Torquay United Fans Forum

hector wrote:Like Edmund falling for the Turkish Delight in Narnia, falling for one nicely worded interview, with a compliant local reporter, an interview totally devoid of any detail - just vague sentiment - is folly. Supporters take their eye off the ball at their peril. Just remember, these property developers are here because they want our ground NOT because they want to lead TUFC to promotion. TUFC is a means to an end and people shouldn't be fooled.

Give Gilbert a game wrote:As supporters of TUFC a lot has been said about the situation we find ourselves in. Until the matter resolves itself there will be conjecture, rumours and speculation. As a supporter of 28 years I am as anxious as anybody to see a successful outcome to this sorry mess.

The reason for the post is that I am appalled by the disgraceful personal attacks on Dave Phillips. I have known Dave as a friend for many years and can tell you the following: He is as genuine a man as you could wish to meet, a fan since the early fifties who like you has followed them through thick and thin. The image that seems to have been created is that being a bookmaker he must therefore be a crook or a shyster, fleecing the man in the street. The FACT is that having worked with bookmakers on many racecourses, bookies are just normal guys and do not consider punters as "mugs".

Dave cares passionately about TUFC - why else would he put tens of thousands of pounds of his hard earned money into the club and spend countless hours every week for eighteen months trying to save YOUR football club when at 71 years of age he could have just put his feet up at home and lived an easy life. He did not see his cash as an "investment" as I am certain he never did expect to see it again - if he did, well that was a bonus.

Dave would be the first to admit that the board has made mistakes but he didn't inherit a going concern, he inherited an already ailing business. The "keyboard wankers" remark although perhaps ill-judged was in my mind perfectly understandable after the disgraceful personal abuse to which he has been subjected.

One simple FACT is this. Without Dave (and others) putting their money in, YOU would not have been able to cheer on the lads for the past two seasons. The man is doing his utmost to keep your club alive and I know that the silent majority out there can actually see this. It is the few that subject him to continuous and slanderous abuse that should be looking at their actions. Shame on you.

Thanks for reading this.

monkeyboy wrote:I feel a lot more positive about GI than Phillips et al. Hopefully, once the new owners have introduced themselves and their plans, some fans will be less worried.

My short term hope is that they put together a team of staff that run the club more professionally, create a unifying and rewarding supporters club and invest in Kevin Nicholson and the team.