Torquay United scrap plans for new stadium

MellowYellow · Post by **MellowYellow** » 10 Oct 2019, 16:24

Clarke Osborne has given up on the idea of building a new stadium - I love that man!

https://www.devonlive.com/sport/footbal ... ew-3412818

PhilGull · Post by **PhilGull** » 10 Oct 2019, 16:32

...On the old tip.

He is still working with the council to find a suitable location to build his sports and entertainment complex.

MellowYellow · Post by **MellowYellow** » 10 Oct 2019, 16:36

PhilGull wrote: ↑10 Oct 2019, 16:32 ...On the old tip.

He is still working with the council to find a suitable location to build his sports and entertainment complex.

Not for some time though! Obsorne predicts if we win promotion back to the Football League in the next few years, it will be at Plainmoor,

I love that man!

Post by **Southampton Gull** » 10 Oct 2019, 16:44

He obviously still wants to get into a position where a new stadium is on offer but as much as I'm grateful for the way we are being run now I still don't trust his motives.

Before anyone sees it as me having another dig I'm not, just suspicious of his end game based on plenty of evidence to substantiate my fears.That said, for now I thank him for the exciting times he has brought us.

Thanks Clarke, but not blind thanks.

MellowYellow · Post by **MellowYellow** » 10 Oct 2019, 16:59

I'd call it a 'stay of execution'.

standupsitdown · Post by **standupsitdown** » 10 Oct 2019, 17:15

Great news for the short term but what are his longer term plans?
Why would someone with no interest in football continue to put money into the club?

Post by **Southampton Gull** » 10 Oct 2019, 18:12

He bleeds Yellow now

Post by **Eirik** » 10 Oct 2019, 18:22

I don't like the £1.42 million loan that is mentioned in the article...

SBP · Post by **SBP** » 10 Oct 2019, 18:26

I think its closer to 2 million

westyorkshiregull · Post by **westyorkshiregull** » 10 Oct 2019, 19:39

Good news but worrying aswell. Assume not in his interest to just walk away and let club die if we the new ground does not come to fruition. Promotion and a good fa cup run would be best all round obviously. The club is being run as a professional outfit and long may this continue. Don't get me wrong I'm spectical of osborne but as it stands things are being run well and it's hard to complain at moment. Hope for some success to repay these loans .

standupsitdown · Post by **standupsitdown** » 10 Oct 2019, 20:05

The only way I can see money being generated to pay back loans would be if we had the luck the Exeter did a few years ago and draw Man Utd (or similar) in the FA Cup and it's shown on TV.
Possibly bring through another Lee Sharpe or two but nowadays big clubs snap up promising young players before the fees get high.
Other than that, clubs at our level (league or non-league) just don't generate money. It's doing well to break even.
But looking at it the other way, if Osborne wanted his money shutting the club down wouldn't get him much as the assets are limited.
He would probably have to write off a lot of the debt and make an agreement with a new buyer.
With no interest in football why would Osborne put any more money into the club unless he still thinks he'll get the freehold and planning permission for houses at some point in the future?

Swatcat · Post by **Swatcat** » 10 Oct 2019, 23:38

The Club's progress is just fantastic atm under Clarke Osborne and thanks to him, BUT with 2,500 attendances, the books ain't gonna balance - so someone has to pick up the tab. In the event of a return to League 2, even if the Gulls were doing well, an average of 3000 seems a great deal to hope for. I just don't get why the 'ambition' is for a Stadium that holds 10,000 and for me, it's hard to see Plainmoor being sold for a King's ransom ?

Plainmoor is perfect for TUFC right now IMO. On all 4 sides the Stadium is great.

The solution - increase Admission prices by 50% or more with concessions for Oldies (like me) and Families. That's the reality. How much is it to go into Legoland or Alton Park ? Even then, we'd have to hope to receive a juicy transfer fee or two and get Man Utd in the Cup every year. That's the reality.

Thanks Mr Osborne

PhilGull · Post by **PhilGull** » 11 Oct 2019, 11:14

We are now down to prayer to save our club. Every fan with money has had a go at running the club, even some without any! We are now stuck with an owner who has loaned the club so much money that there is no way anyone would ever buy it. All we can do now is hope CO keeps his interest up for long enough, pray we get back to the football league and hope that Koszela, Slough or another kid turn in to a multi-million pound sale. If CO gets bored and stops 'investing' before that debt is paid we will be screwed - there is now way the TUST could ever cover the debt And have enough for running costs.

Post by **happytorq** » 11 Oct 2019, 16:00

Seems to me as though Osborne has decided the only way to get his money back on TUFC is by biding his time. I've said before that I can see a situation where a new stadium will be warranted, but we're not there yet; once/if we get back into the league, I expect that conversation will become more urgent.

With the debt owed by the club to Osborne, the main hope of it ever being repaid is either: player sales (I doubt we have players worth that much, but hope springs, etc), a lucky cup run (with this in mind i expect GJ to give the FA Cup a proper go), or hugely increased attendances over the course of at least as season. If we're in contention for top spot come February, I can see the crowds swelling to 3,500 a game, but we've seen over decades that even in league football we need to be doing well to get the crowd. Struggling in league 2 will be worse than competing in National Conference on that front.

Plainmoor78 · Post by **Plainmoor78** » 11 Oct 2019, 21:35

The belief that a new stadium will only be needed once we return to the league is misguided. When we lost our league status we also lost around £800,000 in the form of various payments and grants. Therefore we found ourselves trying to run a full time club in non-league with the same facilities as before but £800k poorer.
We need a new ground now that can deliver revenue streams outside of normal match days. Plainmoor is more suited to being in the Football League than in non league.

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