Torquay United Fans Forum

The FULL scoop will be in the Herald Express, Richard Hughes has the story. Who is the fat guy pictured with Osborne.

There are certain fans who need to think before posting, we have someone who says I havent read the article but I will not believe a word of it, so if osborne says I am pulling the plug next week I take it you would not believe that either, why did he do the interview now, some will say that he is concerned about a fans demo on saturday, think about that one, he already knows the fans are on Johnsons and edwards backs, he reads social media, a demo is not something that will change his mind on anything unless some idiot burns the stadium down, I think this interview ,considering his schedule has been weeks if not months in the arranging, actually seeing him at plainmoor is like winning a where's wally competition,many clubs have absent owners, its more common than we think, but even at our lowly level we have a managing director.
He rightly says the way forward is a combination of interested parties, the council, Bergers which I think means the great and the good of the bay, those that make the decisions but whose names are rarely known and I agree on that point, there is no point in having a vision for the future if your the ony one buying into it, and he has up to now had a big vision to the tune of 6 million.
Torbay council could do a huge amount more to support the club, not in the heres a million we had stashed away for a rainy day but with all the grant money from central government flying towards the bay for new fish marketss, improving listed buildings and supposedly re inventing the high streets its not a stretch for united to be incorporated into that vision for the bay, Torbay CC owns land larger than most national housebuilders, several years ago actively offering dozens of acres on the torquay side of the ring road for a new hospital if required. Its not a stretch to say this is what we have land wise doing nothing can we make something work.

What a surprise. Clarke interview with the Torbay Weekly incoming and before the publicised protest. Obviously I've no idea what he says but I won't be believing any of it. A real indication of the spook factor of the protest.

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/23932415.suitable-site-found-new-home-swindon-speedway/

The comments section of this article about our owner having found a new site for the displaced Speedway team are yet another reminder, if one is needed, that unless he can be forced out sooner, he will one way or another screw our club whenever his plan for commercial profit opportunity is secured.

The fact he continues to do this in such plain sight is both staggering and scary.

Does anyone really think that if Osborne actually built a new stadium it would be as good as Plainmoor in terms of stadium, location, local pubs, shops, buses, parking, atmosphere etc, - actually does anyone believe Osborne would actually build a stadium at all?
But if he did and it was actually surrounded by all these new income sources who is going to get the extra money? Torquay United for running the club / team /players etc or Osborne?
If we lose Plainmoor it will be the end of Torquay United.

No, I don't think Gallow's Gate is a feasible option-hardly anywhere in Torbay is-just stating what land might be available for some consideration and various events have been held there in the past with parking on site.

Some fans think Plainmoor is bad for parking. So you think the Gallows Gate area would be better? We could all park along the ring road, it's wide enough. Get real.
On the question of buses from Preston, it would be better to get a No 22 which would take you St Marychurch - an easy walk from there. So there's another option.

[quote=Taelee73 post_id=275942 time=1700680105 user_id=23713]
With all the new building of housing and industry/supermarkets around Edgingswell, along with the long mooted plan for a new train station based there, maybe this is an option?
I assume land

was compulsory purchased for the building of the new dual carriageway, so it's not setting a precedent.
A ground there would have great car and maybe soon train access up towards Exeter and down to Plymouth, with the Willows nearby and pubs. Parking could be incorporated.

The clubs first choice was the old tip at the Willows, so maybe it's an option?
[/quote]

The station at Edginswell has got planning approval now and the funding,Nightingale Park is to become a solar farm.There may however ,be opportunities not too far away, on the ring road; Gallow's Gate area.

[quote=leetufc post_id=275944 time=1700700591 user_id=8915]
I live in Preston which I would consider local and Plainmoor is a pain of a location. I have to drive and parking is poor, its not on a good bus route and a long walk from the nearest train station.
[/quote]
No. 12 bus from Preston to Fleet Walk then 35A from Fleet Walk to the Union pub seems pretty good to me.

[quote="The Eternal Optimist" post_id=275939 time=1700670854 user_id=24769]
By 'community based club' I meant it is situated right in the middle of a community - adjacent and convenient to its fans.
I don't think there are that many fans who travel from places like Reading, that would make a difference to the size of the Plainmoor gate. The club has to consider that the majority of its fans that attend matches are based locally. That must be obvious, I would have thought. Of course there are an occasional few who travel long distances to get here for matches. I've done it myself when I was living elsewhere, to get to special games, for example, a cuptie.
What railway station do you think we could build a stadium near? Answer, there are none, because there is no suitable land near any local station. ie. Torquay, Torre. I would have thought that was an obvious observation.
Plainmoor is in a unique position for a football club. Be careful if you wish to move away from it. Would Exeter City ever want to leave St James Park? Only if they ever got in the Premiership I should think. The siting of SJP allows the fans excellent access to their football club. If it was out of town, all spectators would need to drive there. Not a good idea.
[/quote]

I live in Preston which I would consider local and Plainmoor is a pain of a location. I have to drive and parking is poor, its not on a good bus route and a long walk from the nearest train station.

SJP is next to a train station and close to most main bus routes. SJP also has other match day revenue streams that Plainmoor is unable to offer.

With all the new building of housing and industry/supermarkets around Edgingswell, along with the long mooted plan for a new train station based there, maybe this is an option?
I assume land

was compulsory purchased for the building of the new dual carriageway, so it's not setting a precedent.
A ground there would have great car and maybe soon train access up towards Exeter and down to Plymouth, with the Willows nearby and pubs. Parking could be incorporated.

The clubs first choice was the old tip at the Willows, so maybe it's an option?

Eternal optimist, I am not sure what you classify as based locally, if you mean walk to the ground then plainmoor is inportant to that section of fans, alhtough I have no eviidence I would suggest that most fans, drive or use public transport so the criteria for plainmoor being the centre of our football universe loses traction. I have been a supporter for 50 plus years and have a 70 mile round trip for each game and regularly car share with two fans from tiverton who are also members of the 50 plus club(just started this one).
I do not mind where we play football, success is far more inportant than location, if we get a new ground that produces revenue streams that plainmoor cannot match then it has to be a positive thing.

By 'community based club' I meant it is situated right in the middle of a community - adjacent and convenient to its fans.
I don't think there are that many fans who travel from places like Reading, that would make a difference to the size of the Plainmoor gate. The club has to consider that the majority of its fans that attend matches are based locally. That must be obvious, I would have thought. Of course there are an occasional few who travel long distances to get here for matches. I've done it myself when I was living elsewhere, to get to special games, for example, a cuptie.
What railway station do you think we could build a stadium near? Answer, there are none, because there is no suitable land near any local station. ie. Torquay, Torre. I would have thought that was an obvious observation.
Plainmoor is in a unique position for a football club. Be careful if you wish to move away from it. Would Exeter City ever want to leave St James Park? Only if they ever got in the Premiership I should think. The siting of SJP allows the fans excellent access to their football club. If it was out of town, all spectators would need to drive there. Not a good idea.

[quote="The Eternal Optimist" post_id=275930 time=1700588263 user_id=24769]
Plainmoor is a community based club
[/quote]

I would argue pretty vehemently that TUFC as it exists now is not, actually, a "community-based club", but yes, in an ideal world it would be.


[quote="The Eternal Optimist" post_id=275930 time=1700588263 user_id=24769]
A move away to some characterless stadium would be a disaster. [/quote]

That's the rub, though, isn't it? Surely not every new stadium is 'characterless'. In any case, the character of a place is created by the experiences that people have there. A half-decent team will help, but facilities to make the place an enjoyable day out would help just as much.

I could see it another way, that a new ground could revitalise the club by getting more people there. Plainmoor is fine for 2 or 3 thousand gates but for any more than that, it's a nightmare to park near. And that's to say nothing of both the away fan experience and the security concerns that more than 150 away supporters bring. Get a place near a train station, or closer to a big road, and it could be good. No, I don't know where that would be, but dismissing the possibility out of hand seems just as pointless as saying "move the club or die!".

Done sustainably, with half decent intentions and (crucially) a well thought out business plan, it could be the exact kind of thing to help the club move forward. (admittedly, that's not ever going to happen under the current ownership)


[quote="The Eternal Optimist" post_id=275930 time=1700588263 user_id=24769]
(would all our fans travel that far every week, I don't think so)
[/quote]

We have fans coming to Plainmoor from places like Reading. Our away support is second to...well, if not 'none', then 'very few', considering our home gates.

I guess a better way of phrasing the question is "would everybody who comes now still go to the new place?" and the answer is.. we don't know, but probably not. But I do wonder if there are people closer - let's say around Exeter - who might want to visit the Gulls if you could get there and parked in half an hour, rather than having to venture up through Hele, Barton, past Cuthbert Mayne, only to then spend 30 minutes finding a parking space. To entire point of trying something new isn't "Let's keep every single person already going to Plainmoor happy", it's "Let's see if we can find a way to encourage the people of South Devon to go to Torquay United rather than Exeter City or Plymouth Argyle or *gulp* Exeter Chiefs"

[quote="The Eternal Optimist" post_id=275930 time=1700588263 user_id=24769]
The whole scheme is totally unrealistic, and I think he knows that by now.
[/quote]

Well, yes. Feel he expected the council and everybody else to roll over and give him what he wants basically immediately, and as it hasn't happened his scheme seems increasingly far-fetched.

Plainmoor is a community based club - close to amenities, on a bus route, has plenty of on road parking, set in the midst of its fans. A move away to some characterless stadium would be a disaster. There is no flat land anywhere near, either on the ring road, or in Teignbridge, (would all our fans travel that far every week, I don't think so), that would be big enough to accommodate a football stadium, a large enough car park (forget the whole idea if there's no car park), and all the other amenities that CO wants. The whole scheme is totally unrealistic, and I think he knows that by now.