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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2009 10:23:39 GMT
There have been reports of a Brave New Dawn at Home Park throughout my football-watching life. I wonder what this one will bring?
For the uninitiated, the Japanese investment (together with some more localised money) has secured a 51% holding and there’s a new chairman and directors. It sounds an intriguing grouping with the inclusion of Sir Roy Gardner once of Manchester United PLC. There’s talk of the Premier League and the Argyle Brand (Tokyo as well as Truro? Nagasaki and Newlyn?) but, equally, there appears a certain degree of caution about the extent of the investment in terms of team strengthening. The local media is already playing things down compared to what might have been expected (but I’ve not been watching the local telly which could well be ecstatic). An indication of sensible investors on the scene or one of slight disappointment and muted excitement?
My gut reaction is that the new owners may have the clout to help Argyle become a regular top-half of the Championship outfit. Beyond that who knows? If that’s the case, the branding will need to be successful because Argyle may struggle at the turnstiles merely ticking along in the Championship (always hard to please aren’t they? You’d never imagine they were once in the fourth tier). There’s also the issue of the rebuilding of the Mayflower Stand. When will it happen?
How will it all affect Torquay United? I’m never entirely convinced of the argument that a strong Argyle is good for West Country football. Not that it’s always straightforward to measure. Championship ticket prices - £24 and more to watch an average team – don’t seem to help at Home Park so perhaps our gates haven’t been too affected recently. But what would be the impact of Premier League football, albeit at the cost of £30, £40 per game or whatever?
All in all, it’ll be an interesting one to watch and follow and remember - like the poor - Argyle are always with us (not one of Michael Foot’s quotes I fear). But I guess a strong Argyle can help us in terms of player supply and recruitment. Indeed, I heard a little rumour a month or so ago that a number of young Argyle players may be heading our way on loan…
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Jul 6, 2009 19:32:58 GMT
When I first heard the headlines it did sound so much better than what I was to hear later in the news, the question would always be could Plymouth get the support needed to be a Premier League club.
It you consider the catchment areas of Plymouth then you would think they would be able too, not sure of the population of Plymouth, but you have Cornwall and I know many from places like Ashburton would rather support Plymouth than Torquay. Even Newton Abbot has far more Plymouth supporters than it once did.
I know at least five TUFC fans who had been fans all their life's, they were people who could afford to pay an extra £10 to watch a game and simply did not want to watch BSP football. I did ask one I bumped into a few months ago had he regretted watching Plymouth instead of TUFC.
He said he had enjoyed watching a higher standard of football and would carry on watching Plymouth next season, but I would think that now that TUFC are a league club again, paying the extra £10 plus having to get to Plymouth, may just make up some floating fans minds to go and watch TUFC over Plymouth.
I do think that if Plymouth were ever to become a Premier League club, then things may well be different, it has been said on here before about trying to target those football fans who walk around Torbay In Man U shirts etc.
I believe if they could watch Man U and Liverpool just down the road for £30+ then that is where they will go and Plymouth could well pull in then the size of crowds needed to at least stand a chance of staying in the Premier League.
I got shot down once before for asking the question would you be happy if all three Devon clubs combined, if say then it had a super stadium on the A38 and was in the Premier League.
It was clear that everyone felt that was a rubbish idea, but I do feel that the draw of watching the top players in the country just down the road may well draw some of our own fans away from Plainmoor.
I don't think we will ever need to worry about getting to such dizzy heights, we would need to see many more fans coming to Plainmoor just to be able to be in division one, we will sure need more than last season now we are in league two.
Its up to our club to do what it can to draw more people to Plainmoor, but as we have discussed before how you do that is the million dollar question.
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chelstongull
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Post by chelstongull on Sept 16, 2009 7:46:29 GMT
Bottom of the Championship ;D
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2010 11:06:22 GMT
There have been reports of a Brave New Dawn at Home Park throughout my football-watching life. I wonder what this one will bring? Bottom of the Championship ;D Confession time. I was on the pitch at Home Park after last night’s game wearing a black-and-white scarf I’d been invited to wear by a friend who’d travelled down from Newcastle. Not a great game – job done by Newcastle although you wonder how many of their players will prove a success next season; lots of huff and puff from Argyle. And, after a few worrying moments, much good grace from both Argyle and their supporters. Indeed, some of the locals seemed content to join in with the Newcastle celebrations almost as a way of anesthetising what they’d just experienced. Quite bizarre in its own way. And didn’t Argyle’s relegation have an air of inevitability all season? Another Brave New Dawn hidden by clouds in the east over Saltram House as the investors from the Far East (way beyond Ivybridge) haven’t really come up with the Yen. A ragbag squad of loanees and short-term contracts; Paul Mariner a plausible manager or not? (perhaps still too early to say as the dye was largely cast before he arrived); strange going-ons about selling the ground to themselves. A story, I suppose, of a decent board of directors becoming overwhelmed by Championship finances and struggling to find a solution. And – as for matters up and down the A38 – who will next season’s Devon Derby be between, now our survival ensures there will definitely be one? That's been a funny little cliffhanger all season... |
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merse
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Post by merse on Apr 20, 2010 13:35:33 GMT
Confession time. I was on the pitch at Home Park after last night’s game wearing a black-and-white scarf I’d been invited to wear by a friend who’d travelled down from Newcastle.  Who do you think you are kidding Mr Barty ?...................we all know that's you're original Torquay United scarf!  Argyle have "gone down the toilet" because the modern day "fan" wants instant Premiership or nothing whereas many years ago they were a very real provincial power where people were only too ready to jump on a train from deepest Cornwall or a coach from North Devon to join the throng on the Gnome Park terraces. The only type they attract now who add any jam to their bread and butter regulars are the type of numpties who walk around NA and Torquay in Man U and Chelsea shirts and look down their noses at the local clubs as being too small time. They'll jump on the bandwagon when the team are top of the table but drift away like a fart from a collander as soon as it becomes apparent that they might be needed to show some patience, loyalty and fortitude in order to keep the club up there with the Norwich's, Ipswich's, Sunderlands and Southamptons of the Championship world. There was a time when you could genuinely compare Argyle with the likes of Newcastle United ~ no longer; now comparison with the Swansea's and Blackpools of this world are more pertinent. So Argyle and their dribbling bufoon of a radio commentator go back to Third Division football where they are more at home, and they'll be praying they can stop the rot or they'll soon be staring at Fourth Division fare when they can once again begin delusions of granduer and pretending they are "Big Time"  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2010 19:11:08 GMT
Who do you think you are kidding Mr Barty ?...................we all know that's you're original Torquay United scarf! Very good, Merse. Strangely enough, I was asked about our black-and-white history during last night's game and I answered by saying not in my lifetime (apart from that black-and-white away strip a few years back). And, as this shows from www.historicalkits.co.uk, I was right. Just! 1950-54 1954-55 Eric Webber's Black-and-White Army!So Argyle and their dribbling bufoon of a radio commentator go back to Third Division football where they are more at home, and they'll be praying they can stop the rot or they'll soon be staring at Fourth Division fare when they can once again begin delusions of granduer and pretending they are "Big Time" I've a sneaky feeling the history of Argyle past is that of the present and the future too. Six years in the second tier is probably par for the course and close to the average length of stay for their six spells at that level (the longest being either side of WW2; the next longest being in the 1960s). |
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merse
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Post by merse on Apr 20, 2010 21:44:32 GMT
Very good, Merse. Strangely enough, I was asked about our black-and-white history during last night's game and I answered by saying not in my lifetime (apart from that black-and-white away strip a few years back). And, as this shows from www.historicalkits.co.uk, I was right. Just! 1950-541954-55Eric Webber's Black-and-White Army! But in my lifetime? Just I'm afraid  .....................and I remember THAT iconic first gold and blue kit too ~ just, except that the black shorts had become shiny reflective blue ones by the time I paid my first visit to Plainmoor in 1957 was it? |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2010 15:01:54 GMT
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.....................and I remember THAT iconic first gold and blue kit too ~ just, except that the black shorts had become shiny reflective blue ones by the time I paid my first visit to Plainmoor in 1957 was it?