Torquay United Fans Forum

Or you can email us through the [email protected] email address and I will deal with it personally for you. Just let me know it's your good self and I can walk you through it if you need any help.

fred disley wrote:Hi,Southamptongull.
Sure, love to join as a member, just tell us what I have to do.

Fred, at the top right-hand corner of the page you should see the words 'Register' and 'Log in'. Obviously you should choose 'Register'. Just stick your little arrow in there, follow the instructions, and get yourself certified..
Any problems, go to the Home Page, scroll down to the bottom, and you will see 'Contact Us'.

Hi,Southamptongull.
Sure, love to join as a member, just tell us what I have to do.

Fred, have you considered just joining as a member rather than posting as a guest? You wouldn't then have to rely on waiting for us to approve your post. You provoke some interesting discussion so are more than welcome and could save us some work in the process

When you go back to the original announcement that steve breed made in July 2015 regarding the players fund, he stated that all monies raised would go towards player or players weekly wages. The new one states that it will go towards players wages, transfer fees and living expenses. I do not wish to sound sceptical but will the next one say, also to include any legal fees the club incurs, the chairmans expenses to drive to some hotel where any prospective player may be holed up, etc etc.
I agree with previous contributors, a great idea in principle and there are many, many companies and commercial organisations in the greater Torbay area that would benefit from this corporate exposure, and specific company advertising and corporate hospitality directly in support of your business attracts tax concessions.
Trust is a two way street as the saying goes, we, by paying our entrance fee, season ticket, players fund contributions, trust that these contributions will be made for the benefit of the club.
Has any one, other than the board seen any figures about the amount of monies raised for the players fund, where it has been spent, and who on, how much the fund currently contains and many more relevant questions that by making the figures and facts public would give extra impetus to the whole idea of a players fund.

I’ve had a look at the new Players Fund website. It says: “We need you – our loyal supporters and businesses to contribute to this success. With this in mind, we’ve designed a series of contribution packages which start from as little as £475.”

In other words, there is a range of benefits for those who contribute between £475 and £4750. It does not say so, but presumably these are for annual contributions. Obviously this scheme is designed for the relatively small number of more affluent supporters. Which is fair enough. And the website also encourages those who contribute smaller amounts (which is the vast majority of us) to continue doing so.

But that’s it. The issues which have concerned me regarding the Players Fund from the outset remain unanswered: donations are made to the club itself rather than to a specific fund, the Fund appears not to be ring-fenced for the purpose it was set up for, and supporters are never informed as to how the money is spent and how much remains in the Fund.

And of course there are other financial problems, costs for which supporters' donations could help and which might reasonably be included in the Players Fund, such as travel to away matches, the costs of kit, etc., but these are not specified. All we are told is that it's a 'players fund'.

There appears to be no accountability here, which does not encourage supporters who would otherwise be happy to help. Yet those who run the club appear to have no interest in communicating with supporters. They remain silent.

Next week the TUST board will meet with the TUFC board to discuss the independent financial review. I think very soon we will discover whether the club has a future as a community owned club or whether it will face oblivion in the very near future.

I think it is a noble gesture, Eddie, to help set the Players Fund, but in my view it only lets the board off the hook and who can be certain where the money is going anyway?

It is a bit like the Government saying they are not funding hospitals because Hospital League of Friends are raising so much money that they can rely on donations instead.

The more money supporters raise for this sort of scheme, the more it lets those running the club into the ground off the hook. Supporters currently have no say in how the club is run, yet are being asked to fund the running of the club, over and above what they already do with their gate receipts.

When the Players Fund started, there was almost a 'We're all in this together' feel and people willingly donated. The climate is very different now. We have a secretive board, clearly in the thrall of Masters/GI, who do not communicate with supporters yet see them as a cash cow to keep afloat their incompetence.

You get the feeling supporters are being used to keep an ailing football club alive so it is ready to be pounced on when the likes of Masters/GI sense their opportunity.

Nick, I fully share the sentiments about the board and the lack of communication. There's been no direction for a long time but without any sign of investment, its important that we, as fans, do what we can to help.

eddiebent wrote:Fred, I've been an avid (daily) reader of this forum for many years. Just to clarify your point regarding the players fund and the launch of the new website today, this has been undertaken by myself, Nicho and a couple of other local business people. We've had very little input from the club itself but feel that we (the business community) need to do something to help Nicho improve the playing squad. We've all given our time to get this up and running and I think we're very fortunate to have someone like Nicho in place who is prepared to take the initiative and listen to ideas and suggestions given by third parties. I'd dearly love the whole community to get behind the players fund. The funds will be used to help Nicho develop a squad that will give us a better opportunity to get back into the league.

While your initiative might be praiseworthy your reply doesn't answer the question about the current custodians of the club who show no leadership.
What is it going to take for the Board to communicate with us long suffering fans?
For example a huge drop in support on Saturday?

Gullscorer wrote:More people might support the players fund if we had occasional feedback from the club about it. Nicho is doing a great job in the circumstances, but, as Fred says, we never hear any news from the board. So what is this new website? Is there a link?

This is the new website http://torquayunitedplayersfund.co.uk/

More people might support the players fund if we had occasional feedback from the club about it. Nicho is doing a great job in the circumstances, but, as Fred says, we never hear any news from the board. So what is this new website? Is there a link?

I apologise for giving the impression that this latest enterprise was anything other than an innovative plan. Additionally the word scam was ill used and I wish you all every success in this venture.
My admiration for Kevin Nicholson grows by the day, these fund raising ideas, cannot in any shape or form be in his managerial remit, yes he has this club at heart and it willing to go the extra hundred miles but surely this is what a board of directors are there for.

Fred, I've been an avid (daily) reader of this forum for many years. Just to clarify your point regarding the players fund and the launch of the new website today, this has been undertaken by myself, Nicho and a couple of other local business people. We've had very little input from the club itself but feel that we (the business community) need to do something to help Nicho improve the playing squad. We've all given our time to get this up and running and I think we're very fortunate to have someone like Nicho in place who is prepared to take the initiative and listen to ideas and suggestions given by third parties. I'd dearly love the whole community to get behind the players fund. The funds will be used to help Nicho develop a squad that will give us a better opportunity to get back into the league.

Perhaps someone could remind me when we had any comment from the board on any subject. I think I see Dave Phillips at most matches but it could be a robot because it never speaks. We know that the TUOSC is a board approved scheme but no comments from them in support other than the debacle at half time several matches back. I suppose this new corporate pay the players wages scam is also a board approved scheme but again no press release in support from the board. It seems that Nicholson is doing everything from driver to chief fundraiser to running the club.
We know that comments from this board have to be treated with a very large pinch of salt but they have to come out of their bunker sooner or later even if it is to be put up against a wall and shot.
I know there are many that think that Phillips is the messiah and saviour of our club, but even that analogy along with any sympathy and support is wearing perilously thin.
I have just read a thread concerning apathy on our forum, it is human nature that we can on occasions all be worn down and forced to settle for second or third best and that's what this board have brought us to.
If we have a players fund, a new corporate pay the wages scheme, gate money etc and Nicholson working 25 hours a day why do we need a board, oh yes we don't have one, or do we, perhaps they are waiting for Truro or G.I to give permission to speak, or perhaps they are in 24 hour discussions with yet more fictitious investors.