The future of TUST

Floridagull 

The occasional dose of healthy cynicism does no harm at all. As long as we don't overdo the negativity, as I'd hate to see that rubbing off on loyalgull . The meetings are to be welcomed, and an early indication that CO may already have ideas on how he can put TUST to work on furthering the aims that we expect to see them cooperating with. The devil makes work for idle hands, and if CO can allot some little tasks to them on a monthly basis, it could well keep them out of mischief and prevent a hankering for the previous old trouble making days.

As I set out above, TUST are now painted into a corner that would be almost impossible for them to extricate themselves from. I don't think that CO would deliberately take advantage of this, but should the westbound M5 be extra busy over the Summer, we can surely expect the TUST board to take the initiative and fight through the traffic to get themselves up to Somerset instead.

Bearing in mind CO's role as chief strategist, I'm sure we can all appreciate that the overall strategy is unlikely to be altering month to month. However if CO finds time to sit in on the monthly communication meetings so much the better, although TUST would be mad to hasten the likelihood of seeing themselves  cast out in the darkness again by responding irresponsibly to diary clashes etc. I'm sure common sense, and a recognition of who holds all the cards will prevail 

For reasons best know to yourself Rob, you're in a position to declare that the agreement regarding monthly meetings is a 'firm' commitment. And that my pro-TUST stance was 'staunch'. Being a critical friend of TUST will not guarantee unwavering support for it's each and every action. My pro TUST opinions of late are based solely on the merits of their recent sensible decisions. Should they change tack and decide to resemble raving militants by this evening, then there'll be no support from me, let alone staunch. Carry on guessing 

Very interesting to see Alpine Joe re-positioning himself.

All this talk of TUST changing its stance is rubbish.

The objective of TUST has always been to ensure the long term sustainability of Torquay United Football club and to ensure the ownership motives and long term plans are in the best interests of the football club.

Circumstances change. Owners change. TUST does not.

TUST backed private ownership under the 2007 consortium who came up with £900k of share capital up front.

Michael Goulbourne took over as Chairman in November 2014. He quite correctly realised that the days of Thea Bristow throwing money at the club were numbered. He worked tirelessly to get TUST onto a position where it could rally supporters behind community ownership if there was to be no benevolent benefactor on the horizon.

TUST stood back when Kelvin Thomas said he had a buyer who matched his preferred criteria of a Torquay supporter with £1 million to spare. Unfortunately, the man he found changed his mind when his other club won a play-off to get into Conference South.

TUST stood back when Dean Edwards and Steve Breed said they had a consortium of ten business people, £300k of share capital and a CEO with Football League experience who would work for nothing. Unfortunately, none of this was true.

As the reality of Edwards' consortium sank in, it was obvious that they were heading one of two ways - bankruptcy or offloading the club to a property developer.

My strong belief is that the strategy then pursued of making an alternative available to Dave Phillips and Mervyn Balson was correct.

The biggest frustration I have ever experienced relating to TUFC was the pig-headed stubborn stupidity of those two as they decided to hide the truth from fans and hold secret meetings with Gordon Oliver so that they could attempt to sell the club on the promise of it coming with a freehold in the offing - thus actively marketing the club to property developers.

But what is done is done. It is far easier to stop a club falling into the hands of property developers than it is to save it once it is in the hands of property developers. At least there is some hope while the council still owns the freehold.

I would imagine it is the lack of progress on the freehold sale that has changed the relationship between TUST and Mr Osborne. It is certainly not due to any change in direction by TUST.

Osborne's Plan A was to continue to brand TUST as a bunch of troublemakers, stitch up the freehold behind closed doors and get to an unassailable position without any consultation whatsoever. Alpine Joe has been head cheerleader in this policy up until now. The failure to build stadia was just branded "fake news" - a load of lies made up by nasty troublemakers.

Unfortunately for Clarke Osborne and his head of propaganda Alpine Joe, plan A has not gone quite as smoothly as hoped. The council has taken concerns about GI's terrible track record seriously and there will be no disposal of the freehold without full consultation and without those concerns being addressed.

We saw early signs of Alpine Joe's propaganda machine changing direction as he started to acknowledge a number of failed builds that he had previously pretended were fake news and came up with tales of unexpected circumstances and the bizarre defence that nobody wants new speedway stadia built anyway.

Now he is shouting that TUST has changed tack in meeting with Mr Osborne. TUST asked for a face to face meeting with Mr Osborne as soon as he took over. The fact that it has taken seventeen months to come about is not through lack of willing on TUST's part.

Plan A - the quick grab for the freehold - did not require fan engagement.

As I have said before, the disastrous season on the pitch culminating in relegation cut off the easiest route to dividing the fan base. A successful team on the pitch would have led those who look no further than results to conclude that all was well. As it is, those people have turned anti-Osborne with a vengeance.

For now, it suits Mr Osborne's needs to be seen to be talking to TUST.

Make no mistake, we are in phony war now. I 'm not sure if Mr Osborne really has clarity as to the end game.

During the phony war, it may well be that Osborne's objectives happen to align temporarily with those of TUST. You can see scope to work together in the short term for the good of the club.

There will come a time when Mr Osborne sees an opportunity to do what he really wants to do - to extract a return on his investment. It is what he is here for - not for the love of Torquay United Football Club.

At that point, TUST's objective will still be to ensure the long term sustainability of Torquay United Football club and to ensure the ownership motives and long term plans are in the best interests of the football club.

That will be the point at which TUST and Mr Osborne will be pulling in opposite directions.

But it will not be because TUST has changed direction.

Jon


When TUST decides to rewrite it's official history in an attempt to whitewash it's earlier Militant years, they know where to look among their membership to find someone with the ideal skills for the job.


For 'not through lacking of will on TUST's part', read 'increasing desperation'. It suits Osborne's needs to talk to TUST ?  It was the only way he could get any peace at home on a Saturday morning, such was TUST's fanaticism in pursuing him......and I think Jon's 'phony war' is a humorous reference to that infamous Saturday morning call.

Concluding that he couldn't shake them off, even when he was at home, CO agreed to listen to their pitch, and their presentation showcasing a new moderate TUST is good. I've acknowledged that, and the club is taking it at face value to. Now TUST have to walk the walk and not just talk their new brand of moderate talk. We will be looking for proof that their desire for cooperation is genuine, and not moderate soft soap lathered up to hide an old familiar Militant complexion

CO is not doing what he’s doing because of a love for Torquay but for the love of 💷

Propaganda machine in overtime?