TT BLOG

Clive Hayward

@Byehorse

Clive discusses the last 6 weeks

Today is April 6th 2024. For some people the date denotes the start of another tax year but many Torquay fans now celebrate it as “Wynts Day”, commemorating our much-loved right back’s deflected equaliser that caused so much joy down Woking way 5 years ago.

Here at Hayward HQ it’s a quiet Saturday morning. Thoughts of a Welling away day have been dashed by an ASLEF strike and a slight dip in motivation.

So it is perhaps a moment to look back at the last few weeks. I’ve never had the discipline to keep a diary and my memory appears to be sliding faster than the club we all love, but here is a sketchy recollection of what has happened since Clarke Osborne spat the dummy on February 22nd.

22/02/2024 – OSBORNE STATEMENT

· Daniel Storey’s article is published, setting out to a wider audience the heart-breaking decline of Torquay United.

· Osborne announces withdrawal of financial support and intention to appoint administrators.

· After previously declaring his love for the club and saying “I ain’t going anywhere”, hero-turned villain Gary Johnson leaves Plainmoor.

· Aaron Downes retained as Interim manager.

· A protest scheduled for the Aveley match (organised by a group of concerned supporters including the Supporters Trust, the Travel Club, The Tom Lapslie Appreciation Society and Torquay Talk) is abandoned.

23/02/2024 – SURVIVAL MODE

Torquay United move into survival mode and ask for donations to keep the club alive, whilst there is also a quiz, auctions and much more in the coming weeks. The supporters respond brilliantly, as you’d expect.

24/02/2024 – A NEW DAWN

TORQUAY UNITED 2-2 AVELEY – A big crowd packs Plainmoor hoping for a new dawn.

28/02/2024 – NDAs

The club declare that they have received a high volume of enquires, and as part of this process, Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) have been issued to all interested parties, whilst donations reach £7,139.80.

02/03/2024 – TERRAS SUPPORT

WEYMOUTH 1-1 TORQUAY UNITED – Weymouth donate £5 from each away ticket sale to the Supporters Trust, who give the money to the club.

07/03/2024 – 10 MORE DAYS

Donations reach £13,618.52, and the club confirm that the interim moratorium has been extended for a further 10 working days.

09/03/2024 – LEEROY!

TORQUAY UNITED 4-1 DARTFORD – United cruise to a much-needed victory with an excellent second half performance and Leroy Rosenior taking the microphone at half time, whilst South Devon College help boost the crowd by sponsoring Family Day ticket offers.

12/03/2024 – RUDE AWAKENING

TORQUAY UNITED 0-3 TAUNTON TOWN – The Gulls drop back down to earth with a bump as the Peacocks win easily at Plainmoor.

13/03/2024 – MINUS 10

Under it’s rule 13.A.1 the National League confirms that Torquay have been deducted 10 points because Osborne’s intention to put the club into administration constitutes an “Insolvency event”. This drops us down into the lower reaches of the NLS and raise concerns of another possible relegation.

Meanwhile total donations received is up to £19,248.65.

16/03/2024 – ANGELS DELIGHT

TONBRIDGE ANGELS 4-1 TORQUAY UNITED – United’s defensive frailties are exposed once again as the away problems continue. All in all a tough week for Gulls supporters.

21/03/2024 – UPDATE

Torquay United declare that donations have reached around 23k, whilst preliminary discussions have commenced with interested parties concerning the structure and timing of arrangements which would bring about a change of ownership and stewardship of the club. Meanwhile, it is announced that Robbie Herrera will assist Aaron Downes with coaching duties.

23/03/2024 – DEVON DAY

TORQUAY UNITED 1-0 HAMPTON & RICHMOND – Asa Hall scores a vital winning penalty on ‘Devon Day’ at Plainmoor, as Exeter and Plymouth supporters visit to swell the crowd numbers and Torquay’s coffers.

28/03/2024 – A BRIGHT YELLOW FUTURE

Torquay United Supporters Trust announces a bid to save the club. Leading a consortium of Torquay fans from the business world (Michael Westcott, Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, Simon Robinson, Andrew Beaulieu and Tom Allen), their plan is to have the club 50% fan-owned by August with the ultimate goal being 100%. A fundraising target of £150,000 is announced.

TUFC release a statement saying that their is more than one interested party in owning the club, whilst donations had reached £26,719.18 and all players and staff would be paid for March.

29/03/2024 – DEFEAT AT HUISH PARK

YEOVIL TOWN 3-0 TORQUAY UNITED – Travel Club coach inadvertently gate crashes home car park. Best part of the afternoon!

01/04/2024 – PLAINMOOR DRAW

Pre-match, Westcott and Supporters Trust Chair Nick Brodrick give a Radio Devon interview setting out details of the bid and explaining that to avoid liquidation part-time football is likely to be the immediate future. There is a good write-up here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68713772

TORQUAY UNITED 3-3 WESTON-SUPER-MARE – Club officials and guests have very different versions of hospitality box events on Easter Monday. In other news, Weston’s director was far more animated when his team scored than was George Edwards, who continued to rein in his charisma extremely tightly.

03/04/24 – BID SPECULATION

With the deadline approaching, there is speculation on Devon Live that Mel and Ian Hayman are behind one of the bids for Torquay United.

04/04/2024 – DEADLINE FOR BIDS

The Supporters Trust bid is formally submitted to the club.

05/04/2024 – ADMINISTRATION

· Torquay United Association Football Club (The) (Company number 00175954) enters administration. The club is now being run by insolvency practitioners working for Begbies Traynor.

· A club statement indicates that a bid to take over the club has also been received from another, unnamed, individual.

· The Supporters Trust expects to discover next week whether it’s bid had been successful. The administrators now have to make that decision. An important part of their role is to look after creditors as best they can.

· The largest creditor is Riviera Stadiums Ltd (Company number 10077782). They are owed £5,282,400. Riviera Stadiums Ltd has one Director. His name is Clarke Osborne – https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/10077782/officers

It’s quite a lot, isn’t it!!

For Torquay fans, February 22nd was a bit of a “Kennedy moment”. Most people remember where they were and what they were doing when they got the news. Ridiculously, I was having an underwhelming burger in the Wetherspoons on Birmingham New Street station! I was on my way to Scotland for a few days, not having had the foresight to avoid being away for what had promised to be a lively protest.

There was a sudden change in tone and attitude in Torquay United’s communications. Although the dead hand of George Edwards remained, there was a quick and positive reaction to the existential threat. Fundraising initiatives followed, and we surfed a wave of goodwill from the Bay and far beyond.

I felt guilty to miss the Aveley game: I spent the Saturday afternoon at Arbroath v Inverness. Gayfield Park is a lovely ground spectacularly located on the North Sea coast, but I couldn’t properly enjoy it. I am 56 years of age and I do know Torquay United is only a blimmin’ football club, but as the teams ran out my thoughts were hundreds of miles to the south and my eyes were full of tears.

I bought my Weymouth ticket on an Edinburgh tram 24 hours later, and I was there at the Bob Lucas for an afternoon which was underwhelming on the pitch and life-affirming off it.

That’s been the story of the last 6 weeks really.

We haven’t yet been able to shake off the threat of another embarrassing relegation, but as shown on “Devon Day” and in countless conversations and donations there is huge love for Torquay United and- now- hope that we might come out the other side of this.

I will never forgive or forget the actions of Osborne and his lackeys, but maybe, just maybe, there is a fan-owned future which we can all get behind.

If you are the anonymous second bidder and you happen to read this… “Hi, Welcome. Thank you very much for your interest. How are you? Who are you? Do you have anything to tell us? Why haven’t you spoken to the Trust yet?”.