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Thomas Kelly – @tommyktufc

Tom discusses the comments reflecting on the first year at the club.

FIRST YEAR REFLECTIONS

The interview starts with Mark and Michael being asked by Dom Mee to recall their first year in charge as co-chairs. From a TorquayTalk perspective, it’s fair to say that our club has undergone a radical transformation both on and off the pitch in where despite falling just short of the league title, The Bryn Consortium have restored pride to a once ailing football club with record ST sales and record attendances not seen at Plainmoor in a long time.

Mark says he is proud of the progress the club has made so far and highlights the importance of working alongside the TUST, questioning the decision of the previous ownership as to why they never engaged with the TUST. So do I Mark!

MBC: “(The club has made) massive progress on and off the field. Unbelievable proud with the supporters and the support they’ve given us”.

“The progress off the field has been incredible”

“The partnership with the trust. I still don’t understand why the previous regime never brought them, because they’ve been so helpful.”

Michael focus on his pride of the support they and the club have received throughout the first year under the Bryn Consortium and again references the hard work between the club and the TUST.

They recollect some of their favourite games of the season with Michael highlighting the battling home performance in the rain at home to Weston Super Mare where the Gulls with 10 men managed to dig deep and win 4-2.

Mark and Michael then reference the final game of the season away at Hemel Hempstead where 2,000 Torquay fans in Marks words “took over the whole ground which he considers “unprecedented at this level in football.”

MW: “Seeing a full Plainmoor (for the Argyle friendly), to seeing thousands of families turn up to watch Torquay United. We were back. That was mirrored with when the teams walked out for the first game of the season against Enfield. That put a lump in our throats to see that this was our team, we got a team on the pitch, we had crowds in the stands and we were beginning our campaign in the National League South”

“The relationship with the supporters trust was con foundational to the principles that underpin the Torquay United that we want to be custodians of, where fans feel they have a voice and can be heard.”

SUPPORTER INTERACTION AND BEING RESPONSIBLE

There’s a brief conversation about the club’s sustainability and the difficulties for Michael and Mark being fans first whilst managing the day to day running of the club before Michael references a conversation between him and Boreham Wood’s chairman about being careful about being too close with the fans and how he disagrees with that logic. I’m glad he and the Bryn Consortium take that view after years of radio silence from the previous owners. We are forever grateful for everything the Consortium have done and are always thankful to maintain such a positive relationship with the board.

MW: “We’re fans first but with it comes great responsibility. Our supporters want us to be a bit responsible.”

Michael also highlights the promise of openness and transparency between the supporters and the Bryn Consortium, recognising that mistakes have been made which sets up for a discussion later on in the chat on the topic of Season Tickets.

MW: “We want to be open and honest and transparent. Does that mean we’ll make mistakes? Yeah. We’ve made a few mistakes and we’ll talk about a few of those today.”

3 UP AND THE LEAGUE AGM

Talk quickly shifts to the 3 Up campaign. Mark comments that the club are fully supportive of the leagues campaign and that the club will be supportive of the measure at the upcoming AGM, where they will congratulate table neighbours Truro City on their NLS title win.

There is also talk over concerns over the potential lack of headline sponsor for next seasons NLS campaign and how that will affect the distribution of money clubs at our level receive.

MBC: “Everyone is of the opinion that 3 up, 3 down is a fair system.”

“We will be totally behind the 3 Up, 3 down.”

BALANCING EXPECTATIONS WITH CLUB SUSTAINABILITY

Mark comments about the importance of the sustainable running of the club, highlighting how he’d like a “competitive football team that could have some success, which for Torquay could be finishing in the play-offs.”

I find this an interesting comment, especially after coming so close to the title last season. I think deep down he knows the club can challenge again next season. Measured expectations perhaps? There will be pressure from some that the club should go one better next season after going so close. I quite like the Marc White (yes him again!) school of thought in targeting for a home play off as a minimum expectation. Whether that’s an advantage is up for debate!

Last season, just finishing in the play-offs was good enough for me. This season, I’d like to see us aim for a play-off final at a minimum. It will be tough of course as later in the chat, we learn about the number of clubs they both expect to be putting a lot of money into their squads next season. The regular names come up as well as the likes of Chelmsford, Hornchurch and AFC Totton. They both expect this to be just as competitive division, if not more so next season.

MARK THOMAS AND COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES

Mark and Michael speak highly of the club’s new CEO in Mark Thomas and explain how his move came about and what the Bryn Consortium were looking for going forward and was impressed with his resume which included his work overseeing multiple Grand Prix in China.

Michael mentions how Mark Thomas has always worked around sport and found appealing how he has experienced in other sports and not just football, which would be beneficial in creating better ideas for future events from the club to generate additional revenue and how to “leverage the brand of Torquay United to its community and to “elevate Torquay United to the next level.”

SEASON TICKETS

Probably the biggest talking point and most contentious issue amongst some in the fan base was the news of an increase to admission prices and the decision to not offer a children’s concession rate for Bristow’s Bench.

Michael explains that for the past 3 seasons, ticket prices were frozen against a backdrop of compound inflation and explains the rises in costs including an eye watering energy bill of £12,000 a month which Michael describes as a significant cost, as well as the effects of the extra contribution to National Insurance contributions

Michael tallies that the rise in season ticket across the board is around 10% and that he believed most people would have accepted this as in inevitability, whilst reminding supporters the club had been losing over £1 million a year in previous seasons.

Whilst stemming a lot of the losses, Michael explains that the club are still losing money, estimating a loss of £300,000 in their first season in charge, losses which the Bryn Consortium could cover whilst trying to find ways to build revenue for the club, especially on non-match days.

Michael references conversations with newly appointed Supporter Liaison Paul Bastard (fully deserved for such a wonderful representative of the Torquay United fanbase), over emails from families about the elimination of child concession, noting how the cost now is higher than the 10% jump in prices for the rest of the ground.

There is regret from Michael over the way things were communicated but explains that the yield from a child’s season ticket in Bristow’s was just £1.30 per game, which didn’t add up considering demand for seats on busy match days.

MW: “We’ve dropped the ball on a couple of areas. One I think we didn’t communicate that very well. We should have been a bit more thoughtful around the impact it has on families. Paul Bastard & I spent a lot of time talking the last couple of days. I’ve spent many many hours writing and talking to fans affected by that.”

“I make no excuses for the fact that we’ve needed to put season tickets up as a whole. We underestimated the fact on a very small number of families for a few very legitimate reasons feel like they can’t move from Bristows.

Michael brings up some potential ideas that are in the pipeline including looking at the possibility of offering a family season ticket to help mitigate against penalizing the additional cost of parents bringing their children to Plainmoor as well as the potential to spread payments over a longer period.

He also explains that there is a new match day experience ready in for next season for patrons in the family stand whilst again highlighting that Bristow’s is considered “Premium Seating” and that the “Family Stand should do what it says on the tin.”

MBC: “The communication maybe could have been improved with that, but we have been very good at communicating things in the past about players and the club. I don’t think we hide anything from them, It’s their club and we’re trying to do the very best to make sure this club can one be successful in the future but have firm foundations.”

It’s good to see that both have recognised and reflected on supporter feedback and whilst most will understand the increase in prices, it’s great to have some clarity and reasoning behind the decision to remove the Bristow’s Child ST concession and that the club are happy to work with those who have been affected by the changes. Lets not forget that they have done so many great things in their first year and as a consortium have invested a lot of their money into the football club and with a heavy focus on further sponsorship opportunities and marking Plainmoor as a 365 day business, hopefully this can result in more money going into Paul Wotton’s budget for next season and beyond.

Were mistakes made? Yes, but haven’t we all!

WOMENS TEAM

Both Co Chairs quickly refute talks from social media over the decision to include half of the Torquay Ladies Teams home games at Plainmoor as reason for the increase in in cost of a season ticket with Mark stating that since day one they’ve wanted the Women’s team to be a part of the football club and how delighted the Bryn Consortium were at the appointment of Danni Wyatt to the board.

MBC: “I say to people, Let’s support the women’s team, that’s what we wanted to do with the Plainmoor Passes.”

“We’re proud of the women’s football team, we’re proud to have them onboard and we’ll do everything possible to try and be successful with that.”.

Michael explains that giving season ticket holders access to half of their homes is not the reason why the prices have gone up, saying they were looking of ways to add extra value to the cost of a ST. It is explained that home league games for the ladies team will likely take place at the start and end of the season to avoid the worst weather during the winter months.

I for one am delighted to see the ladies team officially align with the club and hopefully I can manage to catch a game or two next season. It will benefit the local community so much and hopefully see the growth of the ladies game in Torquay grow stronger going forward as a result.

It’s a nice perk and whilst it does sadden me to see some negativity on social media, hopefully this can provide some funding into the team which is severely lacking and much needed for the ladies team.

FANS FORUM

Michael confirms that plans are firmly in place for a pre season fans forum.

MW: Fans forums are really important to us and it’s also a forum where we can listen to fans thoughts”.

Future infrastructure projects.

Thanks to donations from the TUST, it is announced that extra safety railings will be installed on Bristow’s Bench as well as groundsman Jullian finally getting his much requested grow lights!

The importance of the Torquay United lottery has already proved an important source of income for the club, with £3,000 a month estimated to be put into the club to be put towards infrastructure projects. Michael highlights the benefits of this money and how it can eventually help put more money into the playing budget.

MW: “Every penny that we generate at this football club for the foreseeable always goes straight back into the football club.”

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN 25/26

The final question relates to what success looks like to both co chairman both on and off the pitch next season.

Michael immediately comments that the fan in him, “wants to get us promoted” before putting his business hat back on hoping this can be achieved by “achieving our budget which will be set in June.”

The growth of the Youth Team is also high on Michael’s wish list as he explains he hopes to see one of two youth players progress to the first team come the end of the season.

Mark wishes for a happy club but if he is to reach his ultimate objectives, says that the club “has to achieve promotion next season whilst focusing on improving the commercial aspect of the club, getting as many sponsors into the club as possible to be able to give Paul Wotton a bigger budget to work with.”

CONCLUSION

As ever, it’s always a pleasure to listen to our co chairman and I am continually grateful that they continue to communicate with the supporters on a regular basic and have provided some clarity over issues that have been identified by some of the fan base.

We have people who genuinely care about its club and its fan base. The introduction of Paul Bastard as a Supporter Liason Officer is a superb decision and I wish him all the best in his new role. No doubt he’ll still be in his woolly hat and shorts!

I have been and continue to be fortunate to be able to speak to Micheal on a regular basis and I know how much work he and the rest of the consortium are doing behind the scenes to ensure our club is in the best position possible to achieve its long-term goals and to ensure a sustainable Torquay United that will live for generation after generation.

From the moment we spoke to him on our award winning Gulls Eye View Podcast last year, you just knew the club was going to be cared for and that the fans would finally be able to have their voices heard.

It’s been a great first year under the Bryn Consortium and may we have plenty more to come in the future.

Hopefully this season, we can go one better and get one step closer to the EFL.