TUST
TUST FAN ZONE
IT’S A BLANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND TO FORGET AS UNITED MISFIRE
NEWCOMERS FARNHAM CELEBRATE BEATING HISTORIC FOOTBALL LEAGUE CLUB
HOW WOULD A BLUE PLAQUE LOOK OUTSIDE PLAINMOOR?
3501 Yellow Army at Plainmoor on Saturday to witness a disappointing 1-1 draw with a Hampton side which had previously shipped ten goals without reply in their opening three away games and then an estimated 500 in Surrey as United defeated themselves at newly promoted Farnham.
A gutless performance has left not only the manager scratching his head about what’s not going right but supporters too.
So, a Blank Holiday to forget.
In truth, this is not the start to the season that any of us expected or anticipated. Here we are at the beginning of September with one solitary win (away from home), no victories at Plainmoor in three attempts and only a miserly four goals scored in six matches, one of which was more likely an own goal.
Like it or not but although it’s early days – there are 40 matches still to go – there are negative social media posts and of course the anger is directed at the manager.
Co-chairman Michael Westcott spelt it out pretty clearly at last week’s Fans’ Forum that the club, despite making huge financial improvements, will lose around £366,000 this year.
He told the fan base that there are no budget figures for transfers (out) or an FA Cup run. Within hours of that forum news came that Dylan Morgan had been sold to EFL League 2 Crawley Town.
And it’s odds on that fan favourite Sam Dreyer is going too.
Listening to the Farnham match was a tough ask and it seems that the players have lost confidence especially when it comes to shooting.
While on Saturday it was another underwhelming home performance especially when Hampton whilst beating Slough last week, let in three and yesterday Maidstone hit four past them.
United now have two consecutive Saturday home games – Folkestone 5th, Dorking 12th – with an away trip to Maidenhead in-between.
Understandably, emotions are running high but calling for the manager’s head is premature. As Ball himself said at the Fans’ Forum, he hasn’t yet been able to pick his preferred starting eleven.
And he accepts the criticism.
Over the years football is littered with football directors sacking managers when results aren’t there but equally there are stories of clubs sticking with the manager who then turns results around.
This post on X today from Farnham Town underlines how much it means to teams in this league to play United: ‘6 years ago we took on Dorking Reserves in Step 6 with a crowd of 98 at the Memorial Ground.
This Week we defeated historic Football League club Torquay United in front of over 2,000 people playing in National League South’.
It means that much.
Non-League Crowd Watch: Saturday: Southend 9,155, Hartlepool 5,017, Hereford 4,307, Scunthorpe 4,294, Torquay 3,529, Bury FC 3,322, Hednesford Town 2,561, Barrow 2,286.
Bank Holiday Monday: Carlisle 7,656, Yeovil 3,945, Chester 3,634, Woking 3,583, Kidderminster 3,385, Macclesfield 2,731.
For the past three weeks TUST has been running a poem competition for Junior Gulls to help boost membership and I’m pleased to announce our five winners: Layla-Rose Cole (5), Poppy Holman (9),
Fred Portch-Bowers (14), Zane Woolcott-Hawkins and Jamie Hancox (14).
Each will receive a certificate on the pitch at half-time on Saturday and, thanks to the generosity of lifelong Gulls fan Nick Wotton, two years membership of Junior Gulls worth £50.
Our new generation of the Yellow Army is forming. Any child aged between 5 and 16 can become a Junior Gull by going to http://www.tust.co.uk/juniorgulls.
Earlier last month I wrote about three local Blue Plaques related to Torquay United, two in respect of United fan and comedian Peter Cook who at one point was Chairman of the Junior Supporters Club.
One of Cook’s plaques is outside where he was born on Middle Warberry Road and the other is in Marnham Road.
The third plaque relating to the club is in memory of Arthur Milner who was United chairman between 1954 and 1964 who oversaw a ‘giant killing’ FA Cup Third Round 4-0 over Leeds United before losing 1-0 to then First Division Huddersfield Town in front of 21,908 Plainmoor fans in 1955.
Oh for a Cup run this year.
There are now discussions about the merits of a Blue Plaque outside Plainmoor to commemorate 125 years of Torquay United.
All these things come at a cost and could be around £1000. Do members have a view? Fanszone.tu@gmail.com.
COYY
JOIN HERE – http://www.tust.co.uk/join
COYY – NICK
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