Torquay United Fans Forum

Don't you mean Gene Vince?

It was always unsustainable. A bit like Forest Green. If Dale Vince pulls out they are goners.

Maybe the £7000 was just the immediate debt and even if this had been paid (an appeal would surely have raised this amount) the club was no longer financially viable.
Sad to see any club go under though.

If a club's supporters and local community can't cobble together £7k in order to stay alive then perhaps that club doesn't deserve to survive.

It’s a real shame, it could quite easily be us. I feel for those hardcore supporters who must be wondering how their beloved club folded because the club couldn’t or more likely didn’t want to pay a £7k debt. Yes, £7k. It’s disgraceful

What a shame. You can't beat the long term sustainable approach though - quick win approach is high risk.

Low/no spending on transfer fees, investing in infrastructure (in stages), high income on player sales, non match day sales and maximising the match day is what I hope we can get to.

Wasn't said entrepreneur a member of the same family that owns/owned Hull City?

Readers may be interested to know the final fate of a club (which we played only two seasons ago) which has over-reached itself.
North Ferriby, a village club on the outskirts of Hull, began to benefit five or six years ago from a relatively large input of money from (I believe) a local entrepreneur. So successful was this financing that the 'Villagers' rose rapidly up the leagues to become F.A. Trophy winners whilst still in the National League (North); in doing so they beat a very strong Wrexham side on penalties in the final. That very season they were promoted to the National League, where we came within their purlieu. Unfortunately they only lasted one season in the National League, and were immediately relegated at the end of last season from that league to the National League (North). Again, they were relegated after only one season whereupon they became members of the Northern Premier League. During this season their lack of success continued to the point where they propped up the other teams in that league from almost the very beginning of the season. Today came the news that the club has been wound up and they will play no more fixtures. This dramatic rise and fall has coincided absolutely with the input (and then withdrawal) of considerable amounts of cash. This story provides a stern and salutary warning to clubs who embrace over-ambitious entrepreneurs who are either consumed by folly, greed or the need for local status.