chiefs v Leicester Tigers or Torquay v Braintree? It is becoming increasingly more difficult to justify the latter.

A friend of mine said on Saturday how he now understands why his father no longer attends, and I suspect most of us know people who no longer go. It is one thing for some people to trot out the fair-weather/fickle fan mantra when they are spending someone else's money but it ends up making people feel resentful, handing over a, not insignificant amount of money, to feel poorer and less happy at the end of it.

For me, apathy has largely already settled in. I'm resigned to relegation, to a non-league, long-term future, playing football in an even emptier ground, with even less atmosphere, watching Benyon trip over the ball, whilst teams like Telford come to Plainmoor and win.

Season ticket sales will drop like a stone and there will still be people wondering why.

Agree with what you said about needing a more experienced assistant to help Chris Hargreaves, in fact an ideal person who could have assisted him actually applied for the manager's job itself; Dave Byrne, the ex Argyle winger and more recently assistant and caretaker manager of Swindon Town and is currently Head of Youth at Sheffield Wednesday.

Having seen the Exeter Chiefs a few times this week and also in previous seasons, I can fully appreciate your point of view regarding that, and that's something I'd never thought I'd find myself saying.

The list of players to keep, I would probably add Ben Harding to that list of ones to keep, I still think he could do a job for a team in this league as well as the Conference.

As Damon Lathrope is out of contract at the end of the season, I would offer him the captaincy next year as a sweetener to try and keep him, well it's worth a try!

[PlainmoorRoar]

I have so much admiration for those who will continue to buy a season ticket even if we were in the southern league with the likes of Dorchester, Im sure that I will still attend as I have supported the club for 30+ years. I have just hit a point where I feel that the club has become complacent and made some catastrophic decisions. I love watching football but I can go and watch Devon League games that quite honestly are better than the absolute rubbish that I have witnessed this season.

I just don't feel that the club and players have shown me enough for me to give the loyalty of buying a season ticket, also the opinions of my children say it all, they are at an age where they don't fully understand rugby or football as a spectator, but if I ask where they would like to go it would be rugby every time because they love the atmosphere nothing to do with the game. I think back to my early days as a child when my dad took me to games and I would meet up with friends from school and kick a ball around in the area next to the old mini stand whilst taking in some of the game, having chips and a Bovril and getting excited about maybe being in the programme as face in the crowd. Its just not the same and that's totally down to how the club is run and promoted, The club would be better spending a decent salary on a good commercial manager who can build a new fan base for the future and work on improving the all round match day experience without this I can guarantee their will be no TUFC as we know and love.

I hope to god I am wrong but I see no positives at the moment for next season and fully expect us to be mid table to bottom half of the conference and quite possibly facing administration by this time next year. We need to find a leader to take this mess by the scruff of the neck and sort it out! Any volunteers????

I don't disagree with that but I can't justify to myself effectively punishing the club by not turning up and only worsening the problem.

If ( and i do mean if) we go down, i pray for a squad overhaul no matter the division its time for Mansell and Nicho to move on, I feel a overhaul of the squad could be what we need to keep coming back next year. A new fresh attacking, winning team in the conference will still attract the 2500 average

[Jerry]

Two decisions now have gone against us and they will cost us FL status. Attempting to end Bodin's career is, apparently, fine. Jumping for a header with a bloke who is trying to break your nose with his elbow is worthy of a sending off. I can't prove it, of course, but I reckon we'd be 7 points better off had those two decisions gone the right way.

The injury to Bodin certainly hasn't hurt us (apart from the goal immediately afterwards, which we should have stopped anyway), if he hadn't been injured Cameron wouldn't have been given his chance. Him and Goodwin are what gained us our 2 recent home wins and they are our only hope of pulling off a miracle. Give me Cameron running at the full back at pace over Bodin's pointless "Tekkers" any day of the week.