Torquay United Fans Forum

Pleased you're all enjoying it!

For those yet to indulge, I'll be at the Basingstoke game on Saturday!

Hi everyone. I've got some news regarding Issue 7 of HTH and some other stuff too, so I'll dive straight in. Eyes down.

1. ISSUE 7 - This is now with the printer and I'm hoping it'll be back with me by the weekend. Thanks to everyone who got involved. If you haven't been involved yet, but would like to, please do get in touch with me. Everyone is welcome. Issue 8 will be out around December time and is already filling up. In particular, I am still in need of photos that I can crop and add to the zine to give it a bit of colour (well, grey). If you've read Issue 6 you'll know what I mean. Someone, somewhere must have photos you've taken from grounds, games, merchandise, players, etc.

Issue 7 is another 40-pager and in my humble opinion it's another belter. The big interview is with former Gull and current Truro City manager Steve Tully, and there is a triple interview with TULFC summer signings Roxxi Cook, Smara Sparkes and Sasha Sparkes. There are original features on away travel, cult heroes and the Chris Roberts era, as well as all the recurring features like match reports, Match in Time, Gullacticos, Radio Plainmoor and Where Are They Now?

You can find out more and pre-order Issue 7 from the online store at www.highwaytohele.bigcartel.com. It's still just £1.50 (+ p&p). Selected back issues and 2015/16 part-subscriptions are still available too, if you want us to deliver to your door each time a new Issue comes out.


2. RAGE AGAINST THE FANZINE - Those of you who follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter may have noticed some new artwork that we cobbled together one evening. Some of you may even recognise it as a 'loving homage' to angry 90s band Rage Against the Machine. I have made this design available as an 8cm x 8cm black sew-on patch and it'll cost £2 with free postage. Every penny raised from sale of the patches will be donated to the club's Player Fund. So basically, the club gets the money and you get an awesome patch.

Again, you can check this out in the online store at http://www.highwaytohele.bigcartel.com


3. THE FSF AWARDS - The Football Supporters Federation Awards have come around again and if you want to nominate us for 'Fanzine of the Year', you can do. Alternatively, you can vote for someone else or noone at all. That's how voting works. I'm not going to beg for votes or anything, but now you're aware of the link you can make your own minds up as to whether or not we deserve a nod.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/fsf-awards-2015

Some thoughts. Apologies if anyone else has covered this, I haven't read the thread.

1. Butler should not have been central in a million years.

2. Defensively I thought the main issue was lack of protection from the midfield, rather than the performance of the defenders themselves.

3. Our shape after the substitutions was poor. I suspect Nico, being on the pitch, could not see this as well as us in the stands. But there was a point where we had Butler and Hurst playing very central with Bell and Heslop virtually out wide. Made no sense at all. Perhaps Kenny V could have provided a bit of direction from the bench.

4. We're lacking creativity in the middle and going forward. I genuinely think that as Hurst is by far our best player we should build our team around him like a Bale. Stick him behind the front two or even up front or something. He'll run at people and make things happen. Just an idea.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Plenty of lessons to be learned but we started well so we know we can do it.

Hurst
Berry
Smith
Marsh
Spiess

Perhaps I'm in the minority but I don't think we were awful this evening. We weren't good either, of course, but performance wise I think there were passages of play that were promising. We were never going to bounce back and win this 4-0. We haven't got it in us at the moment. The best we can say is that if we had defended set pieces properly, we could have scraped a 1-0 win and I think we would have deserved that.

Very pleased to have Durrell back. He and Hurst were the standout performers for me. Exodus has been found out. I would drop Butler back to left back and pair Angus with either Smith or this new chap. Then maybe give Murombedzi or someone else a run out on the left wing.

The main thing we are lacking is stability. We have an average group of players with one or two talented individuals. If we can find a level-headed, manager who sticks by his team, I think the wins will start to come back. We aren't going to achieve much this season, perhaps even next season, but after a few days of thinking this might genuinely be curtains for us, I am now starting to think that with some expectation management, we will probably be fine. A lot is resting on the managerial appointment, apparently coming in the next 7-10 days.

I think there are a lot of things wrong with our club at present, and a lot of lessons are being learned by those in charge. We are quite clearly a work in progress and this is an incredibly frustrating time. But it is still September. The season does not end until May.

I'd like to echo the words of others on here and across the internet by thanking the fans of Plymouth Argyle, Exeter City and all the other clubs (I saw shirts from Wycombe, Swansea and others) who turned up tonight. A fantastic gesture from them that will not be forgotten. I hope the anti-City chanting was taken in good humour...

Really pleased to see Durrell back with us. I thought he worked well with Hurst tonight and although he is not particularly physical, provided a lot of calmness and stability. Two qualities we need to encourage both on and off the field.

Hurst
Berry
Bob Marley
Gilbert the Gull
Bloke who did the crossbar challenge

portugull wrote:So then we might see Toby at Plainmoor on 6th October when we play Dover.

No doubt he will want to impress!

I'd put money on him scoring. Always seems to happen.

torq2u wrote:Got to say, I enjoyed last season's mags but this one is the best, biggest, stylishest, informativest and enjoyablest yet.

Sooooo worth the subscription and all the effort that has gone into it. Thanks Mr Dand and Co.

Some new insights not gained from the OS or fans' website. Some amusing bits, and very intelligently written on the whole.

Highly recommended.

Cheers

Great to hear that people are enjoying it more than last year. We worked hard on the content over the summer and brought some fresh ideas to the table, and I spent ages trying to come up with a better design. Thanks for your kind words.

I have to add - anyone can get involved at any time, it's not an exclusive club. The more the merrier, and to be honest we're all quite young (ish) so anyone who can give accounts of matches from further back than the early 90s would be encouraged to get involved!

ROADRUNNER wrote:richards is still with us, dont know about the others, as for the starting line up quigley will start up front with fairhurst i reckon, with fisher and marsh on the bench, i dont see ashley here after christmas and prynn will be there as back up.

Yeoman has to be given a run of games, otherwise that 6 month deal is a waste of everyone's time and money. I'd have thought Cox wouldn't have bothered if he did n't think Ash was good enough, given his financial constraints...

Fairhurst, Fisher, Marsh, Yeoman, Prynn, and now Quigley.

We seem to have a lot of strikers on our books, four of which (five if you include Yeoman) were signed over the summer. I'll be curious to see who misses out and whether whoever gets the nod gets a decent run of games.

Behind-the-Gulls wrote:Will you be selling outside ground on Saturday. Is it available in club shop?

At present the answer to both questions is 'no'. It would be great if someone would volunteer to sell a few copies for me on Saturday, but as yet that person has not yet revealed themselves to me. I can't be there unfortunately. If the situation changes I will let everyone know on here and on Twitter/Facebook (links in my signature).

Regarding the club shop I did approach them earlier this year but never heard back. I intend to try again though, but it's difficult because I'd more or less be asking them to do it out of the goodness of their hearts. It's not a get rich quick scheme, I can tell you that much!

If you can't order online - I will be at other games coming up and will let everyone know on here and on Twitter/Facebook when and where I will be.

SuperNickyWroe wrote:Have just signed up.....

looking forward to a right riveting read! =D

I hope it matches expectations!

Another batch going out in the post tomorrow, thanks everyone for your support.

I think we'll be mid-table but really it's impossible to tell given the amount of new faces.

It look like we've assembled the kind of side that has enough talent to do alright. If the squad gels together (last year's did not), we could form a good team spirit, punch above our weight and surprise a few people. If it doesn't work out for a few of the new boys, many of whom were plying their trade at lower levels last season, and if injury interrupts our form, we might struggle.

I think we'll be a solid team, difficult to beat and not particularly pretty, but efficient and direct.

Issue 6 went out in the post today. I hope everyone enjoys it, it's virtually twice the size of last year's efforts and I think the design, variety of content and general flow has improved greatly since we started. I hope those of you who are on the fence or who have never bought a copy will give this one a go, and consider contributing in future.

We're all really proud of it.

Link to online store here (you can buy a subscription for £7.50 (+ p&p) or individual copies of Issues 4, 5 & 6 for just £1.50 (+ p&p) each.

www.highwaytohele.bigcartel.com