Clark Osborne/Jim Parker Interview

Colorado · Post by **Colorado** » 23 Jan 2024, 03:59

Mellow Yellow—-you nailed it

Brewers boy · Post by **Brewers boy** » 23 Jan 2024, 09:28

Mellow Yellow. Seeing as it's costing Clarke Osbourne reportedly a million a season to keep us where we are, can we really afford to be full time? What are the leisure facilities that can't be utilised at Plainmoor? Lot's of clubs as well as our National stadium Wembley have a lack of parking and still manage. Torbay has a pretty reasonable bus service with stops not far from the ground.
Yes a new stadium would be great, but at what cost? We have nothing to sell, we only own the bricks and mortar, not the land.We can't afford decent players let alone 20 odd million for a new stadium.

Cheddargull · Post by **Cheddargull** » 23 Jan 2024, 10:49

In their recent posts both skillsy and brewers boy have indicated that they have no problem with the club going part time. I feel that would be more detrimental to our identity than moving to a new stadium. This club in its current form was founded in 1921 to be a full time professional outfit and regressing to part time would in my mind mean we have given up.

Brewers boy · Post by **Brewers boy** » 23 Jan 2024, 11:46

Cheddargull wrote: 23 Jan 2024, 10:49 In their recent posts both skillsy and brewers boy have indicated that they have no problem with the club going part time. I feel that would be more detrimental to our identity than moving to a new stadium. This club in its current form was founded in 1921 to be a full time professional outfit and regressing to part time would in my mind mean we have given up.

Yes Part time might be a retrograde step in some ways, but hopefully just a temporary one. It's pretty obvious though that at this level part time players are of a higher skill that the full time ones we can afford. To attract a full time player to south Devon would at a guess need a decent pay packet and probably at least a two year contract. A Hybrid part/full time might work though.

As for Stadiums my former club when I lived up the Grim North was Burton Albion. They built a new stadium and went from the Nationwide conference up to the championship and are currently settled in league one. However the land that the stadium and the carpark stands on was gifted to them by Pirelli ( probably for lifetime naming rights).

On the other hand Yeovi with their nice stadium ( Shitty away end excepted) made it to the championship and all the way back down to NLS.

culmstockgull · Post by **culmstockgull** » 23 Jan 2024, 13:52

There is many comments in one form or another on our supposed identity, if anyone can coherently explain that word IDENTITY as opposed to what you want it to mean, please let me know, we expect to be a league club ,we ae not,and it has been a decade or more since that happened, we hope to have a cost efficent stadium which can balance the budget of the footballing side without a deep pocketed owner who seems to be universally hated ,the club wish us to be a community based outfit but a mnager who suggests we have the wrong supporters, we are allegedly a full time club with handpicked players who have been mugged by part time teams on many occasions this season. We supposedly have a healthy budget for this league but have struggled to attract any players of quality regardless of the supposed geographical issues.
I no longer know what our identity is and whether it is crucial or critical to our survivial.

leetufc · Post by **leetufc** » 23 Jan 2024, 18:32

If we struggle to attract full time footballers, I don't see how we would fare any better with part time players.

The majority of the top part time clubs are based in areas with better job opportunites to Torbay/Devon, and in areas with a significantly higher catchment of available players.

To my mind it would become twice as difficult as we would be limited to part time players in the area, or having to persuade someone to move into the area and them getting a suitable job on top of football

Post by **Dave** » 23 Jan 2024, 19:46

To me while the option to remain full time is open, then remaining full time is the right thing for our club to do. Think when it comes to part-time players some perhaps are looking at this the wrong way, Buckland Athletics players are not all from Newton Abbot/Torbay , pretty sure the same applies to the likes of Bideford/Tiverton etc.

In the event of a phoenix Torquay (sorry to go back there) There would be no reason why such a club couldn't attract players from across the South West peninsula.

Lets park all that for a second, and take it the club continues as it is, could there not be a hybrid approach taken here, whereby if a players comes available and the only stumbling block is, the said player doesn't want to go full time , TUFC could offer a part-time contract, the obvious problem would be training, as long as the player could work something with his employer where a set number of training sessions could be attended, this could work out in some cases.

Post by **Dave** » 23 Jan 2024, 19:47

To me while the option to remain full time is open, then remaining full time is the right thing for our club to do. Think when it comes to part-time players some perhaps are looking at this the wrong way, Buckland Athletics players are not all from Newton Abbot/Torbay , pretty sure the same applies to the likes of Bideford/Tiverton etc.

In the event of a phoenix Torquay (sorry to go back there) There would be no reason why such a club couldn't attract players from across the South West peninsula.

Lets park all that for a second, and take it the club continues as it is, could there not be a hybrid approach taken here, whereby if a players comes available and the only stumbling block is, the said player doesn't want to go full time , TUFC could offer a part-time contract, the obvious problem would be training, as long as the player could work something with his employer where a set number of training sessions could be attended, this could work out in some cases.

Cheddargull · Post by **Cheddargull** » 23 Jan 2024, 20:28

Dave wrote: 23 Jan 2024, 19:47 To me while the option to remain full time is open, then remaining full time is the right thing for our club to do. Think when it comes to part-time players some perhaps are looking at this the wrong way, Buckland Athletics players are not all from Newton Abbot/Torbay , pretty sure the same applies to the likes of Bideford/Tiverton etc.

I remember seeing a documentary recentlyish about Hereford's win over Newcastle in the 1972 FA Cup. Hereford at the time were semi-professional and I was surprised to learn that they had players from London in their side, so geography is not necessarily a limiting factor.

Post by **SuperNickyWroe** » 23 Jan 2024, 23:27

Cheddargull wrote: 23 Jan 2024, 20:28 I remember seeing a documentary recentlyish about Hereford's win over Newcastle in the 1972 FA Cup. Hereford at the time were semi-professional and I was surprised to learn that they had players from London in their side, so geography is not necessarily a limiting factor.

Well, obviously it wasn't an issue in 1972.......

Admiral · Post by **Admiral** » 23 Jan 2024, 23:38

One win in five and 7th in the NLS, a new stadium owned by a developer and asset stripper is the answer…

UnitedinDevon · Post by **UnitedinDevon** » 25 Jan 2024, 13:57

Certainly not the answer to the fire performances on the pitch this season

But a new stadium should rightly be on the agenda, Plainmoor is a good ground for match day football but wholly inadequate to support a self sustained club in the 21st century, you need 7 days a week's income

People move away from the bay due to a lack of well paid jobs, part time football is not the answer

culmstockgull · Post by **culmstockgull** » 25 Jan 2024, 14:21

Just seen that the directors had a behind doors private meeting with the senior oficers from the council relating to a new ground, while I do not expect any details to come out it should focus the councils mind about what the club wishes to do and dropping a hint that now would be a good time for the council to step up if they wish the club to remain in the bay.

TommyGunn · Post by **TommyGunn** » 25 Jan 2024, 14:59

Shady dodgy dealings
https://www.devonlive.com/sport/footbal ... um-9057906

TorquayUntied · Post by **TorquayUntied** » 25 Jan 2024, 16:49

Brewers boy wrote: 23 Jan 2024, 09:28 Mellow Yellow. Seeing as it's costing Clarke Osbourne reportedly a million a season to keep us where we are, can we really afford to be full time? What are the leisure facilities that can't be utilised at Plainmoor? Lot's of clubs as well as our National stadium Wembley have a lack of parking and still manage. Torbay has a pretty reasonable bus service with stops not far from the ground.
Yes a new stadium would be great, but at what cost? We have nothing to sell, we only own the bricks and mortar, not the land.We can't afford decent players let alone 20 odd million for a new stadium.

5,000 to 10 grand a week in hiring out a 4g pitch for starters.

Blimey. Stuck in the 1970s.

You still think clubs survive on gate money 23 weeks a year.?

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