Torquay United Fans Forum

Wouldn’t put it past him trying to leave whatever he doesn’t get as a charge against the Club in early stages of negotiations with a buyer. Osborne isn’t gone yet, sadly. I hope his influence goes and soon. Still the owner for now and as administration has not been announced, as it must be when entered, he still calls the relevant shots with club funds and Edwards is still here with his primary interests those of his long time ‘employer’.

Southampton Gull wrote: ↑24 Feb 2024, 11:47 Trust you? Not while you spout a defence of Clarke Osborne, no thanks. As I've said before, I think the land at Plainmoor wasn't the real carrot for Osborne. Permission to "develop an area to include a ground" as per his modus operandi and who is to say housing by a big builder wouldn't swallow up the land proposed leaving us high and dry. I wonder where that idea came from.............

Exactly that, Dave. It’s what he’s tended to do many times before with catastrophic consequences. He’s still owner now - and we are not in administration nor sold yet - but hopefully he will soon no longer be calling the shots here.

WestLondonYellow wrote: ↑26 Feb 2024, 19:39 Think it’s time to start letting the info you have come out because they are still there and no one is clear on where the money raised is going. On the Pasoti forum advice is, do not trust a word that comes out of the official site. And they’ve been through it.

The safe bet is the TUST fund. Their constitution safeguards this. Weymouth’s owners clearly understand and appreciate this. The other club fund is reliant on Osborne and Edwards’ interpretation of the term ‘essential operating costs’ until or unless an administrator is appointed or they have both f***ed off.

We will all have our own interpretation of what ‘essential operating costs’ means or is limited to, but our interpretation is not as important as that of Osborne and Edwards regarding the fund if we are not in administration or owned by someone other than Osborne.

The Great Muta! wrote: ↑25 Feb 2024, 17:30 Lots of street parking approx half a mile from ground, if you get there in good time, do a small reccy of the area, you'll find plenty.

Thanks for the info. With uncertainty remaining as to Osborne and Edwards’ full interpretation of the term ‘essential operational costs’ your owners’ contribution to our TUST is greatly appreciated.

kevgull wrote: ↑25 Feb 2024, 13:47 This statement from Edwards lit the blue touch paper and for that reason his position should be untenable.

https://fanbanter.co.uk/torquay-fans-to ... from-club/

Certainly will be looking forward to him being gone. And also to when neither Osborne or him are no longer the arbiters in interpreting or determining what an ‘essential operating cost’ is.

TorquayUnited wrote: ↑25 Feb 2024, 18:01 Goes to pay the bills. 4.3 million owned administrator pay the staff the electricity bills the catering staff the groundsman the diesel to cut the grass in the mower the paint to paint the lines. The cleaners to clean the ground.

Luckily not Clarke's responsibility anymore already 4.3 million lost and amazingly only 700 grand till end of season to find some can compete in this league next season.

Osbourne out

Club is dead

Nope. Osborne is still owner, Edwards is still here and we are NOT in administration.

Rjc70 wrote: ↑25 Feb 2024, 12:11 Great gesture from Weymouth for our match at theirs. For every adult Gulls fan present they are donating £5 toward the TUST fund. With continuing uncertainty as to George Edwards’ interpretation of the term ‘essential operating costs’ given that we are not in Administration, that’s great news.

When is Weymouth away? Such a great gesture by them. Thats me making the trip, for sure.

Great gesture from Weymouth for our match at theirs. For every adult Gulls fan present they are donating £5 toward the TUST fund. With continuing uncertainty as to George Edwards’ interpretation of the term ‘essential operating costs’ given that we are not in Administration, that’s great news.

There’s quite a few others who don’t necessarily post on here.

hector wrote: ↑24 Feb 2024, 19:27What felt like a day where all were united, was spoilt by the presence of two of the architects of this demise and sorry state, that being the odious and arrogant, George Edwards and the complicit Mel Hayman. He rightly got abuse and sitting looking pissed off when we scored just further aggravated everyone. He must have known that being there would antagonise everyone but it does suggest that in reality nothing has changed just yet and he is there to serve his master

I’ve certainly stopped short of contributing to the ‘assist operational costs’ defined Club fund presently as it is not a stretch at all for remaining Directors to consider their involvement as “assisting operational costs” before we actually do or do not enter administration. A appointed administrator AFTER we have entered administration may or may not see things differently.

Today needed our support for many reasons other than the outgoing Chairman who is still owner, but support for him and Edwards is not there for most and rightly hasn’t been for some time. Support for Downes, the players and a secured future without Osborne and Edwards is our look out.

The devil is always in the detail with the wording and despite what is on the official site, first from Osborne, second one assumes from Edwards, we are not privy to that detail or how it is interpreted by those overseeing matters prior to Administration being entered into, what ‘and to assist operational costs’ actually means when it comes to what interest (and direction) Osborne, Edwards and Hayman have in amounts accrued and expenditure required for those operational costs. Some are obvious, of course.

I raised concerns on TFF and elsewhere - not alone in that respect - and a prominent poster on another site shortly after posted that he saw that fund as propping up Edwards and Hayman. I wouldn’t go that far necessarily, but I do understand why he might think that and it is not a black and white for me, it is a grey until when/if an administrator is calling all shots, hence hesitation regarding that particular fund.

I’m not an accountant, I would stress, and I am sure there are some suitably qualified amongst our fan base who might see things similarly or differently in terms of “grey over black and white”.

I’m hoping and half expecting the form book to be ripped up and us to beat Aveley.

Of course, tomorrow is about so much more than the result, but it would be great for what will clearly be a bumper crowd spurring us on, to be rewarded with a hard earned victory.

I’m going for 2-1 with 5,499 on the gate. Stay positive and show the love for those on the pitch whatever the weather. I feel sure we will.

I’ve asked similar elsewhere as to whether it is mandatory to now be spent in the way announced or whether it is by choice that the Club has announced what is to happen with any funds received since yesterday. As mentioned, we are not yet in Administration and Osborne is currently owner, albeit no longer Chairman. Don’t yet know a definitive, but would also be interested to know.

gullsgullsgulls wrote: ↑26 Jan 2024, 11:36 But that is his MO. There is always someone else to blame.

At the end of the day, they demolished the stadium based on his promises and his business plan.

Regardless of whose fault it was, there were risks in his business plan that came to bear and the new stadium was never built.

It is not the councils job to risk taxpayers money on these follies regardless of the shininess of the proposal deck.

Those articles in Reading you posted (Mellow) were in 2012 and 2013. The stadium was demolished in 2008 AFTER his company had obtained outline planning permission for an alternative. Although in 2012 and 2013 Swindon were of course hearing all about their proposed new stadium.

Fast forward to 2023/4 similar articles appearing in Swindon regarding reviving the sport in the town after eviction and housing now up to and in the old car park at the Abbey Stadium and for as far as the eye can see. Onto the next project it is. And we are it.

I don’t know if anyone else noticed when Clarke Osborne was asked by Dominic Mee at that online fans forum about Swindon, that Clarke Osborne referred to it as a ‘success’. I’m guessing those who used to pay through those gates a short while before don’t regard the loss of their sport and lots of new housing in the same terms. Assume he was defining success rather differently to those fans.

But yes, football is different. Here’s what Clarke Osborne is reported to have said in 2018 about Bristol Rovers. Article Non League Paper July 2018 - Robertson (author) asked him how he felt about being responsible for his boyhood club being evicted from their Eastville Stadium (which he sold to become an IKEA store) Osborne said, “Unemotional… In football there’s a lot of emotion, ego and personalities that stretch over what I would call the basic business decisions you would make.“

Like Dave, I’ve tried to find an example of and have posed the question elsewhere of whether anyone has any knowledge of a Clarke Osborne proposed new stadium being built from scratch. I can’t find one. Just lots of proposed ones. I’ve also seen articles similar to what you say where others are ultimately blamed for it not happening. Be it bad luck, bad judgement, or something else, his proposed stadia don’t seem to ever get built. Other things do as part of the proposal/enabling development to get them done. But not the stadiums themselves. And bad news for current and potential future supporters often tends to follow.

I’m currently struggling to see any reason why we will be any different to all of those other places and why any other supporter thinks we might be.

Thought Randell had a poor game by his standards. Dwelt on the ball for too long at times and squandered possession more than most.

CLE
Covolan
Wynter
Boden

Randell
Lewis
Sherring
Wynter
Covolan