Every Wednesday in the Herald Express, our Torquay United correspondent Richard Hughes takes a sideways look at what's going on in the world of the Gulls. This week, he looks at who might be in the consortium trying to put together a package of funds to buy the club.
Excuse my French, but it was bloody lovely to see Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City fans at Plainmoor on Saturday – and this comes from a man not easily given over to sentimentality. Seeing those green and red scarves in the crowd, as I looked over at the Popside, was heartwarming on a bitterly cold day in Bristow’s Bench.
On a day when Argyle and City were without games because of international call-ups, it was a good turn of some of their fans to make the trip to show their solidarity to our club, the latest of the Devon trio to fall into hard times.
What happens next though, is anyone’s guess. Crisis clubs can go one way or another. There is no written rule that says a club will bounce back from its lowest ebb, like there is no written rule that it won’t.
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It is a line I hate to use in my writing about sport, but it is also one that seems particularly apt at the moment: only time will tell. I understand Neil Warnock was at the game as the guest of a consortium trying to put together a package of funds to buy the club.
That the much-travelled former Torquay, Argyle, and Premiership manager was at the game may be neither here nor there in terms of any financial support, but moral support and guidance may be just as valuable for the unnamed individual/individuals who Torquay United Supporters’ Trust have thrown their weight behind.
We kinda know that former Truro City owner Peter Masters, and former Port Vale man Norman Smurthwaite, were interested in buying the club (not together), but after pens were put to paper on those non-disclosure agreements, news of names and faces of any other interested parties have been kept behind closed doors.
That’s a shame, because I suspect the fans would like to know who TUST fancies right now, so that we could all assess the cut, or cuts, of their jib. I tried to prise a name out of TUST chairman, Nick Brodrick, for you – but he wasn’t having any of it.
Brodrick told me: “The guy who is the lead investor, he will out himself at some point. I think he’s just not ready at the moment. There is no sinister reason as to why he hasn’t – and it will all come out eventually. And hopefully everyone will feel it is the best solution for the football club. But there is still lots of talking going on.”
I asked Nick if TUST feels that this consortium is the best option right now – and he replied: “As it stands, yes. Unless someone else comes along, Unless there is some other investor out there that no-one knows anything about who has got deep pockets and has a really fantastic bid – then yeah, we are open to all suggestions. We haven’t got a close mind on anything.”
I am presuming that TUST’s favoured investor was at Plainmoor on Saturday – he may well be at every home game for all I know – but if he was (and again, I am presuming the investor is a he because Nick called used the word ‘guy’) he cannot fail to have been impressed with the team’s support.
Without the Devon Day visitors, the atmosphere would surely have been just as good on Saturday anyway, and when the team needed rousing in the second half, when at times the 1-0 lead looked in danger, Torquay’s fans did a sterling job of helping the players puff out their chests and throw their body parts in front of stinging shots.
Aaron Downes, who was joined in the dugout by Robbie Herrera, while Asa Hall resumed his role as club captain and winner of games and led from the front on the field, certainly enjoyed the atmosphere created by the fans.
Downes said afterwards: “The last 10 minutes I had goosebumps on the back of my neck because when we needed that energy and electricity in the stadium it was there. It was unbelievably brilliant from our supporters.”
It may be a bit quiet on the sale front now though, after a deadline for putting in a bid passed last week, and another stay of execution on the administration front happened last Thursday.
With Easter bank holidays thrown into the mix – administration may not raise its ugly head again until perhaps Monday, April 8. But with March’s pay-packets covered, and only seven games to go – though just two at home – I think it is safe to say we will get to the end of the season, with 10 points less, but the club’s integrity intact, planning for the next National South season – hopefully with a new owner of some shape or another.
Either that or it will be Phoenix Club time – because if all else fails, Torquay United will rise again.
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