The future of TUST

But is there a choice? Where are these private investors, apart from the sharks like GI?

TUST board are not demi-gods using other people's money for their own ends. They would be elected to work in the interests of the supporters of the club.

Look at it another way.

Private investors who put their own money up and work to their own agenda against a TUST board representing the interests of supporters by utilising funds those same supporters have raised. A TUST Board would accountable and answerable to its members who would be supporters. A private investor would not be.

You keep tugging your forelock though and then at least someone is happy.

Two years ago when Michael Gouldbourne became TUST chairman he stated that his ambition was to raise funds through the TUST with which to buy shares in the club so that TUST would become the majority share holder. Since then it has become clear that TUST are unable to do this, so community ownership has become the aim. The belief being that there are grants available from various sources to finance the club. But in the current financial climate many organisations which rely on such funds are facing crisis and many of them must be more worthy causes than an ailing professional football club. I believe the board has agreed to consider community ownership for the following reasons;

1) they are desperate to sell because they may be personally
liable for the loan from GI which is due in January next year.
Hence the sale price will include the loan and any other debts
the club has outstanding as well as the boards initial
investment.
2) there are no potential buyers other than TUST.

TUST were always going to be the buyer of last resort. Although I admit I do not really understand what community ownership is I cannot see it being able to finance the club for a return to the Football League or maintain full time professional status. This will only lead to lower level football and dwindling gates. Torquay United AFC was founded in 1921 with the aim of giving the town a full time professional football club who could win election to the Football League. The club can only reachieve these aims with significant outside investment otherewise its existence is pretty pointless.

I don't agree with that. Community ownership has always been the goal - achieved by obtaining the shares. It has NOT become clear that TUST is unable to raise funds.

The kind of funds needed to really make a difference would need to be raised by a community share issue. TUST has been strongly advocating a community share issue ever since Thea made it clear she wanted out.

Both Newport County and Bath City have raised around a quarter of a million quid through a community share issue. I have often explained on here why there has not been a community share issue - maybe I should write up a "history of the community share issue" pulling together all the various twists and turns.



I find that statement really depressing.

What you are saying is that if we cannot find a white knight who will pump millions of pounds in to the club, then we should all give up and not bother.

I want to see Torquay United continue to exist at as high a level as it is possible to operate at. I want that level to be Football League, but I strongly disagree with the sentiment that the club's existence is pretty pointless without an imminent return to the Football League.

I desperately want to see TUFC back in the Football Laegue in my lifetime, but I see that as a long-term project. If we all give up it will never happen.

In fairness to myself I didn't say that a return to the EFL has to be imminent. I meant a return to the EFL would be unlikely in my lifetime or the lifetime of this planet. Anyhow I did some internet research into the Newport county and bath city community share offers and very impressive they are too, especially as both clubs are situated in rugby Union territory. However it seemed to me that both trusts were raising funds via these share issues in order to buy up shares in their respective clubs, so community ownership in both these cases means the respective trusts are in fact taking over their clubs. However I accept that interest amongst our supporters will only peak if and when the go ahead for a community share issue is given, as seems to have been the case at Newport. But acquiring the club alone will not solve our problems. If my understanding is correct we have needed substantial loans over the last two seasons just to keep going (possibly £200k from Thea Bristow and anything from £50k upwards from GI). If community ownership is to be successful then the club really needs to explore alternative revenue streams.
I would like to respond to something Florida said. It is all very well the club ploughing on in any state just so us oldies can reminisce about better times, but it desperately needs to attract younger generations of supporters in order to thrive and it is not going to do that whilst it is in terminal decline. Florida mentioned MUFC fans feeling hard done by because they finished 5th last season, but they are still playing premiership football. We have experienced a real material change in both quality and standing. To be honest what bugs me is those TUST supporters that go on about how everything will be OK if the supporters run the club without appreciating that the really hard bit will come only after the club comes into community ownership.

Now is the time for fans to own the club
what do you the fans say to that? have your say now go for it.

Time to do what we can.

Surely not Colin A again?  This time aka Joe?