The way forward

[WestLondonYellow]

After feedback and thoughts, starting a new thread with this as it was originally posted on the redundancy thread.

It's fair to say the board are doing the best they can, the club are doing the best they can and the two main issues are, lack of available funds for investment and lack of interest from the local community in supporting the club on a Matchday. (Stating the obvious)

So, with that identified, what can we as a group of motivated supporters do to help the club and address these issues.

Let's look at the investment issue first.

A supporters trust was set up a while back, what happened to this. Can it be re invigorated, are there others on here with experience in the business world with fairly to good income who would be willing to band together and perhaps pool resources and make a solid investment in the club (even with no means to invest, this should be open to all fans to get involved in.) I may be alone here but i see a lot of potential for Torquay, the club and the town, it saddens me to see what the town has become compared to how it used to be, but none the less i believe that potential is certainly still there.

The second issue, well i would argue a sustained period of success on the pitch would increase gate income and other matchday revenue, but not by a level enough to get us above a mid table league 1 side, and i believe we ought to be striving for the Championship. There is a magic ingredient that gets people interested in a club, be they fair weather fans, armchair fans or neutrals, they are all potential TUFC fans, and we can increase our core support, it just takes time. We need to find a way to create a feelgood factor about the club, some excitement about the potential and try to build on that.

The local media can play it's part here.

As an example though, if we could get a full capacity crowd just once this season, 3500 of those would be people who hadn't been for years or who had never been, and to get them along and experience a full stadium atmosphere, well, if only 10% of those caught the bug, that would be a significant increase in gate revenue. So, how to do this. Offer free tickets to certain groups, or postcodes? pubs? ok but then, wouldn't that create ill feeling amongst the regular paying customers?

I don't know, these are just ideas i'm putting out there, trying to get the ball rolling and want others to contribute and provide feedback. Negativity isn't required, even if you think an idea is stupid, to say so could discourage someone else from putting an idea up that might just be the answer we're looking for.

[usagullmichigan]

There is a lot of problems really. The town is a dump, there is no backing from the community and the location of the ground I think hinders TUFC massively.

[SBP]

Listening to Talksport last week with their interview with Harry Rednapp gave me some interesting thoughts surrounding coaches and players involvement with their local footballing community.

I think it would be a good idea to get the players more involved with the schools and kids sunday leagues. Harry Rednapp and his players use to do training for local clubs which benefited all concerned.

I was talking to Guy Branston a couple of sundays ago at a local U8 's game. His views were the same as mine, we have to do more with the local communities. There are so many young talented kids out there locally playing every sunday morning. Lets get the squad out there doing some extra work.
It can only benefit all concerned.

[WestLondonYellow]

The Town Centre is a dump i agree. The ground has been in that location a very long time, perhaps there are better locations but in order to get it moved, it would require a lot of investment. The purpose of this thread is to try to come up with ideas and solutions though. Unfortunately, of the 53 people who have viewed this, you are the only person who has replied.

Are there any positive people out there?

When a group get together with an intention to create something, amazing things can materialise. This has been proven time and again throughout history.

[WestLondonYellow]

Listening to Talksport last week with their interview with Harry Rednapp gave me some interesting thoughts surrounding coaches and players involvement with their local footballing community.

I think it would be a good idea to get the players more involved with the schools and kids sunday leagues. Harry Rednapp and his players use to do training for local clubs which benefited all concerned.

I was talking to Guy Branston a couple of sundays ago at a local U8 's game. His views were the same as mine, we have to do more with the local communities. There are so many young talented kids out there locally playing every sunday morning. Lets get the squad out there doing some extra work.
It can only benefit all concerned.

I agree, the players and the staff perhaps could do more to get involved with the community.

Can we as fans do something though?

[usagullmichigan]

The club has always been poor at promoting itself. The players need to be at schools, youth clubs, scout/cub meets. Run training sessions at schools etc etc.

[chunkygull]

Listening to Talksport last week with their interview with Harry Rednapp gave me some interesting thoughts surrounding coaches and players involvement with their local footballing community.

I think it would be a good idea to get the players more involved with the schools and kids sunday leagues. Harry Rednapp and his players use to do training for local clubs which benefited all concerned.

I was talking to Guy Branston a couple of sundays ago at a local U8 's game. His views were the same as mine, we have to do more with the local communities. There are so many young talented kids out there locally playing every sunday morning. Lets get the squad out there doing some extra work.
It can only benefit all concerned.

i wholeheartledly agree with these sentiments. indeed, there are a few points i made on the getting the kids interested thread.

they are in here -

http://forum.torquayfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5734

we can definitely make a start by making the footballers and coaches more accessible to the community and schools especially.

i know there is a lot being done already and there is much that should gain a childs interest, but a lot of these activities and chances involve the people making the effort and going towards the club, when the club should be reaching out to the people. those that get involved with these club activities are usually people who are already interested and would anyway.

in the 6 years my lad was in primary school i only know of one occasion that the club made any visits, they put on one session for an hour or so with a couple of coaches (no players) and that was only for 1 year group, which left 5 year groups with nothing.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I haven't replied (I have now though! ) because I don't really have any positive answers to the problems WLG. I just think that the club should focus on what it CAN control and not what it can't. How well a football team is doing cannot be controlled but it is the only way to bring in more fans on a regular basis. Ticket promotions and the like work well but just for the game itself that is why I have always thought a free game after paying full for 5 or whatever will reward fans who haven't got season tickets who come now and again, in addition just say they have racked up 8 games then they might go to another to get a free tenth. We aren't losing money because they might not have come anyway but at least whilst they are here they might buy a pie or whatever so we make profit. I don't see anything wrong with this and it will reward fans for coming more often.

Hardcore fans will come regardless but floaters will come now and again so if we give them an incentive or a push then a scheme such as this doesn't just get them to Plainmoor for one or two games. Kids are our future but for now, if we want to get people in when we're playing sh*t then rewarding them with welcoming incentives (not just now and again ticket deals) is the only way to do it. I can't understand why anyone at the club can't see this although i'm not having a go, I appreciate they have little resources.

Give away things, free food, free drinks, free programmes with so many tokens collected from buying a ticket or whatever, give people things and they will come more often than not. I believe we will make money and there will be more people in the ground and we can take it from there.

We need to get the kids hooked but like I said , for now get some catchy rewards schemes going for the fickle. They'll come back.

[WestLondonYellow]

Well this will get more kids involved and part of that training session could be a free ticket to the game for the child and parents, however, i thought something like this was already being done, isn't that what Frank Prince does?

Granted this may create new fans as adults, but as they get oder they'll leave the area for work.

What's needed more than this is a strategy to get a larger % of the adult population involved and attending. Be they local or Glaswegian.

What about free tickets to Old peoples homes, for those fit enough to attend, (ok not a great deal of longevity in that if we do convert any of them to becoming fans) saying that, they might bring a grandson along and he might get hooked.

What about some kind of promotion in the Herald Express, where there is a postcode type system, and if you are living in that postcode, there are 2000 free tickets available, given out on first come first serve. Ok, given the apathy in the bay, it might be difficult to give 2000 tickets away, but, the idea could grow more popular. It's a fair system because even regular attendees will at some point be able to get a free ticket. The club should also be able to generate a lot of revenue from food and drink sales from the extra attendance. A fuller ground creates a better atmosphere, and encourages a return trip. Far better than half empty terraces.

[tomogull]

1. In the short term, a good Cup run with a home tie against Premiership opposition would help.
2. Medium term - more involvement in the community by the club and players, especially in schools as Chunky and Guy Branston suggest.
3. Long term - controversial and it will never happen. Leave Plainmoor for a site in the Newton Abbot/Kingsteignton area (and before you ask - no, I don't live in either place !). Torbay seems to be populated by people who have moved from the Midlands or London (who can blame them?) who have little interest in lil ol' Torquay United. I believe more 'born and bred' locals live in the Newton Abbot area who would be more likely to support their local team. Only an opinion, I hasten to add !

[tomogull]

(quote) What about free tickets to Old peoples homes, for those fit enough to attend, (ok not a great deal of longevity in that if we do convert any of them to becoming fans) saying that, they might bring a grandson along and he might get hooked. [/quote]

YES, YES, YES .... great idea !! I reckon me and Hector will qualify next season !!! Have to say that I do take my grandson along each week but even he has become disillusioned this season. Success and attractive football counts for a lot.

[AustrianAndyGull]

The local community only care about going to a Torquay match if we are at the top of the league or they are getting summat for nowt. That is what i'm saying, as we aren't top of the league then it has to be the latter. A new stadium is not the answer. If someone can't be bothered to go to Plainmoor now when they live in Newton Abbot then i'm sure they will find an excuse even when they have a ground on their doorstep. It's not outer Mongolia they have to get to it's a handful of miles down the road. I don't want to be negative but the long and short is people don't give a sh*t so if we want them to come then we give them things in return on a regular basis and we make it cost effective. That is THE only way to get fans through the gates on a more regular and sustainable level. Other than the football there is nothing else.

Also , i'm sure the club does this already but they need to focus on non footballing revenue streams and really get stuck into these as there is money to be made.

Just forget about success and attractive football everyone for a minute!!

We need to devise strategies to get people in in the absence of the above two, I thought this was the point in the thread?

[AustrianAndyGull]

No offence tomo. :na:

[WestLondonYellow]

Another thing the club can do to generate interest is clever marketing.

When a club makes an announcement along the lines of "a five year plan" etc, to either consolidate in the Championship, or League 1, take you're pick it doesn't matter, the point is, this generates renewed interest because it shows ambition.

That renewed interest might result in a extra 500-700 on the average gate for the season. which is a lot of extra revenue. Allowing extra investment in the playing squad the following year, which may not result in promotion but could bring a longer cup run and some decent revenue from an away game at old trafford, (lol, never seems to happen for us does it, well it's about time it did) again, resulting in further interest, and all the while re enforcing the message that we are on track for a 5 year plan. The in the 3rd season, with more funds to invest and stability with the management and coaching staff, we make a push for promotion and reach League 1. And we grow form there.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I wouldn't buy that for one minute mate and i'm 99% sure the stay aways wouldn't be enticed by political spiel either.