Torquay United chairman breaks his silence as manager Gary Johnson and fans have their say amid relegation all but confirmed.
The Gulls are committed to remaining a professional club next season even if they go down, and that’s a huge positive to take from the statement released on Monday.
Clarke Osborne, the Club Chairman, ended months of not saying anything with a rare public statement as the club’s National League status hangs in the balance after the 2-2 draw with Altrincham on Saturday.
Only a miracle set of results at the end of the season, next Saturday, can save them, and that’s if Torquay beat Wrexham with a large margin and hope that relegation-rivals Maidenhead suffer a similar loss in their match at Gateshead.
The fans were concerned Torquay would adopt semi-professional status to cut costs if they were relegated for a second time to the regionalised National League South.
After their last relegation, in 2018, Gaming International chose to remain fully-pro and reaped the rewards when manager Gary Johnson led the team to promotion. He remains in charge.
Fans who feared the status of their club would change will be relieved by today’s announcement. Read what the chairman said below…
CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT:
Following Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Altrincham, Torquay United AFC Chairman Clarke Osborne has today issued a message to the Yellow Army.
“I am sure that the mood of deflation pervades as we all look towards what is very likely, but not mathematically certain, our relegation to the National League South. I feel for everyone connected with Torquay United both those working tirelessly for the Club and for the brilliant supporters who have supported with passion and commitment throughout this season.
“George, Mel, and the team will have much work to do in preparing for next season, and this will follow our season closing game against the National League champions on Saturday, when, whatever the result, I know that everyone will congratulate Wrexham on their success, which has certainly raised the profile of the National League and football.
“For us, next season in whatever league it is business as usual, a full time professional, well supported Club planning and striving for promotion. Together, let’s look towards next season with excitement and anticipation. I certainly am.”
The Gulls will need a series of unlikely results to prevent them from losing for the second consecutive time in five seasons after a late drawing at Altrincham.
“It’s sad, but the club’s strong, it’s gone down before and it can come back up,” Johnson told BBC Radio Devon.
“We have had disappointment and we’ll try and get over it because that’s what you’re in football to do.
“You have good days and bad days, unfortunately we didn’t get enough results earlier on to support this team that we’ve got at the moment.
“We’re gutted for the club, we’re gutted for the players, we’re gutted for our supporters,” added Johnson, who led Torquay to the 2019 National League South title after replacing Gary Owers in September 2018.
“We got our team together in the last seven or eight games, we used the last days of the transfer window to bring in some good players which at that time were looking to leave other clubs, so you couldn’t get them earlier.
“It’s a shame we couldn’t have longer with that group of lads, because we’ve won five, drawn one and lost one.
“It is what it is, we’ll all sit down and we’ll have a chat – the players have got one more game to go so we’ve got to do right by everybody.
“We’ve still got to turn up, play our game and give us a chance to thank the fans and apologise for us being in the bottom four.”
The Torquay United Supporters Trust said on Sunday:
For some time TUST has been monitoring the growing concerns amongst its loyal fan base about the running of the football club.
The TUST board shares the disappointment and concerns of all supporters after Saturday’s result at Altrincham which virtually condemns the club to regional football once again.
We would like to thank the Yellow Army for their loyalty and undying support.
We have, like the Herald Express, BBC Radio Devon and Kevin Foster MP, asked the club for a meeting with the owner Clarke Osborne but all our requests have been turned down.
This season, in particular, has underlined the lack of transparency in the running of the football club with fans’ biggest complaint being lack of communication from the owner and directors.
As the club’s only representative supporters’ group, with new members joining the Trust on a daily basis, we urge Mr Osborne to make a statement about his intentions for the future direction of Torquay United.
There are many unanswered questions – the plans for a new stadium, the Five Year plan, a Fans’ Forum to name but a few – that all Torquay United fans would like to hear answered. But the biggest question is will the club remain full-time in National South?
Supporters who live near and far deserve to know what is happening to our football club.
Absolutely gutting. A chorus of Torquay til I die rings around the away end but the look on the players faces say it all. We are down. #tufc pic.twitter.com/9sWpQcZocG
— TORQUAYTALK (@TORQUAYTALK) April 22, 2023
Here’s how Twitter users reacted as the Torquay chairman breaks silence as the manager and fans have their say amid relegation…
@Byehorse: Helpful. May persuade some waverers to renew season tickets. No contrition or apology, or indeed any update about his non footballing plans but hopefully we can take the assurance about remaining with a full time squad. Will need to be properly financed. #tufc
@Louis32M: Staying full time 😍😍
@YNWAmat: The only good thing is we are stikl full time. But what happens with the club and our debt if we cant get up. Apart from the rest of it is awful why would we celebrate for wrexham when we have been dreadful and getting relegated
@SaintsDanSFC: Staying FULL TIME is absolutely massive 💪💪💪
@J_GRANT1109: At least we will be staying as Full Time!
@RachelVillavox: we’re relegated and it is all the more heartbreaking because it was completely avoidable. If you really cared you would have acted months ago.
@slinkywong: theres a massive difference between staying full time, & staying full time with players who get you & know how to get out of the division !!
@guyfoxy: Good luck to @TUFC1899 on Saturday. Miracles do happen in Football sometimes I should know being an Oldham fan you might just catch Wrecsam on a bad day
@AndrewBritland3: Sad to see a club like Torquay drop into national League south again should never be there glad you staying full time hope you smashed the League next season
@homeslice68: Three paragraphs to say absolutely nothing. And no mention of Gary Johnson. It’s about time that the Supporters Trust made a move to take control of the club for the fans
@TorquayFans1: I know that everyone will congratulate Wrexham on their success, which has certainly raised the profile of the National League and football. Absolutely not? Short memory Clark of coins lighters etc being thrown at Torquay fans by Wrexham?
@nick_french: In this week’s edition of “People you thought were dead, but aren’t”
@TUFCbrad: Not the best statement but the news we’re staying as a full time club is great 🟡🔵
@upthegulls94: Full time. Relief.
@RowenaWilliams1: He’s excited?! Excited!! We’ve been relegated you utter utter moron.
@Hicko64: Still not to be trusted
@barnabynickels: Well, 2 things. Staying full-time, I must say, is excellent and unexpected news. He specifically mentions George and Mel, not Gary, so I suspect we’ll have a new manager come next season.
@BobbyBamber: I mean, if we take him at his word, it’s good news. I’m not convinced Torquay going part time, unless they base themselves in Bristol, would make any difference anyway
@Matt_J_Mills: There needs to be change. Clarke’s not going anywhere and decent supporters won’t be either, so that means Gary, Aaron and 50%+ of the squad.
@Easters86: LOL what even is that? Literally shows the guy hasn’t a clue as to what is going on at TUFC. He’s got no interest in it whatsoever so what IS the end game for them?
@RobKig: A statement to shut up the grumbling masses. No self reflection nothing. Have to take it with a pinch of salt I’m afraid…
@Dan4Miami: The key now is to start finding adequate players now for the new season, we want the new manager to have a full contingency for basically when the season ends so he can start quickly
No mention of a new stadium https://t.co/z5KNOpDfwu pic.twitter.com/737mr6UlQc
— Eden cresswell-cluer (@scorpoin12) April 24, 2023
You must be logged in to post a comment Login