Torquay in crisis?

[Luke Imp]

What happened to the other guy?

 

[Harrier94]

Three years seems a bit excessive. Yes, what he achieved was a bit of a miracle but lest we forget that Steve Burr also had a few good months at Kidderminster once.

But best of luck to him, should be manager of the season easily for this season and if he can recreate the form next season then you should be clear of relegation next season.

 

[Railway Blue]

Three years seems a bit excessive. Yes, what he achieved was a bit of a miracle but lest we forget that Steve Burr also had a few good months at Kidderminster once.

Burr ruined us.

I thought Torquay had financial constraints. How can they countenance a 3-year deal.

 

[yellow]

Surprised by the length of the deal, but it helps continue to positivity around the club - imagine that'll shift a few more ST's. Especially if some of the key players from the run-in are signed up for next year. Nico has done wonders since February and should the positivity continue through the summer I wouldn't be surprised if we hit our first 3,000+ gate in years come August.

Still none the wiser with regards to this takeover - I have heard things that contradict the official line from the club, but I guess we'll see how things pan out.

 

[Southern Shayman]

3 years is just ridiculous.

 

[Gulliball]

We've hit the jackpot with Nicholson, and he's the biggest asset the club has. 3 years is brilliant news for us, and with all the off-field uncertainty, it is just the appointment we needed. He'll unite the fans and probably add about 500 to the average gate with our £200 season ticket deal.

 

[silvergull]

He'll also not be on too high wages, which spreads the contract risk.
Happy with 3 years. What we've needed since Ling is some form of stability on and off the field. The work he's been doing in the community also will reap financial rewards.

Unsure what this means for the take over. It's either very close to completion or collapsing

 

[yellow]

Is anyone else concerned with the constant delaying of this takeover?

Also, seeing the impact that Gaming International have had on Greyhound racing and stadia does not look promising at all.

It's never bloody easy being a TUFC fan, is it?

 

[Luke Imp]

Concerned about Nicholson's comments about basically having little/no money left for transfers (think it was about Harrad).

You haven't even got a 15 yet have you?!

 

[yellow]

Think we're sat on 13 or so - we have made some strong signings of which I assume GI have funded some of, but they are clearly waiting for the council to agree to let them build a new stadium (even with their track record of failing to actually build 3 previously).

I hate to say it but it sounds a bit like we're going out of the frying pan and into the fire with this lot..

 

[Gulliball]

We'll be going with a small squad and the relaxing of the transfer window helps with that. We have 14/15 at the moment (Berry out till Christmas) which includes two youth teamers. We need 3-4 more to even give us basic cover in each position but we're going for quality over quantity. We are quite close to a more than decent first XI, which on a budget of circa £400k means there isn't much left over. Blissett and Williams will start, so Harrad would be a squad player and so presumably the budget we have for squad players doesn't give us room to make him an offer that's worth him relocating. If we add 4 more players of a decent level then I'll be delighted with the squad.

The takeover fills me with dread. They are property developers, admit to having no interest in the football side (will let the current board stay on and run the club) and have a history of knocking down stadiums to then not deliver on the promised new stadium. If you wrote a recipe for disaster for a lower league team, it would be this, and yet we seem determined to sell to them without even considering other offers.

 

[yellow]

And now there's rumours that the takeover is off, and Truro chairman Peter Masters is still a potential candidate - although it is unclear if he is working closely with Gaming International.

I don't know what to believe, but some clarity from those at the club would go down well right now..

 

[DarkSithLord]

And now there's rumours that the takeover is off, and Truro chairman Peter Masters is still a potential candidate - although it is unclear if he is working closely with Gaming International.

I don't know what to believe, but some clarity from those at the club would go down well right now..

Sounds like its the Club AGM today so perhaps you will get some sort of clarification there.

 

[yellow]

Still no idea if it's happening - it's come up against some obstacles and it's predicted it won't be confirmed either way until the final day of the Memorandum of understanding, which is 31st July.

Fab.

 

[Raymondo316]

Considering Masters is fed up having to bankroll Truro.
Not sure why he'd want to take over at Torquay where he will no doubt have to spend a lot more money.....seems a rather strange rumour.

 

[yellow]

Ahuh. He's been in and around the club for months but fans are unsure if he is actually involved with Gaming International.

 

[Luke Imp]

Just read that Gaming International loaned the Club £50k at the back end of last season. I'm assuming this was on the basis they were taking over. What's stopped it from happening?

 

[Gulliball]

Well we have been told nothing since April, except for the fact that we are unable to be told anything do to the confidentially agreement. Back then it was due to be completed before the end of last season. The latest is that we've extended the deadline from the end of June to the end of July, with the same silence clause.

Most likely cause is that they aren't going to get the land/deal/money they wanted, although for the reasons above it could literally be anything.

I would just like it to fall through as quickly as it can and allow us to re-group. Owing a five figure sum to them to re-pay could be recovered, but if we get in any deeper it could be too much. So frustrating to have this go on for so long, with no word at all for months on end, whilst every day a new horror story emerges about the people we somehow seem desperate to sell to. It's now been 4 years of constant off field struggles, and the worst thing is that we now have a very good manager who can build a good squad for £400k, we have a very nice ground for this level, solid training facilities and 2000+ fans that will support the club, even at its lowest ebb - all we need is a stable ownership and things could be positive. We don't even need an investor, just a few local businessmen/supporters trust or a combination of both to oversee us spending what we earn, which shouldn't be impossible for a club with 1000+ season ticket holders and a £400k budget, yet we've borrowed £50k+ from property developers to fund that total, with the agreement that we have to re-pay it if the deal doesn't go through. Basically the choice is be skint and owe money to property developers or sell to property developers and have houses on Plainmoor. And not once during this whole process has anyone even announced that we're seeking investment/need money/are for sale, we've just jumped into bed with people offering to lend us fifty grand. We actually failed to attend a meeting with the supporters direct representative that helped Newport raise £300k to take ownership, who the Trust paid to travel down, sending the Truro chairman Peter Masters to basically send him away. If we actually went down that route we could now be fan owned and debt free, with positives everywhere, yet instead we're fearful that we won't have a ground or a club in a few years time, all while never once even being told why these people want to buy us or why we want to sell to them.

 

[Padge]

Well we have been told nothing since April, except for the fact that we are unable to be told anything do to the confidentially agreement. Back then it was due to be completed before the end of last season. The latest is that we've extended the deadline from the end of June to the end of July, with the same silence clause.

Most likely cause is that they aren't going to get the land/deal/money they wanted, although for the reasons above it could literally be anything.

I would just like it to fall through as quickly as it can and allow us to re-group. Owing a five figure sum to them to re-pay could be recovered, but if we get in any deeper it could be too much. So frustrating to have this go on for so long, with no word at all for months on end, whilst every day a new horror story emerges about the people we somehow seem desperate to sell to. It's now been 4 years of constant off field struggles, and the worst thing is that we now have a very good manager who can build a good squad for £400k, we have a very nice ground for this level, solid training facilities and 2000+ fans that will support the club, even at its lowest ebb - all we need is a stable ownership and things could be positive. We don't even need an investor, just a few local businessmen/supporters trust or a combination of both to oversee us spending what we earn, which shouldn't be impossible for a club with 1000+ season ticket holders and a £400k budget, yet we've borrowed £50k+ from property developers to fund that total, with the agreement that we have to re-pay it if the deal doesn't go through. Basically the choice is be skint and owe money to property developers or sell to property developers and have houses on Plainmoor. And not once during this whole process has anyone even announced that we're seeking investment/need money/are for sale, we've just jumped into bed with people offering to lend us fifty grand. We actually failed to attend a meeting with the supporters direct representative that helped Newport raise £300k to take ownership, who the Trust paid to travel down, sending the Truro chairman Peter Masters to basically send him away. If we actually went down that route we could now be fan owned and debt free, with positives everywhere, yet instead we're fearful that we won't have a ground or a club in a few years time, all while never once even being told why these people want to buy us or why we want to sell to them.

Being fan owned probably wont be the joy that it seems initially. I can only speak from our experience but it took us a little while to consolidate from previous regimes. We are still fully coming to terms with it now due to the issues with the ground. Hopefully in the next couple of seasons it will start paying dividends for us.

Agree with you though that its the only way forward in your situation, unless someone comes along with a big wad of cash?

 

[yellow]

..And that seems extremely unlikely. I feel like we've hit our jackpot in the Bristow's - I don't see it happening again. An ideal scenario really would be for Thea to come back, buy the club from the current owners, and then sell it to the TUST. However, that's an impossible dream, on more than one level, I think.

Really frustrating because things seem to be clicking well on the pitch, where it really matters. Can see the off-field nonsense holding us back a bit.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Latest - http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/top-stories/council-now-key-in-gulls-takeover-talks.html

Looks like its down to the council.

 

[yellow]

..Which is a load of bullshit. I cannot understand why the club seem so desperate to sell to this group. I also cannot understand why a new stadium is at the complete forefront of the club's focus right now. Yes, Plainmoor's location could be better, but it is not exactly a completely unviable option to stay there for a little while longer and focus our attempts on regaining FL status.

Really hope the council hold firm, say no, and we can move away from this bunch of failures.

 

[Sparrow]

Back into crisis mode.

http://www.torquayunited.com/news/article/2016-17/statement-from-the-chairman-3217186.aspx

 

[Gulliball]

This is excellent news. We can survive in mid table with a £400k budget, excellent manager and community engagement. We don't need massive investment to run the club as it is just now.

Selling to property developers who were going to knock down our quite decent, modern stadium to make a few quid would have been a crisis.

 

[Harrier94]

This is excellent news. We can survive in mid table with a £400k budget, excellent manager and community engagement. We don't need massive investment to run the club as it is just now.

Selling to property developers who were going to knock down our quite decent, modern stadium to make a few quid would have been a crisis.

You sure? "Torquay United 'need cash injection', says chairman David Phillips"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36937879

 

[Seventyseven]

''We need to get discussions going as soon as possible because we haven't got time to waste,...'' Fuck me, Phillips! ... you've just wasted 4 months talking to timewasters.... all you had to do was look at any of the Torquay forums to discover what a bunch of shisters GI are.... let's hope you see sense this time and let TUST become part of the set up.....

 

[EnglishRed]

Are Torquay going to have to put up a bond before the season starts?

 

[Gulliball]

You sure? "Torquay United 'need cash injection', says chairman David Phillips"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36937879

He says there we are ok at the minute. Angus MacDonald is being sold today and we're just starting a new search for investment. Four months late but better than nothing.

We don't have debts or any massive problems to resolve, we're just adjusting from a lottery winner funding losses to being self-sustained. One part of that was huge cuts last summer, and we now have to get some sort of system in place to raise funds to cover whatever the remaining difference is. The current board took over last summer and made those enormous cuts but aren't investing any money, so we need some new investment to move forwards.

We've wasted 4 months essentially, but should still be ok as long as we do the right thing now, from either a new investor, supporter's trust or combination of both.

 

[Steve_Wafc]

Are Torquay going to have to put up a bond before the season starts?

Doubt it. That was just for us, we must be special.

 

[Jemfy]

Are Torquay going to have to put up a bond before the season starts?

It was wrong when you had to. It would be wrong to do it again to someone else for the sake of being consistent.