Are we getting an unfair reputation?

[stefano]

Stefano, me old mate, I do love you. You make me laugh.

How's your old pal, Juan Knill, getting on?

Now he was a dour old bugger and didn't often raise a smile on his own face let alone the supporters!

I've lost track of him now with all my thoughts on Telford, Dartford, and Alfreton (and probably Willand in the cup!), although I think he is plying his trade in a league higher than us.

[tomogull]

Anyway Tomo with Colin Bettany as your favourite player you are certainly on the right thread. Now there was a player who fully deserved his reputation!

Yep - no messing with Colin Bettany. Ball or player - didn't matter which. Legend. So you remember him as well then, Stefano? And there was I thinking you were younger than 83 .......

[tomogull]

Stefano - a p.s. Just had a look at Bettany's record on Wikipedia. Between 1958 and 1963, he played 195 consecutive games so that means in all that time ...... he was never sent off !!! How the hell did that happen ??? Bred 'em tougher in them there days !!

[Scott Brehaut]

he was never sent off !!! How the hell did that happen ??? Bred 'em tougher in them there days !!

Better referees

[stefano]

Stefano - a p.s. Just had a look at Bettany's record on Wikipedia. Between 1958 and 1963, he played 195 consecutive games so that means in all that time ...... he was never sent off !!! How the hell did that happen ??? Bred 'em tougher in them there days !!

Men was men in those days Tomo .... and there were many players who went through their careers without a single booking. The rules were different then of course. These days you haven't even got to make contact to be booked.

I can only remember Colin Bettany being sent off once. 1964 I think. Early season ... September? Certainly a hot sunny day. Crap game against Stockport County won 1-0. No disadvantage as one of their guys got sent off in the same incident.

[Behind-the-Gulls]

Now he was a dour old bugger and didn't often raise a smile on his own face let alone the supporters!

I've lost track of him now with all my thoughts on Telford, Dartford, and Alfreton (and probably Willand in the cup!), although I think he is plying his trade in a league higher than us.

Willand got knocked out in a replay this week!

[Behind-the-Gulls]

Willand got knocked out in a reply this week!

Oops no they didn't-my mistake!Lets hope they get through.

[kevgull]

Is this a joke? Is it April’s fools? Seriously - you need help! Is it voices in your head feeding you this crap? There is help out there and I suggest you seek it immediately.

F*ck me - if you cannot see that CH is the best thing going for us at the moment and in a tide of uncertainty he is the biggest positive we have.

The football we are playing is 100 times better to watch this season, the young players he has brought in on a shoestring budget are 100 times better than the journeymen here last season and the future value for these players is 100 times more beneficial for the club than the likes of Karl Hawley.

I am becoming more disillusioned by the day by idiots like you who post on here, I love this site but some of the morons it attracts are unbearable.

Facts

You are very rude and I can be sarcastic.

April fools is 1st of April not the 1st of October.

Hargreaves had 22 games in order to save our league status last season and he failed.

His budget this season is no different from last seasons.

He has gathered a decent squad however we are collecting Yellow and Red cards at an alarming rate. We need these younger players playing for Torquay United and not suspended, playing FIFA 15 on their computers.

We are top of the " ill disciplined table" not the conference table.

I am not as easily swayed as you seem to be, we have beaten some very poor teams and have not yet played and won against, so called, title contenders.

I have been a supporter of Torquay United for many years in which time I have handed over my well earnt money to the club on match days. I am not a fickle fan who only sings when we are winning. I want our League status back and if I should notice areas of concern or improvement I will state them despite your abuse.

In the future, if you don't like someone's opinion please be a little more polite.

COYY!

[Dave_Pougher]

Got to be honest I hope we go into the Wrexham game trying to play the ref. to our advantage, the way I see it the refs see us as top of the disciplinary bad boys and wish to make there mark.

If you can't beat em join em.

[tomogull]

He has gathered a decent squad however we are collecting Yellow and Red cards at an alarming rate. We need these younger players playing for Torquay United and not suspended, playing FIFA 15 on their computers.

We are top of the " ill disciplined table" not the conference table.

I am not as easily swayed as you seem to be, we have beaten some very poor teams and have not yet played and won against, so called, title contenders. COYY!

By no stretch of the imagination are we a dirty side. Of the red cards, Bowman & Downes were ill disciplined, Ajala's was harsh and Richards was undeserved. I am biased of course, but I feel that most of the bookings have been due to over eagerness to win the ball. Who do you consider to be title contenders, then? We have beaten both Woking and Grimsby, both talked about as title contenders. We can only beat what's put in front of us and we've done that in most cases. We'll see where we are at the end of November by which time I think we will have played all the top half sides except Bristol Rvrs. I feel we will play better against the actual footballing sides, starting with Wrexham on Saturday.

It is reported that the wages of four of Hargreaves signings are equal to that of one of our players from last season, presumably Hawley. Nevertheless, his budget is still hampered by the big wages of players on the transfer list, notably Harding and Benyon. Can you not see a different attitude and commitment in this team compared with what we suffered for most of last season? Your criticism of Hargreaves is undeserved - give him chance.

[kevgull]

Keep your 'air on Richinns. Everyone who posts on here are entitled to their opinions. Even idiots.

Can certainly agree that the site is going down hill, "Scott's Nay GREAT posting" as an Administrator :slap: followed by your comment is very sad indeed.

[CP Gull]

Facts ...

His budget this season is no different from last seasons

Let me start by saying I have no desire to get embroiled in this little "spat" and I agree that everyone is entitled to their opinion on a forum such as this. BUT that said, I must take issue with this "fact" that I have seen churned out (across a number of forums!!!!) on quite a few occasions which I believe to be wholly incorrect!!!

I believe it stems from the Fans Forum held at the beginning of the season. At the time, Thea Bristow went on record as saying that the playing budget for this season would have been THE SAME as it would have been if we had of still been in the League. With the greatest respect that is NOT saying that the budget is/was the same as it was last season!!!!

Unless you know it to be "a fact" as you state it to be then I feel it is important to consider how likely it would be that, given that we are led to believe (largely based on an interview Aaron Downes gave to the media last season) that all/most of the players under contract faced an immediate 20% drop in wages as a direct result of relegation AND given that we have shed the wages of experienced pros of the likes of Hawley, Poke, Bodin, Mansell, Nicholson, Cooper and Labadie and basically replaced them with "kids" with everything to prove such as O'Achie, Ajala, Richards, MacDonald, Seabright and to (probably) a lesser extent Bowman, Young and Briscoe ... it would be naive in the extreme to think these guys are getting paid anything like the sort of wages the guys from last season were on!!

There is no doubt in my mind that Hargreaves is on a considerably smaller budget this season than Alan Knill started with last season .... unless, of course, you know it to be a fact that this is not the case?

[kevgull]

By no stretch of the imagination are we a dirty side. Of the red cards, Bowman & Downes were ill disciplined, Ajala's was harsh and Richards was undeserved. I am biased of course, but I feel that most of the bookings have been due to over eagerness to win the ball. Who do you consider to be title contenders, then? We have beaten both Woking and Grimsby, both talked about as title contenders. We can only beat what's put in front of us and we've done that in most cases. We'll see where we are at the end of November by which time I think we will have played all the top half sides except Bristol Rvrs. I feel we will play better against the actual footballing sides, starting with Wrexham on Saturday.

It is reported that the wages of four of Hargreaves signings are equal to that of one of our players from last season, presumably Hawley. Nevertheless, his budget is still hampered by the big wages of players on the transfer list, notably Harding and Benyon. Can you not see a different attitude and commitment in this team compared with what we suffered for most of last season? Your criticism of Hargreaves is undeserved - give him chance.

When we play the likes of Barnet, Halifax, Wrexham, Bristol Rovers, FGR,Eastleigh ect, We need our strongest, in form, team on the pitch. If they are not available it should mainly be due to injury and not ill discipline.

As for CH, I like him as a bloke, a blogger, our past player and captain however as a manager who is tasked to get us out of this league I have my concerns.

[tomogull]

Can certainly agree that the site is going down hill, "Scott's Nay GREAT posting" as an Administrator :slap: followed by your comment is very sad indeed.

Sorry Kev - you set yourself up for flak. You didn't come on here criticising Hargreaves when we were winning six games on the trot and not conceding for eight, did you ? We'll agree not to agree until the end of November when we will have played all of the teams you mention (Barnet twice) bar Bristol Rvrs. We will have a better idea of how the team is shaping up by then.

[Scott Brehaut]

Can certainly agree that the site is going down hill, "Scott's Nay GREAT posting" as an Administrator :slap: followed by your comment is very sad indeed.

I'm allowed an opinion, just the same as you.

If I was a power crazy administrator, I would have simply deleted your post. Instead I left it there for all to see. In MY opinion it was a crazy post about a manager that had been thrown in at the deep end and expected to perform a miracle. We are starting to see what he is capable of on a fairly shoestring budget - he has produced a team that wants to play football. Yes, our discipline is slightly crazy at the moment, but it is a fairly young team and they are learning their trade in (and I'm mean no disrespect here) a league with some part time players, some of whom wouldn't look out of place in some Sunday pub teams. These teams all play the system, the way they are taught to do so - our team are trying to play football and are getting frustrated. This is the reason for the lack of discipline, in my opinion.

As for Hargreaves getting sent to the stands, well how nice it is to see a passionate manager for once. There aren't that many Premiership managers out there that don't pace the touchline, berate the ref, assistant refs and the like. Maybe he was a bit silly, but he too is learning his trade.