New Training Ground at (not Barton) Forches Cross

[CP Gull]

... well according to Mayor Oliver it seems.

Today's Herald reports on the recent Mayor's Forum and apparently Mayor Oliver revealed that "the council had been discussing with Torquay United about land at the former Barton tip in Torquay allocated for sport use for a pitch for use for their first team and further pitches for other clubs. With capital available through the club and private sector sponsorship, we hope to have this available by July 2013" he said.

Interesting news, I wonder whether this means the club will abandon Seale Hayne and move back to Torquay next year? Alternatively, I suppose, it could mean that the first team uses the new facility being proposed with the youth team/CoE development teams continuing to use Seale Hayne. Either way it could go some way to explaining why the proposed work being undertaken at Seale Hayne at a rumoured cost of around £50k, which included levelling work, has been put back for the time being.

If memory serves me right, the idea of the land at Barton being used for a sports facility has been around for a good few years. I seem to recall that under the "Roberts plan" as part of the deal to secure the Recreation ground, the Tics (TARFC) would have been moved to Barton.

Anyway, would seem like a good move, if it happens.

[Yellow4life]

Well I have been told (due to.my close relation with the academy) that all the tufc teams shall be training at forches cross (on the way to trago) due to how flat it is.

The pitch their isnt the greatest though.

[ferrarilover]

Spoke to Nicho at a recent charity thing and he seemed to suggest that the 4g astroturf pitches are lovely for training on (but matches would be too hard on the body still, lower joints especially), so perhaps we can use one of those for the time being. Does all seem a bit of a cake and arse party, all this not being able to find a decent training ground. What's the filth's Fiddle and Spoon place like?

Matt.

[stefano]

Spoke to Nicho at a recent charity thing and he seemed to suggest that the 4g astroturf pitches are lovely for training on (but matches would be too hard on the body still, lower joints especially), so perhaps we can use one of those for the time being. Does all seem a bit of a cake and arse party, all this not being able to find a decent training ground. What's the filth's Fiddle and Spoon place like?

Matt.

Excellent for League 1 / 2 level and far better than we've ever had!

[ferrarilover]

Then why don't we take it from them, fecking filthy bar stewards!

Matt.

[Trojan 67]

I remember in the mid 70's playing on the first pitch laid on Barton tip and it was rough as rats. It wasn't long before objects below started to surface and that was the end of the pitch together with the expensive dressing rooms built on the site.

If my memory is correct, the now defunct Watcombe Villa were one of the first teams to locate to that site from its former ground of King George V playing fields.

edit : the pitch was located near to where the Post Office sorting building is on Broomhill Way.

[tattooedjackass]

If this is the grass land at the top of the hill by Sainsbury's/Next ect, then i doubt highly that they will build on there! i live on the street right next to it and we have always been lucky that they haven't built loads of houses on there due to the ground sinking, we were always told they wouldn't build on there due to that fact plus it has drawn in wildlife too. i might be wrong and they might have changed that now but thats what they always said to us living that close to it!

[CP Gull]

Well I have been told (due to.my close relation with the academy) that all the tufc teams shall be training at forches cross (on the way to trago) due to how flat it is.

The pitch their isnt the greatest though.

Well, today's Herald Express makes you right. It seems we are close to agreeing a deal with the owners of the land at Forches Cross (Newton Abbot College and Coombeshead College) to secure the site for our new Training HQ and that the club are going to pump up £100k to bring the facilities there up to scratch with the work due to be completed by the end of the year, in the meantime we will continue to use Seale Hayne. Good news it seems and just as well that we didn't appear to waste any money in attempting to level the site @ Seale Hayne in the circumstances.

[ferrarilover]

Is it due by the end if this calendar year?

Matt.

[CP Gull]

Is it due by the end if this calendar year?

Matt.

Yep, once the deal is done they hope to get the work done by the Autumn. Although it's clearly a positive move by the club it seems that we had to improve our training facilities anyway as a requirement of the new Youth arrangements and the EPL funding which we have signed up to.

By the sounds of it at least the new site is on the level and the only works involved are improving the drainage, car parking and changing facilities.

[ferrarilover]

Then why is it taking the government more than two years to build a simple memorial wall in Dover?

Matt

[AustrianAndyGull]

Just for the benefit of an outsider (who knows Torquay fairly well ) , where the **** is Forches Cross?

[Louis]

It's about half a mile down the road from Hele park golf club heading away from Newton Abbot mate. Used to be where my school had Games/PE lessons.

--edit--
Scrap that that's Seale Hane - I mis read your post. Forches cross is on your right hand side as you leave Newton heading towards Trago Mills on the back road. There is a garden centre on the left, it's directly opposite that.

[highweekgull]

It is about half a mile from my house and I spent many a day there while at Coombeshead Comp!

There are three fields, two of which are flat (one has two slightly smaller pitches and the other has a larger one) and one is a big slope.

Not good enough state now for professional football so assume they will be making changes.

It does drain quite quickly as quite chalky clay up there - which means you don;t get waterlogging but it does dry out too much sometimes.

the other thing is that when the wind is in a certain direction you do get a stink from the abattoir (though they call it Pet Cremation nowadays!)

Heading to Newton Abbot from Drum Bridges roundabout off the A38 it is on the left on the next hill after Stover School and before the right turn to Highweek

[supergulls]

Yep, once the deal is done they hope to get the work done by the Autumn. Although it's clearly a positive move by the club it seems that we had to improve our training facilities anyway as a requirement of the new Youth arrangements and the EPL funding which we have signed up to.

By the sounds of it at least the new site is on the level and the only works involved are improving the drainage, car parking and changing facilities.

the playing surface at the ground are not up to standard although as stated they are flat they are going to be stripped of and relayed and improved drainage installed. the remainder of the money is going to be for improved changing facilities as quoted above.