DEAR GARY A HEARTFELT LETTER TO THE MANAGER AND PLAYERS
TEN CUP FINALS AHEAD - CAN UNITED AVOID RELEGATION?
HISTORIC SUNDAY AS UNITED WOMEN PLAY AT PLAINMOOR
Dear Gary,
I write this open letter to you and your playing squad as the recently installed chairman of the supporters’ trust, on behalf of the many faithful who follow Torquay United.
This has not been the season all of us imagined back in August last year and I’m sure you’re as upset as we fans are - scratching our heads wondering where it all went wrong. The time for any inquests is still a little way off as we approach the final ten games of the season.
A return to regional football and the potential of derby fixtures with Taunton Town is surely an incentive to find that magic formula to get us out of this mess. We’ve already tried lower league football as you well know and we would rather not go down that route again. Your better players surely aspire to playing in the Football League not lower league football.
So, on behalf of loyal fans, who attend Plainmoor, and those unable to do so, but still regard the club as ‘their’ club, we back you and the players to find that extra 10%, or whatever it takes, to play for the shirt.
As true fans we are hurting, as I’m sure you must be, and we would like the players to know this is a heartfelt plea. The gutsy performance on Saturday, playing the majority of the game a man short, showed that the players cared and the fans responded - and what player wants a relegation on his cv?
The thought of the loss of national football with the likelihood of three-up, three-down soon as an easier pathway to the EFL and even becoming League 3, is too awful to contemplate if Torquay is not part of the set-up. Relegation could also mean the loss of jobs to club employees.
I am sure you give a lot of thought to all this as you drive home up the M5, as I do after games, but we are all willing you and the players to succeed, after all we are #One Club #OneCommunity
Good luck from TUST - and true supporters who follow their club through the good and bad times.
Yours sincerely,
Nick Brodrick.
*****
Saturday’s defeat was another blow in the club’s efforts to stay in the National League but credit where credit is due, the ten men, which by the end included three substitutes, ran themselves into the ground showing yes, there is a real determination to rescue the season.
It could have been all so different had Wealdstone’s eventful match winner, Micah Obiero, followed United’s Tom Lapslie for an early bath, after he kicked United’s brave keeper, Mark Halstead, in the face without the referee, Greg Rollason, giving yet another indifferent display, taking any action. It was a shocking piece of play and had it been a rugby match Halstead would have had to go off for a HIA. Those of us sitting in the Family Stand were pretty clear about what happened.
Despite the loss, one glimmer of hope was the performance of ‘unfit’ Kevin Dawson who, certainly after Lapslie’s departure, added steel to the mid-field and, as important, leadership on the pitch, something the team has been lacking during Asa Hall’s lengthy absence - and boy was it good to see him back in the action.
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There are certainly ten cup finals coming up and these will not be for the faint hearted but one senses the players may have found a new impetus to prove their critics wrong.
It’s no secret that those who follow certain aspects of social media that there has been a growing clamour for a change of manager while in the bigger pond Graham Potter was under even greater scrutiny, even suffering, can you believe it, death threats but his Chelsea owners have stood by him, as have the Torquay directors with Gary Johnson.
That faith in Potter has seen three successive victories thus quietening the fans’ clamour for a change. It was noticeable on Saturday how the Plainmoor faithful clapped the players off the pitch despite another home defeat.
With Lapslie now suspended, Hall probably not ready for 90 minutes and Collins injured, why not recall Alex Moyse from his loan at Dorchester Town? He was named as their Player of the Month for February and impressed those who saw him in United’s pre-season friendlies; it’s about time somebody from our youth setup made it into the first team squad.
******
Non-League Crowd Watch: Another Saturday of bigger crowds than many in League 2: Wrexham 9,770, Notts County 7,060 and Chesterfield 6,893. Meanwhile in Southern League Division One South second placed AFC Totton demolished Bideford 8-1, Torquay loanee Lewis Brooks scoring Bideford’s loan goal, while old favourite Scott Rendell netted twice for the home side in front of 1,121.
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United’s Women’s charge for the title and promotion was put on hold on Sunday as their match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. But this coming Sunday - Mothering Sunday - their match against Sherborne Ladies is at Plainmoor for the very first time.
Is it possible there could be a big crowd? Our friends up the road have set a target - the Exeter City Women’s side on Sunday drew a record attendance of 2,936 at St James Park to see them defeat visitors Portishead 6-0.
Come on Yellow Army the challenge has been set! Kick-off is 2pm and tickets are on sale now.
******
Watching a match that goes into 100+ minutes struck a chord with many readers who are in favour especially if it rids the game of blatant time wasting.
United had no match on Tuesday night so have a full week to prepare for a long trip to Gateshead on Saturday to play a side one place above in the relegation zone, if ever three points were needed it’s from this ‘six pointer’.
******
Many thanks to a significant number who joined TUST over the weekend, it costs less than a cup of coffee a month to join - it doesn’t Costa lot!
Southampton loanee Nico Lawrence was named as the club’s Player of the Month for February.
With ten games left who is likely to be your Player of the Season?
Who’s your vote going to?
Send your choice to: fanszone.tu@gmail.com or Twitter: @FanszoneT
Safe journey to the Travel Club and all others making that long trip to Gateshead on Saturday.
COYY
SUPPORT TUST - SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY
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