In the end only a 100 or so fans stayed behind for Saturday’s Torquay United Supporters’ Trust sit-in – and most of them were standing on the Popside.
Fans were leaving even before the referee added nine minutes on to the end of the 2-1 win against Tonbridge Angels, and those who did remain seated in Bristow’s Bench were happy to chat amongst themselves, while the young ones opposite chanted anything but the proposed ‘Talk To Us’.
I was never really sure what staying behind and shouting at an empty directors’ box would achieve. But perhaps I was missing the point. Perhaps the threat of the protest achieved more than the actual protest itself.
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Firstly, there was that interview with owner Clarke Osborne in another newspaper, which was more of an awkward PR piece about the man himself than it was a response to the concerns of TUST and fans about his ownership and the club’s lack of communication.
Then there was the announcement of an online fans’ forum, which turned out to be little more than a ‘you send us questions and we’ll pick the ones we want to answer’ offer. But maybe that’s just me being cynical in my old age. And then came the announcement that an Independent Supporters Steering Group will be set up. It will be interesting to see who is involved in that, and whether TUST get the call to take part.
But, however watered down these things are, it is worth considering: would they have happened without the pressure that TUST and the fans have exerted in recent months? They are, to be fair, all steps in the right direction.
Talking of steps in the right direction, that is exactly what has been happening on the pitch, too! Three wins in a row in the National League South have moved Torquay up to fourth in the table.
Wins against Eastbourne Borough, Tonbridge and on Tuesday night Weymouth have been the products of hard work and determination - plus some players finding their best form. Brett McGavin is looking silky-smooth in midfield right now and, having come through a bit of a drought, Brad Ash scored in all three of those wins. That the striker might miss a game or two injured now is disappointing, as I was just sitting there thinking where Carl Airey's six-goals-in-six-games record was going to be in danger.
I saw Nick Brodrick, TUST chairman, after the game. He told me they are ready to put out a statement about the club's announcements: the fans' forum and Independent Supporters Steering Group. It will be interesting to see what their thoughts are - and whether they have been approached.
But in the meantime, while we wait for that statement to come out, may I suggest we all go and dubbin our boots, because after Weymouth kicked the players all about the park on Tuesday, and Jack Stobbs' pulled up with his hamstring, anyone one of us could get the call for Frome Town in the Trophy on Saturday.
Do players still use dubbin? Or am I just showing my age again...
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Threat of protest perhaps achieved more than the actual protest itself
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06.12.2023
In the end only a 100 or so fans stayed behind for Saturday’s Torquay United Supporters’ Trust sit-in – and most of them were standing on the Popside.
Fans were leaving even before the referee added nine minutes on to the end of the 2-1 win against Tonbridge Angels, and those who did remain seated in Bristow’s Bench were happy to chat amongst themselves, while the young ones opposite chanted anything but the proposed ‘Talk To Us’.
I was never really sure what staying behind and shouting at an empty directors’ box would achieve. But perhaps I was missing the point. Perhaps the threat of the protest achieved more than the actual protest itself.
Read More - Torquay United 3 Weymouth 1 - Gulls up to fourth but hit by injuries
Read More - Gary Johnson left with........
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