After an astonishing couple of days for Torquay United, there are lots of questions still to be answered about the current situation: how the club will be run going forward, and whether it has a future?
Many of these questions don't really have answers yet - but here is a brief summary of the important issues, and what we know or don't know so far. Fans are sure to have their own, and other pressing questions, but hopefully these 10 questions/answers go somewhere near to covering all the bases.
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1. Who is in charge of the club at the moment?
Although 'administrators' have been in the building at Plainmoor this week, the club is still not officially 'in administration'. Although Clarke Osborne has left his role as chairman, until the administrators are officially appointed, is George Edwards still the chief executive officer? Recent announcements regarding these matters on the club website feel like they are 'administrator' written, and the media staff have been working hard to make sure the fans are being kept up to date with video interviews and pleas for a buyer. The day-to-day staff will be worried of course, but they will do their best to run the club in an appropriate way until there are any further developments.
2. Will Torquay be handed a points deduction when the club officially goes into administration?
Almost certainly, yes. A 10-point penalty is the general rule, plus a transfer embargo, but clubs have been sanctioned by 12 points in the past. Before the game against Aveley, Torquay were in 11th place in the table with 46 points. A deduction of 10 points (again, before the Aveley game) would have dropped them to 18th, one place above Truro City, two places and four points above the relegation zone.
3. Is there any money in the bank?
Unclear but doubtful there is much. Various reports place the figure that Clarke Osborne, through his company Gaming International, put in is somewhere between four-to-six million pounds in his seven years as owner. The assumption is, most of that went towards day-to-day, week-to-week running costs - with Covid 19 being the most costly period for the club because of football coming to a full stop, and then when it did start up again, there were no fans allowed in the stadium for many months.
4. Can Clarke Osborne claim any of that money back?
That's unclear, but the BBC talked to a football finances expert for a piece published on their website. The University of Liverpool's Kieran Maguire spoke to the BBC Sport's Brent Pilnick and said: "He's going to have to take a significant haircut. There's no way that somebody's going to want to inherit those debts. So it then comes down to what do we sell the club for? That gets allocated to the creditors, of which one will be Clarke Osborne and his companies."
5. How attractive is the club to potential buyers?
Very I would have thought. But it depends whether any buyer has to pay back any of that Clarke Osborne investment - for example, £5 million or so is a lot of money to pay for a National League South club, despite it being a well supported one with a good stadium to play in. If you are just picking up the club from the administrators after proving you have the finances to run the club day-to-day, then it is very attractive, especially when you take the bar and restaurant facilities, and the attached bowling club, into account.
6. Could Torquay be kicked out of Plainmoor?
That's up to Torbay Council, who own the ground, and to whom the football club pays a 'nominal rent'. But the council has already indicated it wants Torquay United, or a Torquay United-related club, to play its football at Plainmoor. Leader of the Council, David Thomas, said: "Local football, at all levels, is an important part of our community and we want to reassure the club and its supporters that we will engage with any interested parties to understand how we might support the ongoing operation of the club.”
7. Will the club still be able to pay the players?
Unknown but big attendances at forthcoming home games will help. Once the administrators are officially appointed, then their first responsibility is to make sure the players are paid on time. Their second responsibility is to make sure the manager (now Aaron Downes in an 'interim' capacity, of course) is paid. The day-to-day costs of running the club come next. There is no evidence that the players have not been paid up until now.
8. Will Torquay be forced to get rid of any players?
A tough one. You would hope not. But with a handful on decent money for full-time jobs in a part-time league, playing-squad costs are sure to be higher than the administrators will be comfortable with. That will be a decision for them to make, and balance with an argument that the club will be more valuable in the National League South than it would be in the Southern League. Where the season started with Clarke Osborne declaring 'promotion is a must' - it will probably end in a relegation scrap to avoid the drop.
9. Is Aaron Downes the right man for the job?
I hope so. I interviewed Gary Johnson's former assistant - now the interim manager - on Friday morning for the Torquay United Yellow Army Podcast, and he came across as very passionate and clear-thinking. He is sad about the way the opportunity to become the manager came to him after working with Gary Johnson for so many years, but is ready to test himself in the hot seat. The players and fans need to get behind Aaron now and give him every chance to prove he can be successful. As he said to me: "From adversity can come success."
10. How can someone donate money to help Torquay United?
Torquay United AFC and Torquay United Supporters' Trust are the only entities that you should be giving your money to until there is further news about administration. To help out with the day-to-day running of the club, some fans who were unable to attend Saturday's match against Aveley's match still bought tickets online. Buying merchandise from the club shop is another option. Or donating straight to the club to give it some immediate relief can be done here: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LP7HTGB8DG24J
TUST is well established and has the infrastructure in place to look after any donated money until such a time that it is deemed right to pass it on to the club. TUST's appeal can be found at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/torquay-united-supporters-trust---donations-page.
There have been some well intentioned accounts set up on fundraising websites, but it would be best now that TUAFC and TUST have opened their own appeals, that these are closed and the money is passed on to either the club of Supporters' Trust. But that is purely up to the individuals who set them up.
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