Torquay United Fans Forum

Fact if the matter is that the football club is currently at the mercy of the owner. If he decides enough is enough, the club will cease to exist immediately with the amount of debt we have and are continuing to rack up.

[quote="North Curry House" post_id=256759 time=1624313015 user_id=24665]
Breed was the most unlikely CEO any Club has ever had. His ill fitting suits told the story, he was a passionate fan but lacked any business sense. indeed any sense.

I recall he went to the Potteries to meet Smurthwaite, the Port Vale Chairman about him buying the Club. Breed turned up looking like he was homeless, unshaven and scruffy. Needless to say Smurthwaite was not interested after meeting him.

I did like his commentary on BBC Radio Devon, very direct and did not mince his words.

He eventually threw his toys out of the pram and is never seen st Plainmoor now.
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Desperate times call for desperate measures. Steve Breed done his very best at trying to save our club. I applaud him for that. Personally i don't care if he did his job naked. Norman Smurthwaite wanted to purchase TUFC, indeed it was the Football League that stopped him because its rules state that any person can only own 1 club and he therefore put Port Vale up for sale, as did Peter Masters who was the owner of Truro City. Masters has now sold Truro and it was him who persuaded Gaming International to buy the club via the £ 120,000 loan after the then board led by Dave Phillips turned down GI after 6 months of due diligence.

I'd love to see you say that crap to his face. One day the truth will come out and then everyone will understand why he took the decision he did. Smurthwaite lost interest because of who had his hooks into the Club, nothing whatsoever to do with the appearance of Steve. Interestingly he runs a very successful business of his own, what are your credentials for that ridiculous statement?

Breed was the most unlikely CEO any Club has ever had. His ill fitting suits told the story, he was a passionate fan but lacked any business sense. indeed any sense.

I recall he went to the Potteries to meet Smurthwaite, the Port Vale Chairman about him buying the Club. Breed turned up looking like he was homeless, unshaven and scruffy. Needless to say Smurthwaite was not interested after meeting him.

I did like his commentary on BBC Radio Devon, very direct and did not mince his words.

He eventually threw his toys out of the pram and is never seen st Plainmoor now.

In reply to Culmstockgull. Dave Philips was part of a consortium out together by Steve Breed. If those people had not joined that consortium of which Phillips became the chairman there would be no TUFC today. Several groups at the time considered taking the club on but when they opened the books they disappeared. Against their better financial judgement the Breed consortium decided to go ahead and hope that a buyer could be found. That kept the club on life support until GI came along. Philips lost more than his initial £30k I believe.
There was no alternative owners to the Breed consortium, just as the there were no alternative owners to GI when the time came.

[quote=smw1989 post_id=256756 time=1624306059 user_id=24115]
I’m of the understanding that part of his company or one of his companies has a business venture worth £100 million deal to do with broadband or something along those lines… so am I correct in thinking that he can write off tax against a company that is loosing money so he doesn’t have to pay as much tax in his profitable business?
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I doubt it is part of the same corporate structure so unlikely to be possible, but even if it is, its not particularly smart parting with £3-4million in order to save 20% of that in taxes. If allowable losses are created through non-cash accounting losses that can work, but this is hard cash that Osborne is burning through.

I’m of the understanding that part of his company or one of his companies has a business venture worth £100 million deal to do with broadband or something along those lines… so am I correct in thinking that he can write off tax against a company that is loosing money so he doesn’t have to pay as much tax in his profitable business?

Why is Phillips getting publicity, this was a small time race course bookie who relied on the majority of other peoples money so he could front the club, he talked about a number of people putting in 30 grand each, maximum 300,000, although the majority pulled out before the colour of their money was ever seen, even with all the money promised he had about a third of the season funded, what was he going to do after that, answer, he did not have a clue. He allegedly interviewed a number of people who showed an interest in buying the club,in his words they were time wasters, I am convinced he would not have known a proper buyer if they bit him on the bum. It was this kitchen table ownership that almost took us to receivership. That for me is why supporters should never be let near running a club,they think small and act even smaller.

It was a great message from Uncle Clarke - the Club is really getting quite professional at PR and it was good to read.

I'm so curious as to his motives. He was not a fan of the club initially, he doesn't appear to be pursuing a property based agenda anymore, and yet he's 7 figures deep many times over now. I was as sceptical as anyone when he took over (and remain so to a degree), but even the most hardened sceptic would have to agree his tenure has so far been overwhelmingly good for us.

Did anyone read the article by Brent Pilnick dated 19 June on the BBC sports website about Torquay and the clubs recent turbulent history.
What interested me the most were comments made by the former chairman David Phillips.
Mr Phillips is on the record as saying " I must have interviewed about 10 prospective buyers and they were all basically time-wasters".
Mr Phillips adds.
I believe that it was SNR ( apologies SNR If I'm wrong) that once posted in one of my articles that many parties were interested in the purchase of Torquay. Is Mr Phillips telling porky pies?
May I suggest to anyone that has posted on this forum during the last 5 years, go and have a look what was said about Satan the Devil, otherwise known as Clarke Osborne when he saved our beloved club.

Which was again… an appointment by Clarke Osbourne

All well and good praising Clarke Osborne, but this club's fortunes really turned around with the appointment of George Edwards in place the Geoff Harrop who was completely out of his depth. The club has looked more professional ever since.

it's a very good statement. One he didn't really have to make, so he deserves credit for that. Signs are that he intends to back Johnson again next season.

As I've said for a long time - appreciate what he's doing for the club, but I still think some scepticism is warranted.

Just read Uncle Clarke's message to the fans which is really uplifting. Osborne must have put well over 4 million quid into the club. Because of him, we have had two out of three wonderful seasons. Let all us fans repay Uncle Clarke next season by filling plainmoor every match. let's get record season ticket sales pre- season . Clarke Osborne has shown his commitment to the cause, let us show him ours.