Torquay in crisis?

[yellow]

As of 7am this morning, club chairman and major benefactor of the last 3/4 years, Thea Bristow has announced she is leaving in the summer. Without her, I dread to think where we'd be, or even who I'd be following - her value cannot be undermined in recent years. While the rest of the board members continue to hide away, Thea has always been there to bail us out.

http://www.torquayunited.com/news/article/torquay-united-chairman-to-resign-2327425.aspx

It's no real surprise she wants out really. She has single-handedly kept us afloat despite herself having no real affiliation to the club (prior to her joining the board after the death of her husband). Unfortunately, she isn't a 'football person', and it seems that the support from other board members has been non-evident, so much so that she had to bring in Kelvin Thomas to help her out.

It is rumoured she is talking to a couple of different parties, so we will wait to see what happens on that front, I guess. The club has been a shambles for the last two years so I think change is needed, and I just pray that whoever comes in is right for the club.

I'll use this thread to keep y'all updated as things progress, but it isn't good right now.

 

[Luke Imp]

Saw it this morning and just assumed that it was because something/someone was lined up.

 

[Gulliball]

I guess it depends who takes over. When she leaves she is converting her loans to shares, which should make us debt free. We then need someone to take over funding the club, as clubs of our size need someone to keep putting their hand in their pocket to cover shortfalls.

 

[yellow]

Indeed. But are we going to find someone silly enough to do that, without turning into another Hereford/Salisbury affair? The club is at it's lowest ebb since I've been following - and that's saying something. I feel nearly as bad now as I did during the Chris Roberts period, and that's pretty bad.

1200 there last night - if we lose again on Saturday then I dread to think what the gate will be next Tuesday when Braintree have about 4 fans. It's hardly an exciting opportunity for new investors, is it?

Anyway, with the news this morning I'm going to join the Trust in the next couple of days - I reckon that could pick up a few more members over the next few days.

 

[ForeverUnited]

I know that Lonsdale and Co had been sniffing around other clubs. Be very careful of Steven Murrel(last name could be wrong, the bloke who tried to take over at Hartlepool), He was also part of Tommys crew and went to the meetings with Tommy about the leases to the ground. Hopefully the interested parties are good people and not crooks.

 

[yellow]

I'd like to think Kelvin Thomas will be able to tell the good from the bad. I don't think I'd be against a takeover involving him either, to be honest, as he's made a fairly positive impact thus far. However I don't think he's interested.

I'd quite like the TUST to potentially be involved in any potential takeover - be it just a seat on the board or whatever, for now. However I doubt we have the number to do that just yet.

Also noted that apparently a handful of the current board members would consider taking over - No thanks.

 

[GEORGE]

If they wer'nt I think they are now. Surely you must be looking at replacing Hargreaves.

 

[DarkSithLord]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31985907

Id wager anything less than 3 points tomorrow and he has to go?

 

[yellow]

I doubt we can afford too, with all the off-field stuff. If Thea wasn't leaving then I'd imagine he wouldn't be far away, but as that's all up for debate I don't see him losing his job under this current regime. Why should she spend another £50-100k bringing in yet another manager.

For what it's worth, I really hope he can turn it around, but performances have been so dire that we're struggling to get 1000 home fans - something I'd never thought I would see!

 

[Dave-Vale]

I feel bad that I wished the worst on Torquay so many times during our promotion season.

 

[yellow]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32018669

Not really to do with this thread so much but this surprised me. Unfortunately Hargreaves is a bit like Buckle in that he loves an excuse..

Even if they are earning that sort of money, we should not be losing 5-1 at home to Braintree.

 

[Gulliball]

We have three players on non-contracts, one 17 on a youth contract and one loanee we're paying a % of his full wages. That puts the other six on pretty standard wages for a Club at our level.

It's not a great comment for our manager to come out with. The total budget is far higher than that, and it was his choice to play with 5 players earning nothing. I'd far rather he looked at addressing our poor form rather than make excuses in the media. To have a genuine chance of relegation in March is well under par for our squad.

 

[ForeverUnited]

would bowman be one of the higher paid players?

 

[Gulliball]

Yeah, Bowman, Luke Young and Louis Briscoe were his three big summer signings. The rest will be on far less. We signed four players from amongst the trialists (three first teamers and one fringe player, so amongst our better players), for the wage of Karl Hawley (3 goals all season as we got relegated).

Bowman came on as a sub though, so won't be included, keeping the wage figure low.

 

[Davidimp]

Another ex league club struggling for cash in this league, tough league this without the cash from the football league even with a parachute payment.
Think we are losing 2-3k a week still.

 

[Southern Shayman]

Another ex league club struggling for cash in this league, tough league this without the cash from the football league even with a parachute payment.
Think we are losing 2-3k a week still.

Whilst I appreciate that, we before and a lot of clubs still do, make a conscious choice to lose the money. It's not forced

 

[yellow]

http://www.torquayunited.com/news/article/thea-life-president-2366711.aspx

So…who's in charge now? Kelvin Thomas?

 

[yellow]

Yesterday saw what was dubbed "the biggest board meeting in recent years" by our local paper, but nothing has come out from that yet so we're none the wiser as to what it was about. I've heard various things but they all seem to contradict each other so I'm not sure what to believe is going on.

The TUST (supporter's trust) has gained a few more members over the past weeks as it seems this could be the best time we'll ever get to try and get some sort of fans' representation on the board. As the number of members is still much lower than it was once (at it's peak I believe it was near on 800), I do not see the TUST taking over completely just yet. However I would not be adverse to that idea in the future, to be honest. Certainly trying to get a decent % has to be a priority in my mind. Unfortunately a look at our forum shows some 'fans' who think the trust is a pile of shit and the club will fold, and so have already said they'll pack themselves off to our nearest rivals.

While the TUST is increasing slowly, lots needs to be done if it is to seriously become involved in the running of the club. Under new stewardship, the levels of interaction we are getting is superb to be honest, so that's been a hugely positive aspect. There doing a public meeting next week which will be used to try and outline their plans so that could be an interesting evening. So yeah, while it's not looking so bleak just yet, if any of you want to keep an excellent away day then you can pay £24 a year to join .

 

[DarkSithLord]

Paul Srurrock has Joined Torquay - http://www.torquayunited.com/news/article/new-united-recruit-2377516.aspx

 

[DT-the-gull]

With Thea Bristow stepping down and Chris Hargreaves continued poor management of all team affairs, I very much feared we'd have a job avoiding relegation next term. If what I've been led to believe is true, and can not say it is (so not posting in public) brighter times are ahead, and TUFC we will be a very different prospect next term, a case for us gulls fans, of watch this space.

 

[GodsGift]

Sturrock has left already...

 

[Techno Natch]

Going to Yeovil apparently.

 

[yellow]

Best thing to happen to the club in ages, and it's over in four days.

Shambles.

 

[DT-the-gull]

Scrub my last reply. After hope that a new investor was about to move in have collapsed, we're stuck with a clueless manager, a board that's lost interest with the stand in chairmen apparently off to spend the summer in the West Indies , yes I'm a barrel of laughs, guess we'd better dust the map books off, were do Whitehawk play.

 

[Pliny Harris]

At least he's lasted four days more than Leroy Rosenior did...

 

[DarkSithLord]

Oh dear

 

[Shotsfan1993]

Best thing to happen to the club in ages, and it's over in four days.

Shambles.

Is it that embarrassing to lose against us that he leaves straight after??

 

[yellow]

Ha, clearly!

Bid from a private bidder accepted by Mrs Bristow this morning. No more information as yet..

Part of me feels she'll stay to her word and sell to someone who has plans to take the club forward, yet another part of me thinks she wants out in any way possible and so could sell to some Chris Roberts kinda guy..

 

[Sparrow]

http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co....uble-whammy/story-26419184-detail/story.html?

 

[yellow]

Nothing new there. Think we've posted big losses like that a few times under this consortium. Certainly the two years down here last time I think we lost around £1.3m.

Anyway, rumours the takeover will be completed by the weekend. Still none the wiser as to who it is.