Torquay United Fans Forum

Post by **Southampton Gull** » 27 Apr 2016, 08:38

So after a season in which Steve Breed has proved beyond doubt he has what it takes to fulfill the role of CEO I'd be interested to hear other peoples views on the kind of job he's done and whether any new investors should use the experience he now has in making tough decisions for the long term benefit of the club.

One thing I do know is I'd rather he was the decision maker than someone like Harrop.

The decision to end the farce at Seale Hayne and pulling the current venue out of his hat was a very good move indeed. This is the kind of thing that can only be of benefit to us.

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » 27 Apr 2016, 08:46

I was skeptical at first but he's done a fine job in my eyes. Does he want to carry on though? He has his own business to run as well doesn't he? He's had a pretty stressfull year and I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to step back now.

But if he wants to stay then yes I would be delighted.

gullintwoplaces · Post by **gullintwoplaces** » 27 Apr 2016, 09:08

I'd love Breedy to stay as CEO. In my career as an accountant I've been involved with a fair few acquisitions. In my experience an acquirer usually wants their own person at the top, unless the incumbent has something valuable that the acquirer wants to keep.

royalgull · Post by **royalgull** » 27 Apr 2016, 09:43

Depends what they want, if they take ownership no one can dictate to them who they put where. This season hasn't all been rosy loads of mistakes have been made particularly at the start which i suppose is understandable or to be expected anyway but overall this consortium saved the club in the summer, Nicho and this group then saved the club in the winter so for that we should be thankful but to get back to where this club should be we need new investors. I hope this new lot have the right intentions to get us back there only time will tell. I'm hopeful the current board who are TUFC fans and have done so much to keep us going have chosen 'good eggs'.

PhilGull · Post by **PhilGull** » 27 Apr 2016, 09:53

I have been impressed with Breedy over the last few months and as I have said before I will be eternally grateful to this board for saving the club from oblivion. But(!) and I think it is quite a big but(ooh-er) there are still questions. Appointing 'him' as DoF and getting the Torquay Fans Ltd lot involved at the beginning only for them to bugger off after a few months. One does have to question these decisions and this experience leads me to question future decisions. Even appointing Nicho was a big risk, we beleived (some of us

) but no one really new how things would turn out.

Post by **Dave** » 27 Apr 2016, 16:30

Stephen Breed, yes he's certainly an emotional lad, it was nice to see tears of joy Saturday, rather than despair that we saw back around January time.

He's top bloke, if the club needed someone to run through brick wall to save it, Stephen Breed would do it no questions asked . I have thanked him in person, he's done a great job and I certainly think it would help ease fans fears, if both him and Dave Phillips were kept at the club in some visible capacity.

samuel · Post by **samuel** » 27 Apr 2016, 17:17

Steve Breed has done a fine job. True, mistakes may have been made along the way but he has been steadfast in his undying support for the cause. He is one of the main reasons I would not knock the board. He is first and foremost a fan, let's not forget he ran the travel club etc. I could not see this man doing something which would harm the team he loves. Yes, he is emotional but hooray for that. I would rather have a CEO with passion and commitment and Steve Breed fits that bill. Well done Steve Breed.

A Realist · Post by **A Realist** » 27 Apr 2016, 20:39

The kind of work that Steve Breed has had to do will not be noticed for a while yet. He was responsible for having to make savage cuts and get rid of some good people. All for the greater good of course but the nature of his job is that a lot of it is "unseen". If and when new owners come in one thing is for certain. They will have nowhere near the amount of outgoings that the club had less than a year ago.

He (and the consortium) also had to put up with a lot of abuse in the early days and some really bad press as well from some who should have known better. They remained steadfast though and Steve's statement that he oft used that he and Torquay would never write a cheque that they couldn't cash has put the club on a stronger footing, at least off the park.

Post by **SuperNickyWroe** » 28 Apr 2016, 16:29

I first met Steve at the Harrogate cup replay. Thought he was a top bloke, true fan then and ever since.
He's done a fine job as CEO in difficult circumstances and I doth my cap to him.
Looking forward to seeing him at Guiseley to shake his (and Dave Phillips) hand.

TUST_Member_Rob · Post by **TUST_Member_Rob** » 01 May 2016, 10:29

Suggested on facebook, hes left the club today

Post by **Dave** » 01 May 2016, 14:06

To be fair I don't think there's anything suggested about Steve Breed leaving the club, Steve Breed himself has posted on Facebook that he has left the club, so I think we can take that he has left the club.

fred disley · Post by **fred disley** » 01 May 2016, 16:48

Dave for once I feel the need to disagree with your viewpoint.
I do not believe that either Mr Phillips or Mr Breed have been good for our club, how do we know that the other bidder last year would not have done a better job if they had taken over the club, or at least have had long term aspirations for our future. I still believe that whilst both Phillips and Breed are undoubtedly Torquay supporters they both saw a canny business opportunity and it was always possible that their intention was not to stay more than one season.
I would like to be proved wrong, but both will undoubtedly walk away financially better off than when they started, If I am proved correct then they are less deserved of sainthood and more of our annoyance that we have been used again.
I cannot profess to have any of the insider knowledge that everyone suggests you have ,so I may be wide of the mark. But I can say that Phillips has got be the most uncommunicative chairman of a football club there is, probably why the rumour mill surrounding Torquay is so vibrant, a good director could have put most of the rumours to bed in one go with a press conference especially with our local tame hacks.
Looking at the way our potential new owners do business and I have in some detail, they tend to put one person in to run the venture with clear objectives on cost and future projections, regardless of whether its a greyhound track or a football club, its a opportunity that needs to generate revenue.
Time will tell, and I desperately wish that it is a story worthy of a full investigative team from one of the Sunday broadsheets, but eventually the story of Theo leaving, the involvement and costs associated with the Ex Oxford chairman poking his nose in, sorry advising, The short reign of emperor Edwards and how Phillips and Breed acquired the club will come out.

TUST_Member_Rob · Post by **TUST_Member_Rob** » 01 May 2016, 16:49

forevertufc wrote:To be fair I don't think there's anything suggested about Steve Breed leaving the club, Steve Breed himself has posted on Facebook that he has left the club, so I think we can take that he has left the club.

Alright!

I dont have him on Facebook so couldn't see that only someone suggesting he'd gone,

Did you get of out of the wrong side of the bed this morning?

Bert · Post by **Bert** » 01 May 2016, 17:34

Herald now confirms that Steve Breed is unlikely to asked to continue as CEO

A Realist · Post by **A Realist** » 01 May 2016, 17:35

fred disley wrote: I still believe that whilst both Phillips and Breed are undoubtedly Torquay supporters they both saw a canny business opportunity and it was always possible that their intention was not to stay more than one season.
I would like to be proved wrong, but both will undoubtedly walk away financially better off than when they started, If I am proved correct then they are less deserved of sainthood and more of our annoyance that we have been used again.

This is extremely unfair on Steve. He in no way will walk off with any financial gain as he didn't invest at the beginning. In fact, now that he's been relieved of his duties he finds himself unemployed from a job which was fairly low paid to begin with.

As for Dave Philips, if he does make some money from the sale then good on him. He and the others who invested their own money at the time the club needed it, against all advice, were buying a private company. If they have turned it into a more viable business then why don't they deserve to make from it? It now seems that others think it is worth buying so I simply cannot understand why anyone would have an issue with them selling it for what they believe is best all round. Whether this turns out to be the case remains to be seen but in my opinion, none of us should be giving them any stick for it.

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