Management options

[Villagull]

You a Aston Villa fan cos if so, so am I !!!

Yes I am

[Yorkieandy]

Yes I am

Bloody hell! What with Danny boy as well?! To think i got pelters on here for saying i liked to go and watch another club.

Only jesting.

[MellowYellow]

The Owner antagonised the fans from the start by undermining the manager at the time, (who at the time was popular with the fans) by wresting control of player recruitment from him and handing it to a small cohort of reviled and mysterious advisors who succeeded in bringing in inferior players. The Manager paid the ultimate price when he was sacked.

[font=Arial Black]No! its not Torquay United [/font]but Charlton Athletic and their, then popular manger Chris Powell.

[font=Arial Black]Charlton's[/font] decline has provoked extraordinary levels of anger fuelled by the fact that this decline is the result of a toxic mixture of arrogance, incompetence and stubbornness by the Owners. The Carlton fans did mount a sustained and at times highly imaginative campaign of protests, which they funded to the tune of almost £30,000. They carried out a mock funeral procession, delayed kick-offs by throwing objects on to the pitch, printed spoof match programmes and released a protest replica shirt. These tactics generated plenty of publicity for their plight as well as generating a unity of spirit in defiance of the current regime.

The story is all to familiar though. Antagonism between supporters and club owners has become the new normal up and down the country – and there is no end in sight for many frustrated fans. Coventry, Charlton, Blackpool to name but a few are in open revolt against owners and there appears to be little chance of resolution for any of them.

[font=Arial Black]Coventry[/font] have presided over the most miserable period in Coventry's history - and it's getting worse. Nonetheless there are still tensions between factions as fans take opposing views on how best to proceed. Currently, the minority representatives of the Coventry Supporters' Consultancy Group, drown out those who express the majority view of City supporters who are witnessing pathetic attempts to brush aside important questions about the club's on and off-field problems. The minority Supporters Group share the rose-tinted view of the current state of Coventry City, are very far removed in their opinions and allegiances from the overwhelming majority of Sky Blues fans. Indeed verbal attacks are made on those supporters who dare to criticise, protest or fail to show unquestioning allegiance to the owners.

[font=Arial Black]Blackpool’s [/font]decline was alarmingly rapid. Unsurprisingly, attendances at Bloomfield Road have dropped alarmingly with only a few thousand hardy souls watching their struggles in the lower division. Their Trust are continuing to work on bringing a change of ownership but admit that after such a long struggle that there is a certain weariness among the fans. Apathy and protest-fatigue are understandably setting in for quite a few supporters as the Owners show no sign of even entertaining the idea of going.

Like Clarke Osbourne the owners of the above clubs are rarely seen at matches and have not been in attendance for a couple of years, which implies a lack of interest in football affairs. Blackpool, Charlton and Coventry have all lost money over the last few years, so one has to wonder what the motivation is for these Owners. At least we do know what Clarke Osbourne's motivation is !

Torquay are not a Swansea or a Southampton or a Bournemouth, but they're all clubs who've had a difficult period and been able to turn it around. [font=Arial Black]Our ambition still has to be one of those clubs. [/font] Impossible ? Well not necessarily. Northampton Town fans succeeded in ousting their highly unpopular chairman, and almost immediately embarked on a club record of 31 unbeaten games, a run that started in December, securing the League Two title with ease. Their renaissance gives some hope to us and the fans of Coventry, Charlton and Blackpool etc. that, however grim things may seem, there is always a chance that a much sought-after change of ownership can start to reverse years of decline.

[font=Arial Black]KEEP THE FAITH![/font]

[knightmaregull]

Let's face it, GI WILL achieve one or both of the things they set out to do.

Firstly obtain the freehold on Plainmoor and secondly destroy the football club.

They will get one or both of these. There will be no protest nor any boycott other than a few men and a greyhound. As much as i admire the sentiment and as much as i don't want to agree with Merse i have to. The club just don't have enough fans to make it anywhere near worthwhile and it would probably be embarrassing ultimately.

There is absolutely nothing whatsoever the fans can do to get GI out. I feel that's the true gravity of the situation.

I'm going over old ground here but an AFC Torquay from start up with 500 - 750 disaffected fans as a solid foundation looks like the only way to go here chaps.

Agreed with sentence one and two. However, we have to try and resist. We must all end up believing we did all we can to stop these sharks. My messages have been scant but consistent from day one. Please NOBODY trust these guys whatever they happen to pull out the bag. We must use this forum to form a United front and collectively agree a best way forward.

[divingbboy]

I'm genuinely at the point with the GI shower where I can't decide whether they're completely f*£@ing incompetent or deliberately trying to destroy the club/massively piss off the fanbase. I mean, you really have to TRY to get things as badly wrong as they have since Nicho was relieved of his duties. It's farcical.

[arcadia]

So Geof Harrop has been interviewing potential managers that we can't afford surely he knew that before they accepted the interview this could have been done verbally. What a waste of time and money. It all looks set up for Harrop to take over.

[westyorkshiregull]

Best we can do is try keep plainmoor...football wise don't give 2 hoots

[Plainmoor78]

Best we can do is try keep plainmoor...football wise don't give 2 hoots

Agree. This has to be our focus.

[Admiral]

With all this boycott talk, maybe someone should get the ball rolling? Social media seems the best place to start.

[westyorkshiregull]

GI have not surprised us have they? We all thought and knew that the ground was primary objective and now that's been proved. Let's say we can't afford a manager , if they had come and explained that, yes we all debate why not and huff and puff it. BUT TO SAY NOTHING TO THE PAYING PUNTER IS A BREACH OF SERVICE , IT'S BEYOND A SAGA DON'T CONFUSE IT OTHERWISE.

What do we have left to hold onto ?

Hoping that we can somehow we climb the league and secure national league status again by a whisker

Hoping a fan can win lottery and buy the club ?

Hoping that GI will prove us wrong after we have proved them for what they are ? Yea they are business people and admit they are not football people but i was hoping a open and transparent way of doing things to show they were at least doing something positive.

What can we hold onto ?
The ground and a miracle that GI walk away and someone steps in to finance us and or runs the club within it means .
The ground and somehow like other clubs we start new club and able to lease ground again

Broken promises by GI and lack on communication make myself untenable to spend money that is tight for all us to put to a bad cause. My dad ha seen going since 1953 and even he says the same. He has no inkling to attend any games.

Well done GI and co for pushing me to a point where i feel my club is not my club anymore. I've paid my money plenty in past so I still feel a right to have my opinion but as for putting any money in there pockets no thank you.

[tufcyellowarmy]

The abuse levelled at Herrera is bang out of order. Sure he's not the right man for the job but that doesn't warrant the vitriolic bile being spouted. He doesn't want to fail or have an agenda to destroy the club.
GI however I am loathe to defend . I see and hear nothing that shows they have the club at heart.
Support the players we have and protest respectfully but keep it rational and as calm as possible.
I want a new manager appointed as much as anyone but we have to support the lads on the field to get us something to cheeer about.

[westyorkshiregull]

End of day robbie needs a job like us all...he there by default and im sure in his head he feels he can improve the football side of things.

Couldn't expect him to walk away cause that's what best.

[knightmaregull]

The abuse levelled at Herrera is bang out of order. Sure he's not the right man for the job but that doesn't warrant the vitriolic bile being spouted. He doesn't want to fail or have an agenda to destroy the club.
GI however I am loathe to defend . I see and hear nothing that shows they have the club at heart.
Support the players we have and protest respectfully but keep it rational and as calm as possible.
I want a new manager appointed as much as anyone but we have to support the lads on the field to get us something to cheeer about.

I totally agree BUT why would he want the job even now, let alone longer term when having known what toxic owners we are dealing with? I feel the same about Todd. Why would he even want the job? I appreciate there is little loyalty in management but why jump on your mates grave when you know your grave would be next? That's what I just don't get. I have been waiting for Todd to come out any say he wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Nicho may be barred from speaking out by a settlement agreement but TUFC legends / friends like Todd aren't. Why would any of those want to ruin their future management hopes with such a poisoned chalice? I'd love, for example, Mansell, to come out any verify what all those of us that are sane have been preaching for months.

I am left with the belief that the ONLY idiot willing to take the job will be Harrop. Perhaps the plan all along??

What fools we are ........

[westyorkshiregull]

Harrop would be popular on matchdays ...would he dare

[DWB]

Tomorrow will be the day!!