Fixtures

I hope to see you clad in merchandise adorned with the Nike swoosh, or wearing a replica of the teamwear kit we have bought in a job lot from Pro:Direct's teamwear catalogue. It has, though, sort of come full circle. The last benevolent owner you were a cheerleader for (your mate, Chris Roberts) wanted a kit deal with adidas, and for us to be wearing the wrong shade of blue, which kind of links to the 'near-black' that makes up half of our badge this season. Likewise, he proffered a 'head-in-the-clouds' new stadium scheme, although to be fair to Roberts, his idea had more meat on the bones than that of Clarke Osborne even though we have to take into consideration that Roberts was a lying narcissistic who was plainly mad.

Nice bit of sparring. Osborne could have done with removing his sunglasses for the blue in the proof of the new crest, but it's not bothering me all that much. And I assume I'm a TUST militant in GI Joe's eyes. I did enjoy the "I have in my hand a piece of paper" Neville (Jamie no relation) Chamberlain, GE3 and madcap loon Roberts references, though.

Thanks for the info. Home, I agree, is surely best. Have not done enough 'around the Conference' research to plump firmly for one. I'll delve into this ahead of Wednesday and see if I come up with anything concrete other than Dover.

Not Bromley as I don't think we will be yet mentally prepared as fans for the season and inevitable that would happen within the first 20 minutes, our fervour and optimism having rightly hit the highs but 20 minutes prior. So not Bromley and not a promoted side. Not Aldershot either.

How about the O's? They'd bring a few first week rather than a Tuesday night in winter (coz London's local) and we'd have more interest than normal from waiverers plus all can show Lingy a bit of love.

Though maybe Pools are the far better relageted candidate for the longer journey (certainly) and a misplaced piss this tin pot League early doors low gear. Which I doubt they'll have, in truth....... And Orient certainly won't have with the shit they've been through and a brilliant Director of Football. Yer odd cockney sparra in the away end who has missed much of last season and fancies August on the Riviera?? Nah, that sort will have pissed off to West Ham before you could say Olympic Stadium.

So it's Orient or Dover for me so far.

Halifax away please. A nice sunny day as well. My days of standing on a wind and rain swept terrace are long gone!

 Rob  

Now that's an idea that could have amused us during the long football free closed season. An 'Are You A TUST Militant' quiz. Nothing complicated needed, maybe 8 or 10 questions just requiring a yes or no answer. You know the sort of thing...'Do you agree the Socialist Workers Party should be given a free full page advert in the match day programme ?' etc etc. 

What with the new kit unveiling and the release of the fixture list almost upon us, a 'Militant or Not' survey has probably missed it's chance....but it really had potential. Sadly, if only for nostalgic reasons, I foresee the TUST Militants becoming increasingly irrelevant. As the club takes giant strides forward, embracing new and modern ideas, those hell bent on trying to turn the clock back will look badly out of place.

Recapping for the benefit of younger readers, the TUST did quite well in building up it's membership while peddling the line that they aimed to be a 'safety net' with a reasonable reserve of cash that if the club struck trouble, the worst that could happen is that the net would be there for TUFC to fall into. Those buying into that seemingly worthy concept , probably account for at least 85% of TUST's membership. But then, as time went on, it started to become increasingly evident what the other influential 15% were up to. The more you surveyed their words and deeds, the more their primary motivation became clear. Their prime goal was to force the club into their net. Cut off the funds, attack the ownership, criticise every decision made, and undermine the existing set-up in every way they could think of. A whole different intention of wielding the 'net'

Slapping the 'TUST Militants' label on the politically motivated 15% who were clearly preoccupied in pursuing their Socialist objectives above all else, not only helped differentiate them and their views from the rank and file fans who contributed to TUST, but also helped open the eyes of those not concerned with using the club to push a political philosophy. There they were amongst your ranks, the extremists lurking amongst your number who didn't care how low we sank or how poor we'd be, as long as the red flag flew over Plainmoor.

But now, as we observe the situation today, we see increasing swathes of the 85% being won over to Clarke Osborne's ambitious plans to make Torquay United a force again. And that's all he needs to do. The Militant 15% will never be won round. They'll moan and fuss and block and complain as much as ever.....but their influence will dwindle as the non political majority of ordinary TUST members reject the extremists within the TUST ranks and instead sit up and take notice of the huge improvements in the club and in the team, taking place under the careful guidance of the current ownership.

Everything has it's day, and it could be that the 'TUST Militant' tag needs to be 'refreshed' just as the club badge has been. Always open to suggestions but for the moment 'TUST, Dinosaur, Flat Earth Alliance', although a bit of a mouthful, does convey their opposition to any improvements, modern thinking or indeed any morsel of progress that is spotted at Plainmoor or is planned for the future. 








Rob has probably at least earned Honorary TUST Militant status for his unswerving loyalty to the cause, and although the numbers of his comrades may be dwindling, I foresee him remaining as a key member of the Red Brigade until the last.

On returning my Fan Survey to Clarke. I did urge that a separate turnstile for TUST militants be set up at Plainmoor...along with plentiful CCTV cameras and face recognition technology trained on that entrance. Even if, as expected, we now observe the TUST Militants mainly in retreat, still putting forward the wrong argument at the wrong time, the dedication they exhibited to their Socialist cause still gained them a certain admiration, even among the vast majority of the supporter base who firmly rejected those views.

The first home game people are favouring seems to The O's. So it'll properly be Gateshead!!!!.That's apart of course our friendlies which is I believe Bristol City? ⚽

Certainly not an easy set of fixtures to start the season !   At home to Tranmere on the opening Saturday, so a good gate assured for that. Followed up on the Tuesday by a trip to Aldershot, then more travelling as the following Saturday's game is way up North at Gateshead.


Boxing Day and New Years Day are first away, and then at home to Eastleigh.


Saturday 23rd December: Home to Gateshead.  Will the comradely TUST dip into their cash pile to finance the purchase of a pie for any visiting fan ?
A gesture of solidarity with a cold working class Northerner, who's travelled most of the length of England for a non-League game a matter of hours before Christmas, by means of such redistribution of funds, could only bring good publicity surely ?

And what of Reg's hoped for sunny trip to Halifax ? Well that's on Saturday 21st October, which could still be a mild and pleasant Autumn afternoon.
I wonder if Guiseley is within striking range for Reg ? As if he's insistent it has to August, then we're up Otley way on Saturday 19th August.

All singing all dancing club website should be functioning soon, and fans will be able to peruse the complete fixture list at their leisure.