Torquay United Fans Forum

I love Kev Nic and I have a feeling that he'll do ok down there. I think the first thing to focus on is to stop leaking goals and as a defensive minded ex-player he will have a fair idea of how to do this. I wish him the best of luck and really hope he can pull this off.

As for the moaners. Well what did you actually expect? I'm not sure if you are aware or not but the club hasn't got a pot to piss in. Like Royalgull says, he's local, he's cheap and he's got potential. It was only ever going to be him IMO. My concern is that why come out and brag about having 129 applicants when it could be argued that they already had made up their minds? (IMO). If this is the case then it's the same spin and games that we saw under previous regimes. Just my opinion and i'm probably total wrong but it's just a bit odd that's all. But overall a common sense if risky appointment. I also agree with DJ Gull. Mr Breed should just come out and tell all the moaners and critics to piss off and go and play with theirselves. These people have a club to support because of Mr Breed and others and they should bloody well remember that.

As for those criticising Mr Breed. You've just embarrassed yourself more than Mr Breed and his spelling errors. Who actually gives a shit if he can spell? So long as he can be honest with the fans, communicate and engage with them on a regular basis, run a football club to be solvent and competitive going forward and treat fans with respect, consideration and courtesy then what else matters? He doesn't even have to wear a suit. He can wear a bloody onesie for me so long as he can fulfil the above criteria!! It's about the person inside and their ability, not how many GCSE's they have.

I'm pleased for Kevin as I liked him very much as a player and so long as he has no hidden ego like useless suited and booted CH then he'll have a chance. No disrespect but there are 4 sides in the division a lot worse than TUFC and it would be harder to actually get relegated then stay up regardless of experience or not. At some point the players have to step up too and take some responsibility. If they do and KN gets the basics right then no problems at all.

I think it's a common sense and positive appointment when you consider everything collectively. If the club goes down then it will probably have done so regardless of WHO the manager was.

At least the replacement is early on in the season and there is plenty of time to get things straightened out and organised.

Best of luck Kev and you now have the perfect opportunity to cement yourself in TUFC folklore once and for all, a chance that your predecessor threw away. Take it man.

Where?!! How much does she charge?

Guy Branston is now Notts County's 'Head of Recruitment' - comments from him in the matchday programme today.

Also Nicky Wroe. A County player but not in the squad today. Injured?

Evening all. I wonder if I may ask my Torquay friends and indeed 'foes' for some information regarding the UK laws regarding football stadia? Basically at my match today a few incidents occurred which I need clarification of the laws so I can find out who is in the wrong. I know there are a few of you out there extremely knowledgable about these matters. It's a shame Ferrari Matt doesn't post much because it would be right up his street. Jerry also comes across as though he is intelligent on such matters as do others so if you can held then great and i'd very much appreciate it thankyou.

First of all regarding standing at all seater stadiums in the UK and the rules as they apply to health and safety legislation.

I know fans do stand at the back of stands at grounds which is often permitted by the stewards but is this practice at the discretion of the club involved or technically is it supposed to be illegal or contravene health and safety regulations? If so how enforceable is this? How accountable are the clubs for not enforcing this adequately? Additionally, if fans are stood and congregating on access steps leading up and down the stands themselves this blocking them then is this permitted or legally not?

The issue with Martin Ling applying is that there is no way on this earth he will get the job even if he PAID to work at the club. As someone who has suffered from mental health issues, being honest about your condition to potential employers and just to people in general makes you somewhat of a leper.

Discrimination regarding mental health is something I am researching actually. I apply for jobs myself (many of which I am perfectly qualified and educated to do competently) and go for interviews if i'm lucky enough to get them. I have done this with thousands of potential employers and highlighted my issues and put a positive spin on them and I am currently compiling research into everything from the conduct of interviewers, the questions they ask, the structure in place at the company for supporting people with disability/mental health challenges and basically i'm trying to statistically and anecdotally see how much success I actually have.

A common trick of mine is to apply to the same company for the same type / similar type of job but in different areas. I also submit an application form to the same employer for the same job, one highlighting I have slight difficulties and one saying I have none.

So sure they might invite Ling to apply and say all the right things because their hand is forced - it's out in the public domain now, but in truth they are just being seen to be fair. Ling gets much support on here in terms of a return to the club but how many of these 'supporters' if they are being totally honest with themselves would actually employ him if it was THEIR business he was working at? Yes, you see now.

Ling is now seen as a liability. A weak man with flaws and whilst many opt for the two faced approach, very few would be honest enough to admit this is what they really think. The truth is quite the opposite.

The trouble with mental health issues is that sufferers feel they have to hide the condition which in turn compounds the suffering. It takes a brave man to admit he is suffering from something that truly frightens him and that he doesn't understand and to face up to it knowing random people he doesn't even know will avoid / judge him based on this. It takes a brave man also, and a very rare individual to employ someone like this without judgement or prejudice.

Stress and overwhelming responsibility are key contributing factors to a wide variety of mental health conditions and where Torquay are at now i'd say to Martin please don't even consider putting yourself in that position if by some miracle he applied and was successful. I'm sure he knows where he's at and what he can do but Torquay is in ten times the mess it was in when he left and it's not much fun.

May I also take this opportunity to encourage anybody out there to donate items to their local MIND charity shop to be resold for funds it they have one they pass regularly or that's nearby. I'd say donate money but first of all that's not going to happen and second of all you've all got enough on at the minute financial wise with the club and ticket prices and stuff. MIND do some really incredible work and I've benefitted greatly as have many other people. I'm not going to trot out that old clichéd bullshit about 1 in 3 of us suffering a mental health problem because nobody takes any notice of it. They only take notice when they themselves become one of the 3. They have to, the devastating impact can't be ignored.

I wish Lingy all the best. I'd be concerned to see him at Torquay. Despite most fans holding Martin in high regard and still feeling disappointed about the way those ignorant clowns went about getting rid of him, the club still have a small section of fans who would think nothing of using his illness for cheap shots and abuse should things not go well.

Whatever the manager is, he has to be relatively local. The pay I suspect would be too prohibitive for someone relocating with their family and that has caused problems in the past. Why make the same mistakes again? Torquay is in a difficult geographical position so don't make things even more difficult by doing this. It's too much.

Use common sense and look local. No homesickness, no stressful long journeys to and from work everyday, no extra financial commitments, no away from family for weeks on end should they not come with the new manager, a manager who knows the local area and players, the positive benefits are there to see.

About Kev Nic. I'd say that I could actually see him as TUFC boss but it's a mahoosive risk. He's interesting but it just highlights what a hugely important and difficult decision the board have to make now.

Yes, thankyou to Russiangull for pointing out my errors. Obviously he lives a bit closer to Lincoln now than me so i'd completely trust his info is up to date. Thanks also for the air raid siren update. Shame they don't still do it really. Yes it was annoying but it was synonymous with LCFC and perhaps they could have kept it?

Agree Tomo. Obviously I know how much time, work and effort goes into researching and constructing a matchday thread and whilst mine were extremely odd it is fair to say that in contrast, Dave's are excellently informative and factually interesting. I enjoy reading them very much Dave. Actually I miss talking shite. I don't anymore. Not because I don't do the threads now but because I've become so anti social that I rarely speak to anyone these days so don't get the chance.

Anyway, great work Dave. Hope the lads are doing ok with their footy.

If you go to the game, park on the common. It's a 5 minute walk, plenty of parking. Spent 3 years at Uni here and still sick of the air raid siren at corners. Please let me know if they still do this when you go on Saturday.

I'll be not far away, down at Meadow Lane with my fellow Yorkies but i'll wish you all the best at Sincil Bank, a ground that I've seen Torquay play and not lose on 3 occasions.

COYY!!! (Yellows AND York ).

Any potential investor / buyer in their right mind would not come on a fans forum and start fishing around. It's unprofessional in the extreme and simply wouldn't happen. Yes, it's TUFC and ANYTHING can happen as far as this club is concerned. Elvis I've discovered is one of the applicants for the vacant managers job but seriously you lot out there in forum land. Do to them what you do me and ignore. None of them are genuine. If by some miracle they are and they get what they wish for then you are actually screwed anyway. It will work itself out in the end and meanwhile just keep on doing whatever you can to help because it's out of your hands and the thing my counsellor advised me about excessive worry and anxiety was don't worry about something you can nothing about. You might not be in a position to anything immediately but in the future who knows. For now though you are in the hands of Breedy and co and I know Breedy is a die hard Torquay fan and I can see mistakes being made out of inexperience at the new position they find themselves in but mistakes certainly won't be made due to them being self serving and the 'I don't give a shit - something will turn up and get us out of the shit' attitude like the last lot. (Thea excluded obviously).

Scott Brehaut wrote:Do you know what pisses me off the most? What really gets my blood boiling?

It's not the defeat, though that has got me raging too, no, it's the fact that I know there are some posters on here that have only recently joined who are rubbing their hands with glee as we suffer yet another defeat. They are delighting in yet another nail being hammered into the coffin, looking forward to the fact that they will soon be able to buy what they are so desperate for - the land.

Well, f*** you.

We may be dying, but we aren't dead yet. Until there is zero hope, until the gates are finally closed, the doors bolted and the lights switched off, I will still believe that we can turn this around.

Whilst we still have members of the board who are passionate about this club, whilst we still have people around who want this club to succeed, whilst we have people in place who are not giving up, I will still believe.

So, hover around if you wish, property developers, but this club is still alive, it's heart is still beating, and there are still people who believe.

TTID.

Oh how I wish the club had people at the helm who had passion and heart and desire like this. That has been the main reason why I gave up, because I cannot relate to anyone at the club anymore. People like Scott who wear their heart on their sleeve. Nobody has ever set foot behind the scenes at Plainmoor since I was a fan and that is the problem. Sterile, taken for granted bollocks. If it means something then **** well let people know it does!!!!!!!!!

Why is it solely left to the fans to try and encourage and motivate other fans to not give up?

Bizarre.

The lowest ebb and nothing has changed.

Gutted for you tonight and i'm just glad to have to given up when I did upon relegation. Saved myself multiple episodes of clinical depression, lots of anger and frustration and loads of time and money.

Not at any point since I stopped going has anybody at the club roused my passion, re-invigorated me to return or engaged with me. It's dead inside. No matter who runs it.

It takes nothing but some simple organisation to arrange a fan -fest type event on game days where fans can get together, those at the helm can come out in boots or on the pitch and make passionate speeches rallying everyone and showing their gratitude for their unwavering support. But no. Nothing. YOU drum up the customers on their behalf. As if you haven't enough on your plate. If the footy is always shit and you feel like giving up then there is only a certain amount of personal responsibility someone can take before they get pissed off. The fans can only do so much but they need direction, confidence and leadership from the top. Three key elements that for the past 6 years have been embarrassingly absent and have led to the dissipation of fans, the loss of employees, and the loss of league status.

The club need ideas to motivate the fans who are wavering and they need to implement them now.

I'd go to the Ross Ice Shelf.

Cold, brutal and isolating. A bit like living in England.

Millions of people on this island but you get more compassion and community spirit from stray cats.

On the Ice Shelf you could sit there in awe of decent, brave and courageous men like Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen who preferred to make actions and deeds speak louder than words. Meanwhile back in England I turn on the telly and watch some jumped up prick trying to do the opposite on X Factor and make his words speak louder than his lack of actions. "The world needs me" , he claims. Yes, 6 foot under you arsehole. I'll be seeing your cd at a car boot sale in 5 years time on sale for 10p, such is your lasting legacy on the world.

Give me the Ross Ice Shelf any day. No doubt i'll visit then bump into someone after about 3 months of being there and it'll be a Japanese tourist taking selfies, either that or some numpty taking pics and trying to post them on social media. Christ.

Worst place to visit would be somewhere like Cairo, Delhi or Rabat. Roasting hot, people everywhere, noise, random agricultural animals roaming the streets and just general carnage.

Southampton Gull wrote:Andy, we've just signed a player from Yeovil. A few of the names already put forward are quite impressive so let's just hang on a minute before saying we can't sign anyone and must look locally for management material. We aren't dead yet..........................

I'm not sure why you would imply that I would be happy to see the club go under. First of all that is a complete untruth and as my positive posts on here and praise for most down there would attest, I want the best for those people that I was fortunate enough to meet and enjoy some really unforgettable days out in my life.

I'm not saying that there aren't impressive experienced managers looking to get an angle in at Torquay, i'm saying that is it necessarily a GOOD thing? Surely the most important thing is getting someone in who is local and perfectly happy to work under restrictions and isn't always 'looking for another opportunity'? The Torquay managers job is a great one to have in the conference but not for those only wanting to use the club as a stop gap and not committing 100% to the area, the club and the 'project' long term. It has to be somebody's 'project' and stability needs to be found.

I'm sure the current board will not wish to see a repeat of the Cox scenario again and take everything into account when appointing the new man.

Bleeper wrote:Let me re-phrase.. Steve Breed has been pleasantly surprised about the High Calibre of people wanting to take over here

With all due respect, he kind of HAS to say that doesn't he? He's not going to come out and say he's seriously concerned about the standard of interested individuals.

The club has no money, can't pay anybody let alone a new manager a decent enough wage and can't sign players. The best option is to look at local ambitious experienced non league managers who already live and work in the Devon/Dorset/Cornwall area so they don't have to worry about moving and who could maybe do the job for the money on offer. Either that or someone with the same profile who can do the job part time alongside their current commitments.

The money isn't there to get someone in with league experience and the location is definitely against you too. Employing someone from out of the area on peanuts and asking them to work miracles with nothing whilst commuting daily or temporarily living in digs will only end up in another Ling scenario. The club needs stability at the helm and the next manager has to be a sensible and realistic appointment reflecting the financial position the club finds itself in and also the level of football the club is playing. I've always been one for aiming higher but on this one, the club needs to aim lower and take a step back to take a step forward.

Hoping you get the points on the board today anyway.

I cannot comprehend why a group of people so desperate to save the club will not communicate open and honestly with the fans. After all, pretty much everything can be laid at the door of people who aren't even there anymore so they could really be as frank as they like and not be under any criticism whatsoever. In addition this area of running the club was so appalling under previous regimes that in actual fact, total honesty and regular updates however serious would surely be the way to go and get the fans onside? Transparency.

Now all this has happened with Cox and some board members leaving and some fans are highlighting concerns about Dean Edwards and the validity of other consortium members that it's just more and more poison going into the cauldron. I thought it was a fresh start but clearly not and all because of something as simple, effective and never more accessible across multiple platforms nowadays - COMMUNICATION.

I fail to understand some apparently intelligent people and their total lack of common sense. The board rode in on a white horse to save the club and only a few short months the trust has been eroded and it all could have been avoided by **** talking to people!!! What's to gain by being secretive? We all know the club is **** and the previous board left behind a puzzle to solve of Jumanji-esque proportions. So what's new?

Cox is gone. The board should have told the fans he has gone via the appropriate channels as soon as it broke, why he'd gone and what the next steps are in terms of securing another manager. It's **** simple and easy. Game over for Cox so move on. Probably they'll spend weeks and weeks discussing the options before coming to a decision that can be made quickly as usual. Bad feeling, confusion, frustration and resentment are allowed to linger on and on and the fans get an inkling that once again there is nobody behind the wheel with that killer instinct to take and make effective decisions on the hop.

To be honest I've got no idea what the hell is happening down there and I never truly have. Is it something in the water or is it compulsory for board members to suffer from social phobia like myself whereby they don't **** like talking to anybody? The daftest thing about all this is that they are supposed to be fans of the club too and want the best for it. I'm sure they do and are all striving for the same goal but if it's that alpha male / power mad thing again and people can't get on then it's had it from the start. It needs to be about teamwork off the pitch, on the pitch and on the terraces but once again the unrest and divisions are there rearing their ugly head and there is absolutely no need for it to be like this.

I think the TUST should be the focus of everyone's attentions and just try and build it up so it's in a position to do something in the future but having said that, the current lot are all fans of the club too so if fans themselves can't find common ground, communicate and consider one another to find the best way forward then a TUST will just be exactly the same. That said, have faith and commit to making a difference and you'll be rewarded for it in the end.

You just need someone at the helm who is honest, has common sense and a business acumen, no ego, a passion for people and football, the rare ability to put others first for the greater good and who has the foresight to consider the feelings of the fans at all times. Do you have this person at the club at the moment?

I wish you all the best anyway and it annoyed the shit out of me when I read this Cox story. Why can't everyone just get on and do what needs doing?

Oh and Scotty, loved the rant about the Rugby man! Pissed myself! You are spot on. Even if Torquay weren't in a pickle, you'd still be right. Bloody egg chasers.

Hi Chunks, great posts and good to see at least one person down in TQ1 still with a bit of fire in their belly. There are others of course but nowhere near enough to affect positive future change. Apathy has always been the biggest issue sadly amongst modern football fans in general, not just Torquay. Interesting reading nonetheless.

Saturday night games IMO would be a disaster.

In terms of away fans, I have my suspicions that many do stay overnight in the area as it is so just moving the kick off 4 and a bit hours later won't change this. I can't see that many more fans would be tempted to stay overnight just because it's a night game, in fact quite the opposite. Some fans who wish to make the long journey and back in one day may decide now not to even bother going as a later kick off time would mean arriving home in the small hours or paying for accommodation for which they hadn't planned on doing.

Further to this, Saturday nights are maybe precious family time for people who work all week, they like to go to the game in the afternoon and then go out in the evening for a meal or cinema or whatever so it would mean making sacrifices and as we've seen from the alarming number of people who have stopped going to watch the club, there are lots of people unwilling to put the football club first ahead of other things. Also lets not forget the footy shows on Saturday night tv which now start at 9pm which for some are an unmissable element of Saturday nights.

Lastly not forgetting the decision a parent has to make to take themselves and their kid(s) down to Plainmoor on a night game whereby they might not get home until late. I'm not sure replacing afternoon games with night ones will be a popular decision with that demographic.

Sadly, despite me wanting to have more faith in people, the fact is that people will only turn up at Plainmoor for these reasons:

1. They are the hardcore and go whatever the club throws at them.

2. The team starts to do well and / or is playing scintillating attacking football.

3. It's dirt cheap and a real value for money outing despite a crap product and service by and large.

The hardcore at TUFC is pretty much at the level it is now. It cannot get any worse so i don't think too many more fans will stop going so eventually the current board should be steering the club towards at least breaking even at these crowd figures. The more fickle fan will swell the numbers the more they get access to reasons 2 and 3 so they will be a bonus but I've always said this for many years and will say it again.

The reason the club is still ploughing on is obviously because of the new board stepping in but other than that it is PURELY because of you lot that go every / most weeks. Without you the club would fold regardless. This is why I have been banging the drum for those running the club to PUT THESE FANS FIRST. Forget about the floaters and the fairweather fans. They'll come when they want, why waste time, money, effort and energy in schemes and ideas trying to tempt in new fans when it has been proven that they will only come if reasons 2 or 3 are a reality. Sod 'em. The club should be looking after those who have looked after the club during all the dark and lean times and whose support and finance have been unwavering despite extreme situations on and off the pitch. If the club do this and embrace and reinforce that bond and vice versa then the bond will become ever stronger and a more close knit, community spirit will be fostered and EVERY single person involved in some way with TUFC on a regular basis will feel that THEY are as important, as vital and as much an integral part of the TUFC machinery as the Chairman, programme Seller, catering lady, receptionist, manager, goalkeeper and so on. You have to work together and be positive.

It's all about the hardcore.



NOTE: There are valid reasons why some fans don't go, I have some of my own as you know and also exiles, people on low incomes, work and family commitments, disability but if you don't go to games unless it's cheap tickets or the team are doing well or the weather is nice then quite frankly it's bizarre that football clubs still continue to waste their resources trying to attract you to come to games. They'd be better served putting their energies into showing gratitude to those who keep the club afloat. Gratitude is a highly potent tool to make others feel better about themselves and it costs absolutely nothing. The more involved, and engaged fans become, the more they should be appreciated for it. The more the club shows it's appreciation the more the fans feel it's all worthwhile and they are making a difference. This positive reinforcement is a cycle that keeps on giving. AND IT'S ALL COMPLETELY FREE.