Torquay United Fans Forum

Taelee73 wrote: 08 Jun 2025, 08:08 I agree they have got virtually every decision correct, although not with the rationale of forcing parents and their children to move from Bristows to the Family stand or pay hugely inflated prices. If we get 3-4000 regularly next season, then there is enough space for full paying supporters in Bristows as well as the kids. If we’re getting 6000 a game and still not making money then something is wrong. It is totally unacceptable saying that ‘we all need to do our bit’ we already do with the most likely highest prices in non league football, on a par with a lot of FL clubs, imagine the prices if we get to the FL. It’s worrying that they haven’t said these current prices are fixed for the season after as well.

The Family Stand is inferior for its view of a game, people like to sit where they have done for years, especially more so if you start bringing your children along, again it’s easy to comment on things if it’s not your seat that they’re asking you to move from. I’m lucky my son has no interest in football (yet) I wouldn’t be moving from Bristows if he did though, I’d have to find the extra money and lose a little of my love for Torquay United.

On the appointment of a new CEO, as long as he brings in more money on a long term basis then of course it’s a great thing, just galling that we’re not yet breaking even and I assume we are now paying him the highest salary in the club.

They explained their reasoning for doing so and it boils down to finances. If we want a club run sustainably then that's the decision that had to be made. Move on and be thankful for getting it on the cheap as long as its been possible. It can't all be positive if changes are forced on us.

Suck it up buttercup.

I've taken nothing but positives from all the boards decisions since taking over. They rightly target promotion bur at the same time they're playing safe with the club's future. They've put their faith in the manager and while it's no secret I'm not a fan he's done more than enough to justify their faith in him.

They've addressed the season ticket issues raised by some and taken responsibility while explaining their reasons which can't reasonably be argued against.

Now we see this appointment and who can possibly sew it in a negative light. In years to come I'm sure they will see the club in a loftier position and on a sustainable footing. Added to all of this they've given fans back their attachment to the club.

10 out of 10 from me.

https://www.torbayweekly.co.uk/news/spo ... nited.html

Torquay United have announced the appointment of Mark Thomas as its new Chief Executive Officer.

The club statement said: This appointment follows an extensive four-month national and international recruitment process led by Red Star Search and overseen by the Club’s Board, during which a shortlist of six outstanding candidates were interviewed. Mark emerged as the standout choice due to his exceptional track record in commercial strategy, sports business development and team leadership.

Mark brings a wealth of international experience to Plainmoor. A former elite rugby player who transitioned into sports marketing, Mark has founded and led successful ventures in China and Europe, including the S2M Group and S2M Consulting.

He has managed high-performance teams of over 100 people, overseen the commercial operations of major sporting venues, and developed innovative strategies for international rightsholders, including FIFA, AC Milan, British Swimming, and World Rowing. His work has spanned football, rugby, motorsport, and global tournaments, including roles advising and delivering partnerships for the FIFA World Cup.
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A fluent Mandarin speaker and globally connected entrepreneur, Mark has negotiated multi-million-pound deals, developed grassroots and elite-level sports programmes, and driven media and digital strategies for global sports and entertainment clients. His recent roles include supporting the commercial relaunch of the Inala musical in the West End and developing high-end hospitality experiences for Formula 1 in Shanghai.

Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, Co-Chairman of Torquay United, commented: “Mark Thomas brings a truly international perspective to the role, combined with deep experience in sports partnerships and commercial innovation. His ability to think differently about revenue generation, sponsorship, digital strategy, and fan engagement makes him ideally placed to lead the next phase of our journey.”

Michael Westcott, Co-Chairman, added: “After a year of rebuilding and laying firm foundations at Plainmoor, the Consortium felt it was time to challenge the status quo. Mark stood out for his ability to build high-performing teams, his commercial creativity, and his plans to elevate the Torquay United brand across new and diverse channels. If we want success on the pitch, we must build a robust and scalable business off it—and reducing our reliance on match-day revenue is key. Mark's innovative approach to that challenge really impressed us.”

The Board would like to extend its deepest thanks to Joe Lovell, who has served as CEO on a part-time basis during our first year under the Bryn Consortium. Joe’s leadership has helped steer the club through a transformative period, which included record attendances—our highest in 50 years—the successful exit from the Company Voluntary Arrangement, and a significant uplift in our commercial performance and community engagement.

Eastbourne?

Dave wrote: 21 May 2025, 21:20 This thread is about confirmed signings, I stated I had no wish to take it off topic and meant it, the over whelming majority have been very supportive of PW, direct posts about him signing his mates Truro are in the history, as are suggestions about PWs ability, I will say no more.Back to confirmed signings please.

But you did and I guess that's a big NO then

Dave wrote: 21 May 2025, 18:06 Not wishing to go off topic , however if PW lands anything like the names of a couple of players rumoured, along with the signing made so far, those few posters that appeared recently banging about how shite PW was.................... are going to look pretty stupid indeed.

Can you provide one single quote of a poster saying this as I can't seem to recall any......
.....

SuperNickyWroe wrote: 18 May 2025, 09:53

Great post, sums it up how actually it hasnt risen that much.
Jeez, I don't mind (or moan) paying £80 for petrol and around £120 to stay in a B&B to watch my team.
Mrs SNW & I will pay the £20 each to watch TUFC, anything to help the custodians of our club continue in their quest to improve our club and league position.
Some fans need to put things into perspective FFS.

But you're too tight to pay for a ticket at a festival in Leeds

culmstockgull wrote: 17 May 2025, 12:32 The affliction of being elderly cannot be solved by specsavers, I pay to sit in the same seat each week ,as for moaning , perhaps we see things differently, I am all for tough decisions, but our back room seems to grow each week in staffing and costs, why a goal keeping coach when both of our signed keepers have played at a higher level and logically know more about goalkeeping, is that moaning, if so , I moan.

You pay to sit in that seat for one season. Now you have the choice to sit in another seat for the upcoming season where you can moan to your hearts content. Enjoy the ride, stop moaning about the journey.

PS I fixed the post for you, specsavers allowed me the joy of being able to see your mistake. You're welcome.

culmstockgull wrote: 17 May 2025, 12:14 Its far more than just moaning about sitting in a particular seat or a particular stand, its about choice, I choose to pay extra for my season ticket in bristows.Consider telling the pop side that by a stroke of a boardroom pen we are moving you all to woolens terrace,because in reality that is what they are doing to family groups currently in bristows, I imagine woollens would be one empty stand each week.
I,like many of the elderly variety who I might remind you make up a goodly pertcentage of the crowd each week ,my eyesight is not what it was, I sit in the middle of bristows because I can comfortably see both ends of the pitch something I can no longer do from the family stand. Three or four times a year when my grandchildren visit devon I take them to home games, how is that going to work when I am in bristows and they are forced to sit in the family stand or do the club expect me to buy myself yet another ticket in the family stand just so I can sit with them.

You should try Specsavers, I hear they're very good.

Move with the times, the custodians of our club are doing what they feel is best to take the club forwards. I'm fully behind that and prepared to let them continue what they have already started. It's time fans started to realise that tough decisions need to be made to take this club forward. Do you expect the same seat on a bus, at the cinema, in a restaurant? Moaning seems to be your favourite pastime.

Taelee73 wrote: 17 May 2025, 07:37 We all want the club to prosper on and off the pitch, but to hear certain people saying put up and shut up, ridiculous.

Our prices are not far off Championship, League one levels and we’re in NLS! If we’d been promoted then yes a rise would be acceptable, however we weren’t, this is more about forcing people out of Bristows for me.

We were getting gates of over 5000 and that............

Stop whining like a petulant child and wake up to the facts of what we are, a club recovering from almost ceasing to exist. Our prices come without the sponsorship and prize money, without tv money and without large numbers of away fans. Comparing them to league clubs is what's truly ridiculous.

First of all you were bemoaning the thought of us targeting promotion now you're crying about sitting in a different seat and paying more to put the club on a more sound financial footing. Put your toys back in your pram and get someone to push you to your new seat.

Good God, dare to criticise the manager and you draw all the haters posting absolute pelters about how lucky we are to have him and the current owners but put up prices by a few quid and they're guilty of making huge mistakes.

Pay up and be grateful you can witness the journey.

On this seasons income alone we've exited the cva AND just missed automatic promotion. Crowds won't suddenly diminish unless we show no ambition whatsoever and I seriously don't expect anything less than promotion objectives from the Bryn members. There's nothing wrong with looking locally but equally nothing wrong looking further afield.

It's quite ironic that a longstanding member on here chooses to air the ridiculous notion of supporting other clubs especially after he only recently returned from a self imposed exile himself, what utter nonsense. Fans can rightly have expectations, that is what garners support.

I have total faith in the ownership we now have and that means we will target promotion within a sustainable model. It makes sense to recruit closer to home while in regional football but if the right player emerges I'm sure it doesn't matter where he's located if the interest is mutual.

Dilmond wrote: 10 May 2025, 12:30 Is that just a preference or is it part of the rumours?

Purely preference.

Tyler Harvey would be welcomed by me.

madgull wrote: 04 May 2025, 14:04
Haven't been able to get to many games this season, and unfortunately most recent two were Chesham and yesterday..................

Great summary although I've not seen any Wotton Out posts on here.

I'm not a fan as I've often stated but the target was promotion and he almost delivered so no need for panic from me. I do feel he's too negative and that's probably what grates me the most. That said he's done more than enough to justify the chance to improve us further for a serious crack next season.

What I don't want to see is the same dour performances that dominated this season. He's set us on an upward trajectory thanks to the backing of the Bryn Consortium so I'm expecting a big improvement in the squad next season.

The positivity around the club has been unbelievable after so many years of toxicity and let's all hope it continues.

B+ for me this season and hoping for an A next season.