Our Club

[kevgull]

I think that's because nowadays people have more choice on a Saturday afternoon. The feelings are "Why continue throwing money at a poor product"?

Some say we're fans, some say we're customers. I say we're both. Loyalty to the club has always been tested because it's never been easy following Torquay United. The events of the past three years however have pushed many to their absolute limit and gradually those fans are turning their backs. We are fans because many of us grew up locally and follow the club no matter where we now live. Some are fans through some obscure links but ultimately we're all customers of a business that serves up a rubbish product time after time and is now having what looks like a fire sale.

It's all very well saying the TUST could make it work but after 18 months, how many members does it now have? I'm sorry but this club does not have a fanbase big enough to pull it out of the quagmire.

You can even see how the fanbase is dwindling by looking back at the good times. Each time we got to Wembley, the number of fans attending became less and less. I remember 20,000 going to watch the Sherpa Van trophy final in 89. When we went to Wembley last time against Cambridge, only a fraction of that number went. Look around Torbay and see how many Torquay shirts are worn by kids at weekends.

Football is a business and the more customers you have, the bigger you'll be. Cities and big towns will always boast successful clubs because when the chips are down, fans will turn out in their thousands.

If the next home game was Torquay United's last ever game and we offered free admission, I still doubt we'd fill the ground.

[Southampton Gull]

Chris, I plucked that figure out of thin air, it shouldn't be mistaken as anything to do with any other investment made by the board members.

I know our targets and if fans could just show a little more patience then I'm sure things will look much more positive very soon. Is anyone really that bothered about losing players who don't want to play for us? Players who sign for us now will do, that's for sure.

[ferrarilover]

The thing with your stance, Dave, (which, as you know, is one I share) is that the man on the Clapham Omnibus doesn't give a shit whether spoilt little Tyrone or precious princess Waide actually want to play for us, it's their job and they're handsomely rewarded for being professionals, a job any of us would kill to do.

You turn up, do your job, get paid, go home. You think EddyH wants to get down the docks every night, sucking sailor cock for a fiver a time? Of course not (although it is nice that he's managed to make a job out of his hobby), but needs must.

Matt.

[GirlyGull89]

After reading the threads and posts over the last couple days I felt compelled to put my point across and putting some home truths out there.

1) If it wasn't for Breed, Phillps and co, there wouldn't be a club. So when thinking about having a go at them, just think of your Saturday afternoons you wouldn't have had watching your beloved Torquay if they hadn't of done what they did. Yes, board members left...but that happens at every professional football club! People moan when Breed doesn't say anything and then when he does people still moan, the bloke can't win. Ok, things might not have been done properly sometimes but we are all human!

2) People questioning Nicholson's managerial skills/man management. Ok, he has no previous managerial experience. Nor did Buckle and look where he took us. Ok, he had money pumped behind him to build a good squad but he started from scratch. You can see what Nicholson has done since he took charge.
Look at the players he has brought in. All of them have had good careers and want to play for Torquay.
Look at the players who have left. All signed by Cox and apart from Butler haven't been able to hack it under Nicholsons regime.
Anybody who says we are not competing on the pitch is obviously watching a different game. We just haven't been able to put the ball in the back of the net. And when your luck is down it is down! We've had nothing all year!!

3) Talk of attendances going under 1000. What a load of rubbish!! There will always be a core of 1200 supporters who will stick with the club.

4) Players have left recently and people say we we should be adding to the squad and not getting rid of players. There is no money to add with so we have to replace what we have got with better players. Verma for Heslop is a prime example. Wright for Fisher is another. Why add to people who aren't up to it when we can bring in new blood and actually pay them a decent wage and bring in a better player. I think Blissett and Harrad will be good for us.

Anyway, I've stuck my neck out and no doubt there will be some critiscisms on this post but it is a forum after all and entitled to voice our opinions.

I agree with all the points in your post and it actually bewilders me how nico and the board seem to be the enemy!

[brucie]

My personal view of all this from an outsider looking in are as follows (and I have no inside information whatsoever so could be completely wrong)

I don't really subscribe to the view that we have been scaling down. I think we did intend to strengthen (ie Blissett/Ajala/Harrad) but its my belief that we didn't intend (or foresee) that we would lose Marsh, Fairhurst or even Shepherd M.

Whilst Marsh is probably the only one of the three that we would miss - numbers wise we couldn't really afford to jettison the other two. Given that all three of these players could have played in the next round of the Trophy (and all of our new players appear cup tied) then the sort of team that we will now play in this tie will be an embarrassment.

I am of the opinion that the powers that be/manager didn't see this coming and have made an almighty cock up of epic proportions leaving us weaker than when the transfer window opened. I do not believe we have anymore signings lined up which is why we are getting the latest Nicholson bullshit about signing "free agents". What an absolute crock of shite.

On that subject why on earth cannot we sign Verma? - freeing up another loan signing. Even this seems beyond us.

We have been found to be completely inept on every level - Phillips is a faceless entity of a chairman for starters. Even Steve Breed isn't blameless. Only a couple of days ago he was posting on here that he thought we needed another couple of players - then lo and behold we lose three. Its completely nonsensical. Yet now he seems to have gone pretty quiet as well.

It is a shameful state of affairs - which is actually beyond comprehension.

When we are relegated (which will be confirmed in about a months time) - the board should actively seek to sell the club. Whether that's to Smurthwaite or whoever it doesn't much matter but having this bunch of losers in charge next season is unthinkable. We would probably get relegated form the Conference South and although this might sound like a joke it probably isn't too far removed from the truth.

If we can't get a buyer then fair enough - shut up shop. For a team who can still attract getting on for 2000 (even though they are a terminal embarrassment) having the likes of Finch and Corderoy in the squad is actually nauseating. We are a laughing stock. Enough is enough.

[Oil Beef Hooked]

People need to take a look at themselves here. Wait until the rebuilding is finished before lambasting the manager and the board. We're not affluent enough to just bring players in at the drop of a hat. It has to be done carefully and with the very future of the club at stake it has to be a success. This latest round of ins and outs isn't finished yet. Let it play out before slagging off Steve Breed and Kevin Nicholson. If that isn't good enough then throw £30k of your own money into the pot and go get the player of your choice.

I'm amazed at the reactions of several people who really should know better. I can promise you all one thing here, the club are doing their very best to give us a chance of staying up, at least they've got the balls for a fight, that's more than most of you have got.

Dave

When I first heard about the 'releases' this week, my initial feeling was that of a sinking ship.

However, the next 3-4 months are probably the most important in the clubs history which will define:

- what league we'll be playing in
- and indeed whether we will have a club to support

Throughout these next few months, we are going to need the entire squad pulling in the same direction, fighting to stave off relegation. If there's a few players who don't want to be here and fight for the shirt/ club and want to leave, let them leave. Any fee we get for them and the wages we save can be used on other/ better players who want to be here and fight.

Our squad is bare enough, which means we cannot afford to carry people. We don't have the luxury to 'drop' someone because they're not giving 100%. We stand a much greater chance of staying up with a team all pulling together, because if we don't, we're down.

As Dave has said, let's see how this pans out. You never know, it might be the catalyst we need to kickstart our season.

[CP Gull]

The thing with your stance, Dave, (which, as you know, is one I share) is that the man on the Clapham Omnibus doesn't give a sh*t whether spoilt little Tyrone or precious princess Waide actually want to play for us, it's their job and they're handsomely rewarded for being professionals, a job any of us would kill to do.

You turn up, do your job, get paid, go home. You think EddyH wants to get down the docks every night, sucking sailor cock for a fiver a time? Of course not (although it is nice that he's managed to make a job out of his hobby), but needs must.

Matt.

Oh dear Matt, I really WANT to like you ... but unfortunately (yet again!) you have proved yourself to be an Arrogant, Homophobic, Racist **** yet again! Sue me if you like, I have plenty of evidence to prove my case ! :na:

Sadly, after many years, I have a feeling that my time on this forum is almost done... It's been fun, but my love for the club ( 45 years) and this forum (15 years or so) feels like it's coming to an end. Thanks for all the banter over the years, it's been great ... but probably time to move on ...

[Southampton Gull]

Chris, read oil beef hooked's last post, that is exactly how it is. Don't give up yet, let this pan out because people who love the club have staked their reputations on this in an attempt to change the poisonous dressing room to one that is prepared to fight to give us what we all want. The aim all season has been to stay in this division. Surely you're strong enough to see the season out?

As for Matt, his posts are solely attention seeking, don't let him press your buttons.

[BobBobBob]

It does feel a bit like "back to square one" with the three players leaving. But if it had been the other way around, with Marsh, Fairhurst and Murombedzi leaving first and then Harrad, Blissett and Ajala coming in, it would look like some decent business. They are virtually like-for-like signings. Maybe we should praise the foresight of the board and Nicholson! If we can use the Marsh fee to bring in a couple more decent players, we might actually come out of this better off.

[davidcaldwell123]

That's the challenge you have second guessing why decisions were made, why was the dressing room poisonous? Did Cox buy a bunch of disruptive players and why did anyone else want them if they were not prepared fight, never been in a poisonous dressing room so have no exposure to the problem, is that what happened at Chelsea, but they kept the players and got rid of the manager, its a great and wonderful game?

Chris, read oil beef hooked's last post, that is exactly how it is. Don't give up yet, let this pan out because people who love the club have staked their reputations on this in an attempt to change the poisonous dressing room to one that is prepared to fight to give us what we all want. The aim all season has been to stay in this division. Surely you're strong enough to see the season out?

As for Matt, his posts are solely attention seeking, don't let him press your buttons.

[eddyh]

Ferraritloser- you come across as a complete tool and clearly that's for a good reason. Feel free to attempt to say the same face to face away from your safety blanket of the keyboard.

The team rebuilding or dismantling has been an absolute joke and if you can't see that you are even thicker than you are objectionable

[tomogull]

People need to take a look at themselves here. Wait until the rebuilding is finished before lambasting the manager and the board. We're not affluent enough to just bring players in at the drop of a hat. It has to be done carefully and with the very future of the club at stake it has to be a success. This latest round of ins and outs isn't finished yet. Let it play out before slagging off Steve Breed and Kevin Nicholson. If that isn't good enough then throw £30k of your own money into the pot and go get the player of your choice.

I'm amazed at the reactions of several people who really should know better. I can promise you all one thing here, the club are doing their very best to give us a chance of staying up, at least they've got the balls for a fight, that's more than most of you have got.

All I can say is - I hope you're right. In reality, you don't chop and change your team at this stage of the season, especially when fighting a relegation battle. We all know players need time to get to know each other and play as a team. Nicholson has three days to bring in other players, one of whom must be a striker. We now have our full quota of loanees - as Brucie quite rightly posted, why the hell didn't we sign Aman Verma which would have freed up another loanee place? Nicho says that he can continue to look at 'free agent' players after Monday's transfer deadline - i.e. players that have failed to impress at other clubs. To be brutally harsh, players in the same bracket as Ashley Yeoman. I doubt that this type of player will help us to make up the 10 points (allowing for our abyssmal goal difference) to avoid relegation. You seem to be more in the know than virtually all of us on here, so as I say - I sure hope your optimism is well founded.

As for the players who have left, if Marsh is a disruption, then probably he should go. I say 'probably' because he seemed to be forming a good partnership with Andre Wright. Fairhurst - we don't know the facts of the family bereavement but I do find it rather odd that suddenly he is fit enough to sign for Halifax and we get diddly squat for what was one of our 'big summer signings'. Shepherd Murombedzi - I am sorry to see leave the club. I think with the right opportunities and experience, he could become a good player. Anyway, good luck to all three, but especially Shepherd, with their new clubs.

[ferrarilover]

You, as well as everyone else, know who I am and where I stand at home games. If you've got a problem with being the butt of one of my gags and your only recourse is to regress to your neanderthal instincts, feel free to pay me a visit. You won't be the first.

Chris, how are you getting racism or homophobia from the post you quoted. It's not often I'm completely lost (that's usually reserved for our friend Eddy*), but I'll concede to it on this occasion.

Matt.

*calm down sweetheart, it's just a joke. You're a grown man, you've heard worse.

[lucy6lucy]

http://www.torquayunited.com/news/artic ... 26364.aspx

3 losers out that have jumped ship this week, this is good as they aren't up to the fight we require over the next 3 months, bring in ones that are. It's fair to say I'm concerned about what's going on, but let's see what additions we get over the weekend( plus what we have brought in) and then assess the situation. Tranmere away is a tough match, so if we lose which most expect, the season finale starts in training on Monday. If I was the board reading this forum tonight I would say ......to the majority. Come on we are all on here because we love the club, it's January not bleeding April .

[eddyh]

Matt. It wasn't a threat and I have no desire to spend any time in your company. Your jokes if that what you call them are just not funny but what I find more amusing is your denial of the mess that the club is in. Talk of better things to come is just fanciful. There is zero evidence that we have any chance of signing a promotion worthy team as that is what is now needed. Look at the table. The club appointed a joke manager when it had one chance to put a decen ( or even a rank average) one in charge. We are paying the price for that and will continue to do so. From the day this bunch allowed themselves to be duped by Dean Edwards it's steadily got worse. How anyone can't see that is beyond me. Just how bad does it have to get?