Where's everyone gone in the forum?

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 13 Oct 2016, 16:12

Its undoubtedly the way the club is being run isn't it. People are just apathetic to it all really. I actually think Nicholson is doing as good a job as is humanly possible in the circumstances.

I never though there would come a time when I wouldn't attend any home games in a season but I just cannot be bothered anymore. The complete lack of communication from the board is killing things as well.

The shame is that the fanbase is still there but realistically its going to take someone with money and investment to turn things around. Wouldn't it be fantastic if someone came in and did just that.

When you look at Forest Green compared to us its embarrassing really but money tells its own story. Their lunatic owner maybe worth in excess of 100 million but even he is struggling to buy them out of this league. Look at their turn out for the play off final last year. It was nothing short of pathetic.

The shame is we are a better bet than the likes of Forest Green, Barrow, Eastleigh and co. It just needs an investor to see that. Without one we are doomed.

The travel arrangements maybe a source of merriment but its just that sort of thing that is damaging the support still further - the board are inadequate.

iamsuperwilf · Post by **iamsuperwilf** » 13 Oct 2016, 16:28

First time I can say " I agree with Brucie"!

Brucie!

royalgull · Post by **royalgull** » 13 Oct 2016, 16:36

I pop in for a look every now and then (that sounds a bit wrong but you know what i mean) but basically yeah what everyone has said really. I don't go much at all anymore compared to what a i used to, Got a few other things going on like paying for a wedding but I go and watch my local club now and getting more involved there. I can't tell myself it's a good use of £100 to travel 3 and a bit hours to watch us play Boreham Wood in front of nobody. This league holds so little appeal in terms of fixtures and I see non league clubs 2 or 3 levels below us that are ran better and more professionally.

Totally agree that Nicho is doing a quite incredible job to keep this team competitive in this league when off the field we are beyond a joke, we don't have a youth team when part time amateur clubs have that, we don't have a functioning team bus for away games which part time amateur clubs have, our manager drives a minibus which part time amateur clubs don't do..etc etc. It's hard to stay passionate from afar for a club so desperately poorly run. There is very little to be positive about TUFC for sadly, there is a nucleus of a reasonable team even having lost 2 excellent CB's but this club is in no position whatsoever to push it forward, it is literally about survival week to week. I still enjoyed my last trip to Plainmoor when we were in full surivival mode last season but I can't see there being another one for me this season. I literally see no long term future for this club in it's current guise regardless of where we finish in the table.

Glostergull · Post by **Glostergull** » 13 Oct 2016, 17:51

whether some of the members on here like it or not but some of us are totally disalusioned with the behaviour on here from certain members who want to run down every thing that happens or war between themselves. one of the best parts for me was the jokes page which i rarely look at now because of constant rants between two members and they do know who i am referring to. bury your head in the sand if you like but I logged on to that page to see jokes. Not you two slagging each other off. thats not a joke.
Others on here behave like a dictator and its really off putting to hear people being treated to such pathetic behaviour. Its not just the playing fortunes. its all of us

Post by **Dave** » 13 Oct 2016, 19:31

Agree with much said above. Think it's a combination of the state of our football club, and the characters of old no longer posting as much, for successful forum you always need the club to be doing well, you need diversity amongst the users, the outright negative and positive, the sensible, comedians, and yes, the wind up merchants, the forum use to have all of that, but it's been lost of late.

For me personally, there hasn't been a lot on the forum that's interested me, coupled with my new job, gone from working 4 set night shifts a week, to working a combination of days runs, and evening runs delivering , with no set working pattern, so not only adjusting to new hours, but learning a new job as well, not much spare time right now.

Said in the past supporting our club, and the use of this forum is and can be what you make it. I've accepted the club needs my unconditional support right now, it certainly will not survive with out us, no matter how bad we feel about events at the club, and for me, I've not only used this forum to share my views, but met so many new people as well over the years.

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 13 Oct 2016, 23:11

I blame it all on Kevin Nicholson myself. When we had managers like Lee Hodges, Alan Knill, Chris Hargreaves and Paul Cox, we were squabbling like hell on here about their merits (very few) and their failures (many). Now we all agree that Nico is doing as good a job as possible with b*gger all resources. I do remember being driven down to Beesands in a camper van by my club manager, but i bet there are virtually no managers from the Ithsmian League upwards who would drive their team to away matches.

Brucie sums it up very well. Apart from what Nico and the players are trying to achieve, the club is a shambles. We have a backroom staff down to bare bones, doing their very best and a groundsman doing a fantastic job but, frankly, a Board of mainly faceless individuals who may well be ardent supporters but on the face of it, appear to be running the club into the ground and fail to communicate with the fans, and there is still a good fan-base as Brucie said. It is all very disheartening and no wonder apathy is setting in. But on the positive side - the TFF Forum gets about one post each week.

Hey - good thread Lucy. We're now on page 2 !!

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 14 Oct 2016, 07:05

IM STILL HERE, BEEN A BIT BUSY W ITH OTHER THINGS OF LATE. i really think a lot of people are probably fed up , on performances so far its looking like another season of struggling to finish mid table and people are losing interest.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 14 Oct 2016, 10:11

I've just woken up, still feeling tired, and this thread is still here, with more posts than the thread about an important FA Cup game taking place in a little over 24 hours' time.

What's going on with this apathy? Is it the climate? Is it mobile/Wi-Fi/electromagnetic radiation? Is it Brexit? Are they putting something in our water supply? Our food?

No, it's none of those things. It's the same thing that afflicts the fleapit in Abbey Road which, years ago, was the highlight of many a weekend watching decent films which these days rarely get made, and the very rare excellent movies which do get shown are missed. Why? Because I never see them advertised. Advertising and publicity for the Gulls and their matches are, despite the best efforts of Kevin Nicholson and his team, woefully inadequate.

And the fault lies with those in control of the club who appear to be transfixed with fear as they drift towards the rocks, waiting for a salvage company to buy the ship. Yes, money and investment is much needed, but in its absence the club's board and chairman could be seen to be doing more to connect with club's supporters and the wider community. And yet they appear to be doing nothing. If that sort of thing continues, both the club and the cinema will close and become relics of history.

If only we had another Kevin Nicholson, young, energetic, enthusiastic, to run the club in the way that Nicho runs the playing squad along with his efforts to connect with the community. Perhaps the club's chairman and board are indeed working hard behind the scenes to find an investor to save the club and turn it into a viable business. Which can be done, and I do not wish to malign them. But what we know of their efforts to date does not bode well. And from them we hear nothing.

Which leaves us, the supporters, and Kevin and his team. We must all pull together to get ourselves out of this mess, one step at a time, beginning with tomorrow's FA Cup tie. Bring a mate, and double the gate, cheer on the lads, and we'll score double the goals!!

Yorkieandy · Post by **Yorkieandy** » 14 Oct 2016, 10:37

It's the board. Always has been and always will be. Relegation to the conference provided an excellent opportunity to drive the club in a positive manner and galvanise the fanbase. Instead they just carried on doing what they do best - treating fans like shit.

An away game at Gateshead with a squad assembled on peanuts and struggling at the wrong end of a league filled with nobodies is not the issue for me and never has been. I loved matchdays.

The board past and present are just ignorant, arrogant plodders filled with self importance and no principles, and whilst they may think the same about me, we differ in one key area.

I've learned from past mistakes.

I still miss those away days like mad, had so much fun and loved singing and getting involved but in the years that have passed since relegation and my last ever Gulls game amid the fancy dress camaraderie that was Mansfield away, absolutely NOTHING has changed.

My heart keeps telling me I made the wrong decision to quit but my head tells me it was right. Absolutely 100% right.

Woking in the cup. £19 in the bench, pop standing £15. They don't want fans to come to Plainmoor it seems.

I still have hope that Torquay will get back on the league one day but hope is all it is.

If ever the club became fan owned where each and every fan had a voice then I will return as a Gull with a vengeance and be at games, spending in the club shop etc etc because I would know my money and support would be valued and making a difference and that's all I've ever asked.

Until then...............

I visit this site every day but click off after a few seconds when i see that there are no real interesting or active topics. It would help if those who don't post do so otherwise soon they may not have anything to even read. Its all about collective responsibility. Something ironically the Torquay board members could do with learning.

wivelgull · Post by **wivelgull** » 14 Oct 2016, 10:54

Come over to the Turnbull tomorrow, Mr. Yorkieandy. We are at home to Marine, we are unbeaten at home this season, and we are playing some good football. It'll cost you a tenner and, who knows? You might join the growing number of Whitby Town supporters on this site. You may even see an ex-TUFC player or two.

Yorkieandy · Post by **Yorkieandy** » 14 Oct 2016, 11:06

To clarify also, I exclude both Steve Breed and Thea Bristow from my criticisms of the board.

Steve I've bumped into quite a few times at away games and I know he's just a passionate fan and wanted to do the very best he could and he had a go and worked hard to save the club.

Thea. Wasted so much cash on folly but with the very best of intentions.

It's the good intentions and consideration of others which absolve both Steve and Thea in my eyes. All the rest can go and f#*k themselves unless they can prove otherwise.

Yorkieandy · Post by **Yorkieandy** » 14 Oct 2016, 11:12

wivelgull wrote:Come over to the Turnbull tomorrow, Mr. Yorkieandy. We are at home to Marine, we are unbeaten at home this season, and we are playing some good football. It'll cost you a tenner and, who knows? You might join the growing number of Whitby Town supporters on this site. You may even see an ex-TUFC player or two.

I usually go Scarborough games at Brid Wivel when I'm up that way which is very often. I'm loving the way that Scarborough are trying to recover from extinction and their new ground at Weaponess I think it is will be a turning point for them.

As for ex Gulls. Saw a bit of LRT at Alfreton a few seasons back and could not believe Torquay had him back. Shocking.

Up the seadogs!!

Oh and anyone thinking of going the new alpamare waterpark in Scabbyrough think again. Its about 60 quid if you've got kids and its bloody terrible.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 14 Oct 2016, 11:14

Andy you've probably said what most of the rest of us have been thinking..

Plainmoor78 · Post by **Plainmoor78** » 14 Oct 2016, 11:58

I think Tomogull sums it up perfectly. When a team is doing badly fans usually turn on the manager first. But Nico has something of a mother Theresa complex about him, nobody dare criticise him. Don't get me wrong I think he's doing a great job given the circumstances.
The club has lost direction and does not instill pride amongst the supporters and i think this has led to the current state of apathy.

Post by **Southampton Gull** » 14 Oct 2016, 12:54

Glostergull wrote:whether some of the members on here like it or not but some of us are totally disalusioned with the behaviour on here from certain members who want to run down every thing that happens or war between themselves. one of the best parts for me was the jokes page which i rarely look at now because of constant rants between two members and they do know who i am referring to. bury your head in the sand if you like but I logged on to that page to see jokes. Not you two slagging each other off. thats not a joke.
Others on here behave like a dictator and its really off putting to hear people being treated to such pathetic behaviour. Its not just the playing fortunes. its all of us

This forum has never been a dictatorship, Andrew. It might have an ugly face presenting the admin side but discussions always take place amongst the admin team when issues arise. You rightly raise occasional objections to certain posts containing profanity yet your good mate Matt was the worst culprit of all and I never once saw you raise a complaint about that. I defended him to the last and he would have been banned on many occasions if it wasn't for me backing his corner. When the decision was made to ban him permanently it was myself that explained why and took time to discuss why it had happened. Things aren't always as they appear.

As for the 2 from the popside, Gullscorer and Emet are both strong enough to hold their own but neither descend to using profanity and do actually contribute.

We can never keep everyone happy but whatever forum you use there will be those that don't get along. This forum is one of the best I've been on for both football and non-football discussions and we don't get that many objections to the content any more.

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