FA Trophy

[Colorado Gull]

It's a way away yet, not until Saturday 13th December, but would you like us to take the FA Trophy seriously?

Yes or No.

Vote and discuss.

[Richinns]

I would like to think we would treat the FA trophy like Prem teams treat the Capital One Cup. Play the youngersters and fringe players and if we get through (three rounds say) then treat it as a serious cup.

[Gullscorer]

The lads should try to win everything it's possible to win in the season.

[Dave]

Take it seriously, the winning habit is hard to get out of . York City conference play-off winners and F.A trophy winners 2011-12, Cambridge United conference play-off winners and F.A trophy winners 2013-14.

Why should anyone at TUFC believe differently, why should we think our club can not go on and win both.

[Kit_robin]

I think people seriously under value the trophy. If you win the thing, you clear £92,000 in prize money alone, before you even start talking about gate receipts. You woukd have to think that a successful trophy campaign would pay for 3 players on one year contracts next year. Even if you lose in the final you would get £67,000.

Getting to the final is well within our capabilities so this money is easily attainable. However say we get to the third round and lose. That's £11,000 in prize money + gate receipts. That, my friends, is a very decent loan player for the last 3 months of the season. The difference between staying down and going up, potentially.

Plus, we are Torquay United. We have Never, in all our proud history, won a national competition. Why wouldn't we want to?

[sam_]

Take it seriously, would do anything to get to the big Wembley final, being as we'll win the league, so we won't be there for the play-offs

[ferrarilover]

For me, it's free money. I couldn't care less about the title or the trophy, it's Mickey Mouse in the extreme, but, earning, say, £150,000 for winning half a dozen games against the Dog and Duck has got to be a no-brainer. If this was about the FA Cup, a trophy we won't ever win, we'd all be laughing at the OP, telling him that we'd be mad not to take it seriously. Yet, we get the same out of the Trophy as we do out of the Cup, but the Trophy is much easier. For me, we should sack off the FA Cup and pour our efforts into winning the Trophy. It'll get us more cash and, in our position, it's cash we need.

Matt.

[Gulliball]

I would be happy to see us treat it like we did in our second (and ultimately promotion winning) season in the Conference. We have a large enough squad to cope with a few extra games, and also a few players who could do with a game. Players like Pearce, Harding, Chapell and Yeoman/Benyon could get a chance to steak a claim. Reaching the semi-finals moves two Saturday games to a midweek, which really does add the workload at the crucial stage of the season.

[ferrarilover]

I would be happy to see us treat it like we did in our second (and ultimately promotion winning) season in the Conference. We have a large enough squad to cope with a few extra games, and also a few players who could do with a game. Players like Pearce, Harding, Chapell and Yeoman/Benyon could get a chance to steak a claim. Reaching the semi-finals moves two Saturday games to a midweek, which really does add the workload at the crucial stage of the season.

Oh God, here come the puns...

Matt.

[kevgull]

We will find out how seriously CH is going to take this competition by the strength of the squad he puts out.

Supporting Torquay is like being on a Roller Coater ride, one minute your down and the next your at Wembly!

[Gullscorer]

Oh God, here come the puns...
Matt.

That wasn't a pun, that was an error, a misspelling, which can happen to the best of us (myself apart).

A pun is the use of a word or phrase to exploit an ambiguity or innuendo in the meaning, usually for humorous effect, i.e. a play on words, whereas a misspelling often used to record the minutes at our bored meetings..

A good example is: ' Ben Battle was a soldier bold, and used to war's alarms; But a cannon ball took off his legs, so he laid down his arms.'

But of course you knew that already..

[RussianGull]

I'd like to us taking it seriously, a day out at Wembley would be great and the prize money (even if we only got to the third round or so) for us would be most welcome

[Behind-the-Gulls]

FA Cup is very good money too-so we need a run in that as well.

[Gulliball]

Burger off.

[MidDevon]

It is a shame, IMO, how ex-football league teams in the conference have de-valued the FA Trophy. It used to be a massive event in the non league calender, but now most of the top 10 conference teams will play weakened sides.

I remember when, before the days of automatic promotion to the Conference, this was a big tournament with high crowds. The finalist's not only getting a chance to play at Wembley, but also won a bye to the 1st Round Proper of the FA CUP the next season.