A Fond Farewell

[Southampton Gull]

I've felt as Brucie does since learning of Baker and Phillips antics while controlling the direction the club were taking. The fact that they chose to thrust Thea in the way in the hope it would keep them free of criticism did nothing other than increase my contempt for them. When we look back on where things started to go wrong you can bet your life they'll be at the forefront.


I said way back when Ling was unceremoniously dumped that fans should be careful what they wish for. I proved to be more accurate than even I believed at the time.

[SkyBlueGull]

I agree SG and I know we have had a private discussion on this.

My dealings with Bill Phillips some 6 months ago left me disgusted and angry - that he was so out of touch with the predicament of a fan of over 40 years standing.

Add to that the fact that I felt he was proposing something that was in his own interest and not the club/fans ( read disabled)

Someone mentions on this forum subject that we need a white knight with money to come and rescue us - well we had one in Thea - where are we going to get another one from. Lightening rarely strikes twice

If I won £x million on the lottery why would I even consider investing in TUFC when a due diligence process by my advisors would tell me that her money had been pi55ed down the drain and mine would be likely to go the same way. We really had a great opportunity and we have wasted it.

The next AGM would be very interesting and if my father in law wasn't so incapacitated as a shareholder I would be priming him with a few well chosen questions to ask what each member of the board contributes ( both £ and time/effort) and the whole management and decision making structure.

I have had enough of football - I see Goodwin get sent off for a dubious elbow and Felliani blatantly elbow Zabaleta and just get a booking. I see Ladabie on flimsy grainy evidence get banned for 10 games and Pardew head butt someone in front of millions of people get a 3 game ban.

TUFC used to give me a sense of perspective - about how the game used to be (almost being "jumpers and goalposts") which was why I ditched Coventry City some 15 years ago.

I look at the plight of both these clubs and wonder if I will ever see Torquay back in the League and Coventry back in the top flight before I die - I doubt it and I am only 54.

The trouble is you reap what you sow - we have performed amateurly as a club all season( and prior) from board and management down - so why should we expect anything other than obtaining amateur status

[Jerry]

The next AGM would be very interesting and if my father in law wasn't so incapacitated as a shareholder I would be priming him with a few well chosen questions to ask what each member of the board contributes ( both £ and time/effort) and the whole management and decision making structure.

I'm pretty sure that shareholders can nominate somebody as a proxy to attend the AGM in their place.

[PlainmoorRoar]

I've felt as Brucie does since learning of Baker and Phillips antics while controlling the direction the club were taking. The fact that they chose to thrust Thea in the way in the hope it would keep them free of criticism did nothing other than increase my contempt for them. When we look back on where things started to go wrong you can bet your life they'll be at the forefront.


I said way back when Ling was unceremoniously dumped that fans should be careful what they wish for. I proved to be more accurate than even I believed at the time.

The bit in red is very true

Bill Phillips should not have anything to do with the running of TUFC

and we've done the Ling story many times - rightly sacked

[DTG]

I've felt as Brucie does since learning of Baker and Phillips antics while controlling the direction the club were taking. The fact that they chose to thrust Thea in the way in the hope it would keep them free of criticism did nothing other than increase my contempt for them. When we look back on where things started to go wrong you can bet your life they'll be at the forefront.


I said way back when Ling was unceremoniously dumped that fans should be careful what they wish for. I proved to be more accurate than even I believed at the time.

I completely agree with this. I think my views on Baker and Phillips are well known by now. I suppose I'm almost immune from TUFC now living so far away but it still hurts. In September 2012 I visited the UK, took in a couple of games and went to offer advice on Marketing to the club. It was clear from my visit that the few competent people at the club were being totally hamstrung by the two Clowns. Frustrating doesn't even come close. The games I saw at Plainmoor brought into sharp focus the lack of Customer service and Brand awareness at the club. There was an easy fix but no desire to take it on board from those at the top or even acknowledgement that there was a problem. The impression I got was that the Fans were the problem and held in contempt by pinky and perky. The basic schoolboy errors from supposedly successful businessmen is quite staggering in its total lack of any common sense or competence. I've fallen out of love with TUFC, they won't be getting any of my money. I won't set foot in Plainmoor or buy crap merchandise ever again. My saturday nights will be spent doing something else. Will the last one out please turn off the lights.

[hector]

I completely agree with this. I think my views on Baker and Phillips are well known by now. I suppose I'm almost immune from TUFC now living so far away but it still hurts. In September 2012 I visited the UK, took in a couple of games and went to offer advice on Marketing to the club. It was clear from my visit that the few competent people at the club were being totally hamstrung by the two Clowns. Frustrating doesn't even come close. The games I saw at Plainmoor brought into sharp focus the lack of Customer service and Brand awareness at the club. There was an easy fix but no desire to take it on board from those at the top or even acknowledgement that there was a problem. The impression I got was that the Fans were the problem and held in contempt by pinky and perky. The basic schoolboy errors from supposedly successful businessmen is quite staggering in its total lack of any common sense or competence. I've fallen out of love with TUFC, they won't be getting any of my money. I won't set foot in Plainmoor or buy crap merchandise ever again. My saturday nights will be spent doing something else. Will the last one out please turn off the lights.

I would love to actually know what it is Baker and Phillips have done that gets them such stick on here. I am not saying that they do not deserve it, or maybe they don't, but I am utterly in the dark about what it is they do so wrong. I'm not close to the club, I don't know anyone who works there, so I am not privy to anything but unlike a lot of rumours, I don't tend to hear anything about this pair to know whether or not the stick is warranted.

[chunkygull]

I would love to actually know what it is Baker and Phillips have done that gets them such stick on here. I am not saying that they do not deserve it, or maybe they don't, but I am utterly in the dark about what it is they do so wrong. I'm not close to the club, I don't know anyone who works there, so I am not privy to anything but unlike a lot of rumours, I don't tend to hear anything about this pair to know whether or not the stick is warranted.[/quote]

Agreed Hector, I would love to know also. From what I have seen and read in the media of Phillips and heard snippets elsewhere, then fair enough, but Baker is always painted as just one of us and a man of the people. In any organisations, clubs, comittee's and the like you always get 1 or 2 self important arrogant pr1cks who have no clue and no business being there but they latch onto the hierarchy or running or rule making side of things.

[Rjc70]

I'm pretty sure that shareholders can nominate somebody as a proxy to attend the AGM in their place.

The AGM was last Thursday.

[stefano]

...... but I am utterly in the dark.....

Don't let that stop you saying what you think. I would miss it!

[hector]

Don't let that stop you saying what you think. I would miss it!

I guess it doesn't stop you!!!

[Gazzableedsgull]

The only way I could stop supporting TUFC by going to games would be if we went lower than the 7th tier, just really because of the distance to travel to a home or away game. The Leagues get regionalised after tier 5 I believe so it wouldn't half be hard to get a game in. I would however follow through social media and this forum should it still be here but for the mean time we'll be part of the Conference 68 for a minimum of 2 years so I'm still going to attend when I can.

I think Brucie is well within his rights to choose not to support us any more, he's supported us that long and not actually seen us grace a league higher than league 1, seen good players sold for crap money, spent a fortune following a club that never learns it's lessons and to have given as much time and money that he has, I don't think any can argue if he's done with it.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Agree with Gazza. I don't particularly find myself enthused about going to watch us next season under Hargreaves. If we had a clean break of new manager with NO ties to the club whatsoever and a complete new deck of cards with regards playing staff then we could start again afresh with no skeletons or anything. I feel that is what we need. The time is right to just clear the decks completely. I'll go to as many games as I can in the conference with CH at the helm because I love going to games but my excitement has been tempered because I feel we will struggle and we're back to square one again. You can just see it coming - this is us don't forget. We have a perfect opportunity to start totally afresh yet we'll hang on to Hargreaves and a few squad players and just end up playing shit and losing every week. Obviously it's a worse case scenario but I can just bloody see it happening.

I will support us physically in the conference like Gazza but if we drop again I won't be able to get to many games due to the regionalisation of the conference south and also probably because the club will still want to charge us £21 to go and sit in the bench for a game against Billericay!

Back on the subject of Brucie however and I personally respect his views as they are straight to the point and he doesn't mess about. He also doesn't care who he offends which, within reason is the best way to be nowadays. Be yourself and so long as you don't cause any undue upset, to **** with everyone else and what they think. Obviously most of his views are negative but they are his views and so long as negative posters also post praise when it is due then I think that's fair. Anyway, there has been nothing positive to speak of these past 2 seasons.

I don't want to pass comment on his personality or anything personal as I don't know the bloke and how he chooses to live his life and how he chooses to approach things is his business. All I can do is speak as a fellow forum member and I'd like to say that many of his posts have made me laugh. He's not politically correct and often uses derogatory terms about players just like you may do under your breath at games and I think many people actually do think the same but would rather be seen to be offended by it as it's the 'new' thing to be seen doing nowadays. So long as posts aren't excessively vulgar or poisonous then fair enough.

I'd like to think that if I went for a pint with Brucie we could moan and put the world to rights and say what we like but we could also have a laugh too. I hope you've got the balance right Brucie! You have to laugh man! Especially supporting this shower of shite otherwise you may as well cry!!

It's also interesting how Dave forever and others have described you as a 'character'. No offence Dave and others but you are just saying what you think with no messing about. So long as he is understanding of others then I think that is a fairly normal way to live a life. I'd like to see more 'characters' about. Especially in politics.

I think you should keep posting Brucie but as far as going to watch TUFC then I can't bring myself to recommend you keep going in the here and now. Primarily because the club give us no incentives whatsoever or appreciation for continued support. We are treated like invisible imbeciles although I can quite clearly be seen. I don't even go to many home games and I feel incensed at the club for taking fans for granted in what has been one of the most difficult periods in recent times. What they would also do well to remember is that times have changed. There are lots of ways to spend your money nowadays other than going to watch 11 players and a manager who seemingly don't give a shit and although a while back I would have urged everyone to go and support us regardless, now I just feel dejected, let down and treated like a mug. We get no communication from the club whatsoever and no feedback. Most are a liability.

Anyway Brucie, keep posting but sack TUFC off until you feel they start taking you (and fans) seriously. That's my advice.

I might go and support Man City now...................................

[stefano]

I guess it doesn't stop you!!!

Carrots are the answer

Has Brucie popped in today to have a look? He'll be back in his own time. Torquay United is an addiction. There is no other explanation as to why so many normally well balanced people show such an unnatural interest in a tin pot football club!