After this evening maybe it's a good thing to stand back and look at this from a different perspective.
A comment from Leroy On Late Kickoff last week or was it the week before made me think. He felt he should have gone maybe a little earlier when he was offered a chance to manage at a higher level. I wonder If Paul B is feeling maybe he has missed that chance like Leroy Had. it would be enough to make anyone a little depressed after all that has happened. He has done what he can with little in the way of resources. We have crowds this season which are way down on last season and tonights attendance has made it worse (Average attendance this season 2686 assuming gate of 1600) and the lack of atmosphere would contribute to lack of performance too.
The premier league finance and lack of integrity has combined to cause players to have a very much over inflated idea of what their true value is and that in turn makes it harder to get players down here,
The Chairman of Bristol Rovers today commented that trying to talk to players in the last few weeks has left him with a view that many players are still in lala land when It comes to wage demands and signing on fees. in fact I noted the number of players who have found themselves lucky to find a club having been ditched by their previous club and left unattached. it won't take too much longer hopefully before the majority of them get in the real world. I sincerley hope we survive long enough with sensible finances to see this day as we should come out with a better outlook than clubs who over spend (like creepy Crawly or as I prefer kerb Crawly. as they have prostituted themselve to rich businessmen who will take their money and run when it suites them.)
Premier league player values have continued to soar It's an abomination to the working man when you think of the present financial situation we find ourselves in, the obvious conclusion to be drawn from this is that depsite the huge fees paid, the clubs think it doens't matter as the poor old supporter will just have to pay more and probably will.
What will happen if one day the fan say NO! Will they even wake up then (I am not sure they will)
It would have been a lesson to all if the Government had let the banks sink when in trouble. They could have compensated the general public and most small businesses a lot cheaper than the cost of bailing out the banks and then maybe the banks would have had less cash to splash (some of it gone on paying for expensive boxes at Manu,ARSEnal,Liverpool.Chelski.et al)
The banks would have then maybe been a little harder or maybe much harder on clubs who had overdrafts with them. The new Fifa rule that clubs have to balance the books can't come soon enough. but what of the club that cries out, "We were solvent, we didn't know he was going to ask for all his money back". I won't cry tears over them. But I bet the banks will. This may not seem relevant to us but it has meant that many players who could or did play in the premiership now expect to still have the same sort of salary in the championship. the players then filter down untill even in the conference they demand stupid wages. You all week know that even at Tivvy there has been discontent voiced by a previous manager that the players dont deserve their wages, they are more interested in the girls and what hairstyle is most in vogue than in pride wearing the club colours.
Torquay used to have long serving players who had the Blue and Gold in their veins. Now it's who will pay the best fee. there are exceptions. Chris "Tarzan" Hargreaves who loved the Two clubs he felt for, and if truth be told he felt maybe a bit more for the Gulls than he did Oxford and he still lives here.
The days of Collins, Stubbs etc are long gone and with them the sentiment and loyalty I struggle to understand how a club like ours can build on anything for the future as we won't be able to hold onto any decent player we either discover, bring through our academy, or find in the lower reaches trying to resurect his career after falling from grace for one reason or other.
I cite for example. Scott Sinclair. A player who shower tremendous talent when Brisssle Rovers brought him through their academy, he didnt even make the first team, he was approached and encouraged to sign for Chelski leaving Rovers without the chance to find out the difference he would have made to the team. The real shame is that they didn't even use him that much but sold him on to Swansea without Rovers recieving much more money for him. That will happen to us and it sounds depressing but I can understand why the reserves where disbanded years ago ( I didnt agree with it though)
The next thing I wonder, is this the backlash that was talked about from the kerb Crawly match. the depression that sometimes follows after a really important defeat. if that the case there needs to be some support and help from proffessionals to get them out of it pronto. it's not unknown to have this effect but it can be overcome. You don't have to go down because of your circumstances. you can rise above them. Benjimen Disrali was brought up in abject poverty to become one of the most famous Prime Ministers we ever had. Franklin D Roosevelt overcame disability to become U.S. President at one of the most important times in their history. Helen Keller overcame 100% total Deafness and Blindness to graduate with honours and impact the world. Look her up anyone who hasn't heard of her. Success does not depend on our circumstances, but on overcoming our circumstances!.
I will go on supporting them as much as I am able given lack of finance and distance ( teaming up with other supporters is very welcome and I look forward to trying to team up with Royal gull as we thunder down the M5 writing new jokes ready for the forum next game, when we are stuck at home on the web.)
I will not give up. I will keep a smiling face as I remember that there are more important things in life (having nearly missed Wembley due to health) and one thing I will also say. I will support them. I will not thrown insults or denigrate the efforts of our manager. I will not stand in the pop side or Family stand slinging insults at the players. (I will encourage them loudly though) I will not sit at this computer making charges that would make a sailor blush because the manager and or board will not or cannot sign this or that player. We really do not know what realy goes on behind the scenes and to make unsupported charges only serves to discourage those who put in immense amounts of time and energy into keeping our club alive. I will temper my enthusiasm for the Board to spend more money than they have, I will remember that it is thier money not mine and I have no right to tell them how to spend their own money any more then they have a right to tell me how to spend my wages. Some fans (Not nec at this club) seem to have a chip on their shoulder the way they go on about The money that directors have invested.
So it's onward and upward. keep up the stiff upper lip. Make up a few more jokes and shout encouragment at our team when they are out on the hallowed turf. Up the Gulls!! Come on You yellows. We are UNITED. WE ARE TORQUAY!! :win: :win:

:win:
rant over I think!!
Typos excepted