Gloomy Gull wrote: ↑Today, 12:06
I have tried to take a rational and dispassionate view of the circumstances and please be aware I am not an advocate for Osborne or his track record.
Osborne was "gifted" the club by the financial ineptitude of the previous directors who failed/did not have the requisite skills to keep the finances in sufficient shape resulting in a possible Administration being perilously close with no other viable option.
Osborne, absolutely rightly, was called out on his sporting club history by many of the posters on this and other sites and almost immediately his ownership was met, understandably correctly, with significant suspicion and was believed to be a path to problems. These views were made quite vociferously at times.
The underlying burning desire to see him relinquish his ownership has continued throughout his tenure.
Osborne was clear from the get go that he had no interest in football and his desire to do to TUFC what he had done to numerous other sporting clubs regarding the premises they operate from was evident at an early stage. i.e. take control of Plainmoor. He has attempted to bring that to a conclusion that met with his plans on a number of occasions and has been thwarted by the council (thankfully).
BUT despite all the vitriol sent his way over that last few years he was still prepared to "gamble" monies, which may or may not be recovered, on achieving that goal. The offshoot of that action was to sustain TUFC as an operating club during those years - remember the impending Administration at the start.
He has now taken the business decision to cut his losses and step away from a potentially (in his strategy) profitable venture and supporters who did not want him to be the owner anyway, and in recent months have made that view heard louder and louder. The subject of whether he is able to recover any of the loan monies is unclear at this stage, but if Administration is the outcome, it is highly unlikely any repayment of those loans will be made.
Whilst I am devastated that the club I have supported for 60 years is now in a perilous position because of Osborne's actions I do, as someone who has been in the business environment for 40 years, understand why he has chosen to leave.
Perhaps, if he had not been vilified so hard for so long, he may have been more inclined to try to find a buyer rather than walk away from somewhere it was very clear didn't want him. Now we are wringing our hands at the outcome of the "campaign" to oust Osborne. The old adage of "be careful what you wish for" springs to mind here.
Even now he is being pilloried for doing exactly what has been called for by many for the last 5 years! I do not recall Thea receiving such responses when she too decided that she had put enough of her money into the club and walked away - and she loved the club - leaving us back at my opening point, impending Administration.
I do have faith that something recoverable will rise like a phoenix from the ashes and hope to God that the next incumbent to take on the club has only good intentions and believe that we, the supporters, should be focusing on a future rather than continuing to moan about what has happened
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana
Thank you for posting a reasoned response and reminding of us the reality that in January 2017. Had there been a better owner out there at the time, wouldn't Mr Phillips have sold the club to them?
Quoting Mr Phillips, there wasn't. I believe he said to the local press at some point the club was running him dry and was taking a toll on his health.
And why might that have been?
-an intransigence to the thought of ever leaving Plainmoor among the fanbase despite it being a money pit
-Torbay Council intransigence to any thought of working with new ownership
-competition for players from Exeter and Taunton
-the majority of better players residing far away from Torquay and they and there families not wanting to move here.
-the local talented players not wanting to go full time as they would end up probably bringing home a smaller pay check than they would working part-time
-a fanbase that expects more than can be reasonably delivered given the aforementioned constraints
These are but a few of the reasons (not mine, rather culled from the comments of others on this forum) we are in the position
Quite frankly, I don't see that anything has changed from January 2017. . Torquay United as a currently stands is a money losing proposition and without a seismic change in the culture and mindset of the community I doubt there will be many intelligent businessmen/businesswoman out there who would see it as a viable option.
It's time to change the community mindset.
