Post by Dave on Mar 12, 2010 21:08:39 GMT
After spending time to listen and because I feel there is an element of doubt in my mind, I have decided to reverse an action I took on Thursday, more about this at the end of this post.
It’s not the winning they say, but the taking part and that is very true and I believe taking part in anything that is competitive builds character in those taking part. One would hope that it would teach those involved how to win gracefully and accept defeat humbly.
I have and always will be very competitive, if I enter anything my aim is to win it and while it is the taking part that is important, I take the view what is the point of entering really if you are not going to try and win. I know that sounds a bit contradictory but I think you know what I mean, but I would only ever want to win because I was the best on the day and I won fairly.
I’m the sort of person who is unable to lie to myself and anyway what value does any victory really have if you had to cheat to win it, for me it would be such a hollow victory and not one I would ever want.
There has been some things I have entered and won that gave me such great pleasure, but I have lost a few I felt I really should have won, but it’s when you lose and how you react that shows the sort of person you are. Yes it may be your greatest rival that is standing before you holding up the cup, so what should you do? It’s easy, you go and shake his hand and congratulate him and for some people that is easier said than done, but one thing I hate is a bad loser.
My ex-wife was a just a cheat (in more ways than one) and when caught out would say to me that I never let her win and I should, really? Yes if you are playing a game with a young child you might not try so hard and let them enjoy the taste of victory, but also win a few so they know what it feels like to lose, but not really with another adult surely.
Ant was coming up for fourteen when I knew it could go on no longer and I had to end it and start a new life where I could have the truth and honestly that is so important to me, only two weeks later he gave up his home as well and was back by my side giving me support you might not expect from one so young.
We spend many nights for so long playing snooker in the clubs and I wanted to develop his completive sprit and was not prepared just to let him win, if he wanted to beat his dad at snooker, he had to play better than me. One night when we arrived at the club he said he wanted to play snooker with his mate instead, but then I knew why that was and it was only because he could beat him and all Ant knew playing against me was defeat.
I said no and I told him my reasons and said to him the day you beat me and you will, will mean so much to you and you would have won because on the day you were the best out of us. Life had to move on and not long after that there was no time to play snooker together as I was courting the beautiful Carol and Ant was doing what teenagers do.
We still had the odd night out together over the following years playing snooker and yes I was still coming out on top, but luck played a big part for me on many of those nights. About seven years ago we played in the now closed down Pot Black club in Winner Street and not only did Ant beat me, he gave me a thrashing.
Make no mistake that was the victory he had been waiting for and he even went out the next day and for a joke got me a bereavement card, a victory he earned and having that will to win has resulted in so many occasions when I had stood and so proudly watched him lift up the winners cup and I know I may just have helped him to become the winner he is.
So onto to this weeks winner then, I have may well have got things wrong and in fact no cheating had taken place deliberately it was I believe nore a case of a young minded person telling his friends he was looking good to win the poster of the week on the TFF, nothing was asked of then but they decided to come on here and give their friend a helping hand, maybe I should be flattered that the member held the award in such high regard. I deleted the two accounts and removed the two points they had added and decided as I could be wrong I should give the member the benefit of the doubt and let him win the award that you the members voted for.
This week’s winner is Joe Barlow and I’m sure you will agree Joe worked hard on his post and deserved to win the award this week
Joes post.
To me following Torquay United has to be one of the most brilliant feelings in the world. Never in my 15 or so years of following Torquay United have we not had a dull moment. At what point in the past decade can we say we finished without the hassle of worrying about going down or the hassle of the play-offs or race for promotion, when did we just have a break and easy mid-table. I can’t remember but for me I won’t have it any other way. When Mike Bateson was in charge we got along with barely any resources. We had no reserve team, yet we got promoted to league 1. The days of Bateson, Roberts, relegation from League 1 and from League are what makes us Torquay fans. We chose to stay and support the club, when we didn’t have to. Why did we stay? Did we have a contract that says we have to support the club no matter what? No but we still stayed, why? Because that is who we are we are Torquay United fans.
Southend, Histon away in the play-off semi-final, Wembley’s in the FA Trophy and Play-Off Final gave us the biggest and best feelings we have had since god no when and those are the days we dream of having, what we aspire the club to achieving. We support Torquay United because they are in our hearts; they are a part of us for ever and every time I go into Plainmoor I smile to my self that I have the pleasure of seeing MY LOCAL TEAM play, I have the honour of being in a position where I can actively support the club, not just financially through paying to get in but also through showing my support on matchdays, by throwing my weight the team in their effort to play for us.
People talk football clubs not being able to relate to their fans, to spending money they haven’t got, to having owners that rather show up in their big £200,000 cars, give a wave to the fans (provided that theirs a photographer ready a picture of them doing it), or sometimes they’d just rather loan the club some money and when they get out of the club expect the club to pay it back just by the click of a finger.
What’s all this about John Terry, Wayne Bridge & Ashley Cole. Why does Alex Ferguson & Arsene Wenger moan on about how referees are always out to get them and should show their teams more respect and protection when they give none themselves. Why do you see players on £180,000 a week when it takes players at Torquay level have to play for years to earn what those type of players in a week.
Do you see Paul Buckle drivel on about how the referees a plonker and is all this and that and the other? NO. Dose Paul Buckle say how other teams are too physical and the FA need to sort it out right this instant? NO, because we are TORQUAY UNITED. We do not whinge or cry like babies when things go against us or when we lose. We Torquay fans do not go on every week how bad it is that Man United aren’t top of the league or how their should never be any other team outside the top 4 in the champions league? NO because those types of topics aren’t of value we have respect for who we are, we respect the officials and if we do feel conned or hard done by a referee, we the fans can do something about it by showing what everyone is feeling.
As fans of Torquay United we have supported them through think, thin and everything in between. We have enjoyed times of Jason Fowler and Alex Russell going past opposition and tearing up defences like they we were mince meat….
….We have seen times of Roberts almost ripping the heart out of the club. WE came so close to going somewhere to what has happened to Chester yet we were saved in a way thanks to us the fans….
….Remember towards the end of the Roberts era? The TUST got into full motion and every Torquay fans rallied together to oust this bad person out of the club, it was we the fans that called for help which was heeded by the current owners. When the club was taken over by Torquay United fans, everything in the club needed rebuilding, everything just from the playing side, the dressing rooms needed to cleansed and the horrible smell of years of sweat, mud and everything else together. The commercial side was in a real bad way and it is still getting bigger and bigger, the ground needed upgrading in places like the grandstand seats, the family stand seats needed painting, railings needed to be cleaned and the rust got rid of and it was we the fans who answered the calls by the club to do this and we can be proud that it was us who helped the club no matter how small.
I am so proud to be a Torquay fan. I support Torquay United and no other team has that type of support from me. There are so many teams at our level who need their local support and when they do look at what happens. Looks at Burnley, Hull, Exeter (It has to be said) etc who have gone so far with the support of their fans. Exeter City for example are owned by their supporters, they were almost in a bad state of us and they did something about it and now they are in league 1 fighting it our with Leeds United, Norwich, Southampton and imagine that could be Torquay United if we keep working at it and keep together.
The club need us a lot more than maybe people think. We are fighting to survive in league 2, in these situations like fighting for survival they show how strong our unity is. If we come ou7t of this still together then we will be stronger for it, we will be able to push on and get those dreams we dream of. Together we can get those days like we had Wembley again. The days of feeling good, of feeling like we helped Torquay United get here, that we the fans were a MAJOR factor I getting this club back from its knees.
We fans have one of the biggest jobs in football that £180,000 cannot pay for and that is for our support.
Lets show everyone how UNITED we are, lets show everyone how strong our bond with Torquay are and lets not just dream our dreams for Torquay United lets go and get them
From a proud, devoted and forever a Torquay United fan
Joe Barlow
It’s not the winning they say, but the taking part and that is very true and I believe taking part in anything that is competitive builds character in those taking part. One would hope that it would teach those involved how to win gracefully and accept defeat humbly.
I have and always will be very competitive, if I enter anything my aim is to win it and while it is the taking part that is important, I take the view what is the point of entering really if you are not going to try and win. I know that sounds a bit contradictory but I think you know what I mean, but I would only ever want to win because I was the best on the day and I won fairly.
I’m the sort of person who is unable to lie to myself and anyway what value does any victory really have if you had to cheat to win it, for me it would be such a hollow victory and not one I would ever want.
There has been some things I have entered and won that gave me such great pleasure, but I have lost a few I felt I really should have won, but it’s when you lose and how you react that shows the sort of person you are. Yes it may be your greatest rival that is standing before you holding up the cup, so what should you do? It’s easy, you go and shake his hand and congratulate him and for some people that is easier said than done, but one thing I hate is a bad loser.
My ex-wife was a just a cheat (in more ways than one) and when caught out would say to me that I never let her win and I should, really? Yes if you are playing a game with a young child you might not try so hard and let them enjoy the taste of victory, but also win a few so they know what it feels like to lose, but not really with another adult surely.
Ant was coming up for fourteen when I knew it could go on no longer and I had to end it and start a new life where I could have the truth and honestly that is so important to me, only two weeks later he gave up his home as well and was back by my side giving me support you might not expect from one so young.
We spend many nights for so long playing snooker in the clubs and I wanted to develop his completive sprit and was not prepared just to let him win, if he wanted to beat his dad at snooker, he had to play better than me. One night when we arrived at the club he said he wanted to play snooker with his mate instead, but then I knew why that was and it was only because he could beat him and all Ant knew playing against me was defeat.
I said no and I told him my reasons and said to him the day you beat me and you will, will mean so much to you and you would have won because on the day you were the best out of us. Life had to move on and not long after that there was no time to play snooker together as I was courting the beautiful Carol and Ant was doing what teenagers do.
We still had the odd night out together over the following years playing snooker and yes I was still coming out on top, but luck played a big part for me on many of those nights. About seven years ago we played in the now closed down Pot Black club in Winner Street and not only did Ant beat me, he gave me a thrashing.
Make no mistake that was the victory he had been waiting for and he even went out the next day and for a joke got me a bereavement card, a victory he earned and having that will to win has resulted in so many occasions when I had stood and so proudly watched him lift up the winners cup and I know I may just have helped him to become the winner he is.
So onto to this weeks winner then, I have may well have got things wrong and in fact no cheating had taken place deliberately it was I believe nore a case of a young minded person telling his friends he was looking good to win the poster of the week on the TFF, nothing was asked of then but they decided to come on here and give their friend a helping hand, maybe I should be flattered that the member held the award in such high regard. I deleted the two accounts and removed the two points they had added and decided as I could be wrong I should give the member the benefit of the doubt and let him win the award that you the members voted for.
This week’s winner is Joe Barlow and I’m sure you will agree Joe worked hard on his post and deserved to win the award this week
Joes post.
To me following Torquay United has to be one of the most brilliant feelings in the world. Never in my 15 or so years of following Torquay United have we not had a dull moment. At what point in the past decade can we say we finished without the hassle of worrying about going down or the hassle of the play-offs or race for promotion, when did we just have a break and easy mid-table. I can’t remember but for me I won’t have it any other way. When Mike Bateson was in charge we got along with barely any resources. We had no reserve team, yet we got promoted to league 1. The days of Bateson, Roberts, relegation from League 1 and from League are what makes us Torquay fans. We chose to stay and support the club, when we didn’t have to. Why did we stay? Did we have a contract that says we have to support the club no matter what? No but we still stayed, why? Because that is who we are we are Torquay United fans.
Southend, Histon away in the play-off semi-final, Wembley’s in the FA Trophy and Play-Off Final gave us the biggest and best feelings we have had since god no when and those are the days we dream of having, what we aspire the club to achieving. We support Torquay United because they are in our hearts; they are a part of us for ever and every time I go into Plainmoor I smile to my self that I have the pleasure of seeing MY LOCAL TEAM play, I have the honour of being in a position where I can actively support the club, not just financially through paying to get in but also through showing my support on matchdays, by throwing my weight the team in their effort to play for us.
People talk football clubs not being able to relate to their fans, to spending money they haven’t got, to having owners that rather show up in their big £200,000 cars, give a wave to the fans (provided that theirs a photographer ready a picture of them doing it), or sometimes they’d just rather loan the club some money and when they get out of the club expect the club to pay it back just by the click of a finger.
What’s all this about John Terry, Wayne Bridge & Ashley Cole. Why does Alex Ferguson & Arsene Wenger moan on about how referees are always out to get them and should show their teams more respect and protection when they give none themselves. Why do you see players on £180,000 a week when it takes players at Torquay level have to play for years to earn what those type of players in a week.
Do you see Paul Buckle drivel on about how the referees a plonker and is all this and that and the other? NO. Dose Paul Buckle say how other teams are too physical and the FA need to sort it out right this instant? NO, because we are TORQUAY UNITED. We do not whinge or cry like babies when things go against us or when we lose. We Torquay fans do not go on every week how bad it is that Man United aren’t top of the league or how their should never be any other team outside the top 4 in the champions league? NO because those types of topics aren’t of value we have respect for who we are, we respect the officials and if we do feel conned or hard done by a referee, we the fans can do something about it by showing what everyone is feeling.
As fans of Torquay United we have supported them through think, thin and everything in between. We have enjoyed times of Jason Fowler and Alex Russell going past opposition and tearing up defences like they we were mince meat….
….We have seen times of Roberts almost ripping the heart out of the club. WE came so close to going somewhere to what has happened to Chester yet we were saved in a way thanks to us the fans….
….Remember towards the end of the Roberts era? The TUST got into full motion and every Torquay fans rallied together to oust this bad person out of the club, it was we the fans that called for help which was heeded by the current owners. When the club was taken over by Torquay United fans, everything in the club needed rebuilding, everything just from the playing side, the dressing rooms needed to cleansed and the horrible smell of years of sweat, mud and everything else together. The commercial side was in a real bad way and it is still getting bigger and bigger, the ground needed upgrading in places like the grandstand seats, the family stand seats needed painting, railings needed to be cleaned and the rust got rid of and it was we the fans who answered the calls by the club to do this and we can be proud that it was us who helped the club no matter how small.
I am so proud to be a Torquay fan. I support Torquay United and no other team has that type of support from me. There are so many teams at our level who need their local support and when they do look at what happens. Looks at Burnley, Hull, Exeter (It has to be said) etc who have gone so far with the support of their fans. Exeter City for example are owned by their supporters, they were almost in a bad state of us and they did something about it and now they are in league 1 fighting it our with Leeds United, Norwich, Southampton and imagine that could be Torquay United if we keep working at it and keep together.
The club need us a lot more than maybe people think. We are fighting to survive in league 2, in these situations like fighting for survival they show how strong our unity is. If we come ou7t of this still together then we will be stronger for it, we will be able to push on and get those dreams we dream of. Together we can get those days like we had Wembley again. The days of feeling good, of feeling like we helped Torquay United get here, that we the fans were a MAJOR factor I getting this club back from its knees.
We fans have one of the biggest jobs in football that £180,000 cannot pay for and that is for our support.
Lets show everyone how UNITED we are, lets show everyone how strong our bond with Torquay are and lets not just dream our dreams for Torquay United lets go and get them
From a proud, devoted and forever a Torquay United fan
Joe Barlow