WestLondonYellow wrote: ↑28 Aug 2017, 19:58
I would say, it's been slowly declining since ling left, but up to last season and this season there was still room for optimism, not much, but some.
Don't know about you or anyone else but I'm all out of optimism regarding league position and the people running the club.
It's now at a point where you surely have to be born yesterday to still think the club has a future.
For me, that's why nothing has actually been done.
The other issue is, for every post in support of the idea, there is a negative post to shoot the idea down. It takes all sorts to make up a message board, but let the idea run, let's hear suggestions on what we could do and how best to go about it, if you have a negative opinion, but no actual substance to that opinion then start a new thread in opposition to the idea and leave this one free to grow with ideas and maybe a plan will come out of it.
Constructive criticism is always welcome but if all you have to say is, "it won't work, blah blah" why not keep it to yourself.
What utter flannel. "If you don't like my no-substance idea, post somewhere else".
If you would actually be bothered, you'll find a post by myself from back in maybe Jan/Feb of this year on this very topic. Not rubbishing it at all, just pointing out some of the many pitfalls that would have to be overcome. And nobody was able to come up with any comments that would resolve those pitfalls. So for me, nothing has changed.
To reiterate - there are NO ground suitable of hosting any level of senior football in the bay. So "AFC Torquay" would have to play miles away. Buckland or Coach Road. Not ideal. And for how long? How long will it take for a fan-owned club to raise the sort of capital to build a new ground within Torbay? Millions of years no doubt, seeing as we can't get behind the existing club enough to fund a decent NL team. Any new club would need to have a route-map back to playing in Torquay before a lot of fans would buy in.
What league would this new team pitch for? Absolute best hope would be the Western League Div 1 as it's a new club rather than a resurrection. More likely is the Peninsula League - 5 promotions away from where we are now. Would the "hardcore" 1500 fans stick by the club there? Not likely I'd say. Be lucky to get 10% of that.
How would the club generate income? Because with no ground and no other assets, it would just be gate receipts. So would the new club rely on a membership scheme then? What would that look like? One member = one vote? How much would the stake be? I guess someone would need to know how much the whole venture would cost to make that sort of statement. Saying "I'd put in £500" is largely irrelevant, as you have no idea how much of a percentage of that puts in. And is that a one-off payment or a yearly thing? As this is for the long term, right?
Where would the players come from? Remember, TUFC is largely ridiculed in local football circles and there is no comparably levelled club this side of Tiverton. We'd have to hope the cream of the Stoke Gabriel and Bovey Tracey sides would sign up.
That's just off the top off my head. I'm not poo-pooing the idea of a Phoenix club totally, but we - as a fan base - are so SO far away from being able to organise one. If someone thinks it's viable, wants to grab the idea by the balls, come up with detailed resolutions to the issues above (and more) and get some momentum going then fair play to them - I'll be interested and happy to get behind it if it's realistic.
But until then, it's just an ill-thought whim in someone's head
