Torquay United Fans Forum

I have now joined the Trust. I don't think that ownership of the club is a realistic aspiration, but I think that the Trust will help to represent the interests of the supporters in the next very difficult period. Part ownership of the ground, with a veto to ensure its proper future use, might be a realistic aim, as well as a seat on the Board. There are plenty of sharks around who have moved in on football clubs (Hereford for example), and this is something that the Trust could try to protect the supporters against.

[quote="brucie"]yes great they are now buying the club - is it April 1st already?[/quote]

waiting for you to put forward a plan of your own, brucie.

for years i've been reading this forum, and all you ever do is bitch about stuff. There's never any sort of positivity (or at least, very rarely) and you never have any sort of resolution to the various issues that you identify.

the trust may or may not be viable as an option for ownership of the club. but at least they're thinking about the future rather than doing what you always do; stand there with your fingers in your ears, saying 'la la la, everything sucks' while everything falls down around you.

yes great they are now buying the club - is it April 1st already?

Just joined.

Ok I was against the idea a few weeks ago. But given the situation now, I feel I should contribute!

[quote="drummergull90"]How do I get involved in TUST?[/quote]

Email Michael Gouldbourne at [email protected]

The website is www.torquaysupporters.co.uk

How do I get involved in TUST?

Thats an interesting set of results and it is good to see the Trust doing things the right way.

Judging by the responses I would suggest that you havent suffered enough to make TUST the obvious option. Trusts generally become the owner of last resort in my experience.

[quote="Neal"]
Although I enjoy talking politics, I couldn't join any party or organisation such as TUST as I agree with some things of one and some of another, and would vote on the number of things I agree with at the given point in time.

I hope the TUST succeeds, I really do, AND would contribute ONLY on an issue by issue basis![/quote]

You must be fun at parties :)

I hear what you're saying, but I think at some point the only way to get anything done is to join a group formed to represent your concerns. Occasionally you're going to disagree with the direction things are going, but if, at some point, those disagreements become the majority, that's when you leave.

Otherwise you just have a bunch of people shouting "Yes, we are all individuals!" while nothing ever changes. Democracy is compromise. It has to be.

That's why I'm happy that I joined, even if I'm an ocean away. (it also helps me feel that I'm still involved, which is hard when you've seen a live game for 4 years.)

Here are the results of the survey...

Question 1: TUST acquiring the ownership of Plainmoor?
Yes = 57.58%
No = 42.42%


Question 2: TUST acquiring the ownership of TUFC?
Yes = 35.05%
No = 64.95%


Question 3: TUST working in partnership with others to develop a new stadium in Torbay?
Yes = 48.42%
No = 51.58%


Question 4: TUST securing supporter representation on the Board of Directors?
Yes = 99%
No = 1%


Question 5: Are you happy with the way TUST has acted in 2015?
Yes = 91.67%
No = 8.33%


The survey is now closed.

There were also 39 anonymous comments which I am happy to share if you email [email protected].

We will now review the findings of this snapshot survey and develop a detailed questionnaire that will be sent out to TUST members only.

The results of this questionnaire will be used to create our strategy for the next 12 months which will then be presented to TUST members who will be asked to vote on said strategy.

Michael

Indeed - the emails from TUST have been coming quite frequently this week and gave a full account of the meeting with Thea and Kelvin Thomas. However, the scale of what it is up against in raising the capital required is immense.

I was around the roughly 100th member, give or take, (I'm guessing by my membership no.), so at £2 a month the TUST will raise roughly £200+ per month and £2400 by the end of the year. Say half of them pay an additional amount to play the lottery, that might generate another £600. £3000 per year perhaps, which if Thea is writing off £2k a week, the amount the TUST raises will be wiped out in 11 days, on that basis - so the scale of how far TUST has to go to be a sustainable custodian of the club, is a long way off. But it's a start. And a positive one and I would urge everyone to join.

[quote="Neal"]Hector, I absolutely agree with you, the guys running it are doing a good job. And I will contribute on an issue by issue basis[/quote]

Me too. Exactly why I joined. I understand your thoughts on committees and the potential for stuffiness, but the bloke running it has been running Future Gulls for a while and I'm sure any trust would actually benefit from those who like committees; or don't like committees but are able keen to help; or just wish to be members to have a vote on important issues.

I can see TUST being in regular dialogue with the club in the forthcoming months, particularly given Thea's recent public statements and her need for an advisor in Kelvin Thomas. Indeed, as can be seen from the regular TUST emails to members recently, they already are.

Hector, I absolutely agree with you, the guys running it are doing a good job. And I will contribute on an issue by issue basis. Yes in theory a lot of organisations are "democratic", in practice they are not! Because you would have to poll every member before you made any statement and that is not logistically possible. And I don't know if this is true of the TUST (probably isn't) but in my experience I usually dislike anybody who sits on a committee etc etc, just that type of person is not someone who I would want to associate myself with.

The TUST is a democratic organisation and it is asking for members/supporters to express what they would like the aims of the organisation to be. As a democratic organisation, you accept that not every decision will go your way but at least you get a say. If the TUST eventually managed to get a controlling interest in TUFC, then at least you would have a vote in the direction the club took. What do you get now?

£2 a month is very little, to support something that is not attempting to 'speak for you' but simply trying to raise enough support and wherewithal to get a supporters stake in the club.

I think Michael has done a superb job so far in revitalising the TUST, and deserves our support, in my view.

I'm firmly with Neal on this one and he described his reasons better than I could have done even to myself. I've always had a dislike of people voicing my opinion for me so perhaps that's why.

That said it's obvious that Rob is also correct and the Trust would and should be a good thing for the future of the Club.

Glad to see the numbers growing and the recent minutes of meetings including with Kelvin Thomas and Thea Bristow sent to members. Very proactive stuff. Plenty to be gained by the Club and us all by having a proactive TUST at this time. Hope it continues growing from strength to strength.