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Fantastic news. Seems like Mr Owers has cast his net far and wide....and it appears to be reaping dividends. Congratulations.

Here's hoping that Gary Owers team building will be successful. Some potentially great signings. Time will tell... it is going to be an interesting season.

Alex Bass aside, are this seasons signings on 1 Year contracts or longer?

brucie wrote: ↑10 Jul 2018, 15:19 Well done Mr Owers.

I am happy that you are happy and hope everyone else gets behind the team this season I will be there tonight for starters.

brucie wrote: ↑10 Jul 2018, 15:27 Fantastic news. Seems like Mr Owers has cast his net far and wide....and it appears to be reaping dividends. Congratulations.

Your fake love in with Gary Owers is getting about as exciting as his pre-match team talks Terry!

On paper a decent enough number 2 for where we are. Hopefully he is motivated enough to keep pushing Bass to perform or he will snap his spot up.

Seems like he is motivated - driving seven hours to play in a trial match. That's what we want young hungry footballers, not wiggy trouble making malingering shirkers who seem to think that Torquay United is just a cashpoint where they draw out a nice wedge every month whilst doing nothing in return.

brucie wrote: ↑10 Jul 2018, 16:06 Seems like he is motivated - driving seven hours to play in a trial match. That's what we want young hungry footballers, not wiggy trouble making malingering shirkers who seem to think that Torquay United is just a cashpoint where they draw out a nice wedge every month whilst doing nothing in return.

Will be interesting to see if 'wiggy' (as you call him!) is involved tonight...

Northampton gull wrote: ↑10 Jul 2018, 15:15 We have just signed a goalkeeper called Shaun macdonald personally I have never heard of him has anyone seen him or have any information on him

http://www.blythspartans.com/departure- ... ay-united/

Joined Blyth Spartans last summer - six appearances, keeping two clean sheets. Sounds like a promising number two who should be able to keep Bass on his toes and step in if needed.

His manager's just said this:

“Chances have been few and far between for Shaun, but I’d like to thank him for his efforts last season. He’s a very talented ‘keeper and didn’t get the chance to show the Spartans’ faithful his talents.”

“We didn’t want to lose him but he’s got the opportunity to play full-time football with Torquay United, and moving out of the area. I wish him all the best in the future.”

Richinns wrote: ↑10 Jul 2018, 15:54 Your fake love in with Gary Owers is getting about as exciting as his pre-match team talks Terry!

He's trying hard, bless him

Confirmed on Devon Live that the experienced midfielder due to sign has fallen through. Also states Bawling has a knee injury (although further details of the extent of this are missing).

It obvious we are short of numbers and having to fill the bench with academy players clearly shows this. I can see us signing up any trialist that rocks up because we simply have to rather than bringing in pieces of the jigsaw which fits the puzzle (which we have had weeks to sort but have rather stumbled along in doing so).

What is also abundantly clear (and has been said by Owers himself many times) is we lack physicality up front and have done so for many years now. I would have thought this would have been about top priority recruitment wise yet it seems we will yet again be lacking this presence. It honestly seems a decent target man will not travel south of Bristol these days!

Have we made a mistake trusting Gary 'contacts' Owers to build this years squad, is staying full-time actually hampering recruitment for the league we are now in or am I simply being impatient and irrational on this?!

joke... atleast owers had a nice long holiday and left it to that utter shambles of head of recruitment to sign the players up. ryman league next?

Its seems that signing full time players at this level is proving difficult. However at least it seems that Owers is prepared to wait and is being selective (maybe)

When you see that Billericay have paid money for Ben Gerring it does make you wonder what the standard of this league is actually like.

I will concede though that playing friendlies when you havn't actually got enough players is far from ideal - I mean having to leave unfit players on for ninety minutes when you have not got any replacements looks to be asking for trouble.

We look way off at the moment though.

Even as someone who feels very negative about the management set up I think its only fair we reserve judgement until the the season starts, Owers said he they were not his players last year etc and he should only be judged once he gets his team together so Im happy to go with that. Pre season games seem to almost always give the wrong indication- West Brom springs to mind.

Its clear he doesn't fancy Gowling and Pittman but unfortunately they are taking up two decent wages so he either needs to find a way to move them on (which Im guessing is a very difficult task) or find a way to work with them and get the best out of them. I feel we are 2-3 experienced signings away from having a decent core but perhaps we cant gain them until these two leave. I appreciate even then we are short of numbers but its clear to me we will again have 5-6 players in on loan at any time to boost the numbers so in that respect the core squad probable isn't far away.

My biggest concern is that we lack a commanding target man in this squad, and have done for quite some time. I feel in order for us to stand a chance thats a vital piece of the jigsaw.

brucie wrote: ↑11 Jul 2018, 16:36 Its seems that signing full time players at this level is proving difficult. However at least it seems that Owers is prepared to wait and is being selective (maybe)

When you see that Billericay have paid money for Ben Gerring it does make you wonder what the standard of this league is actually like.

One should not be surprised that the skipper of a play-off team transfers to one of the favourites for automatic National South promotion. As many including Merse have alluded too in the past you sign up the best in this league. As hard as this may be for many to swallow, Gerring is reknown as one of the best National South defenders, hence the transfer fee. Having seen a fair number of games in this league, I have not had to wonder what the standard is - the word 'dross' springs to mind. Aside from maybe six teams if we we don't produce the results against the other low budget, part-time teams then what word can be used to described Torquay?