Torquay United secret discussions as new owners want to buy club

Every Wednesday in the Herald Express, our Torquay United correspondent Richard Hughes takes a sideways look at what's going on in the world of the Gulls. This week, he talks non-disclosure agreements and interested parties wanting to buy Torquay United

This week I decided to sign a non-disclosure agreement with myself – just in case I let anything slip that I shouldn’t do. I decided this after talking to Quizmaster Bob in the pub about Torquay’s prospective new owners – you know, the ones we are hoping will save the club after doing all their negotiations behind closed doors.

It’s a weird world these days, in which I am held to a promise not to talk about stuff I might or might not know, which has been told to me in confidence, while someone hammering away on laptop keys in their spare room can chuck anything they want onto social media – and then be completely aghast that traditional media isn’t following it up. I don’t want to sound like an old man – but sometimes I feel like one.

What we do know is there are some very interested parties talking about buying Torquay from Clarke Osborne – and that NDAs have been signed while bank accounts and looked into, paperwork is drawn up, and meetings are made. I understand there are three possible new owners – two of whom might be familiar to fans, and one new.

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I don’t think there is a Hollywood superstar or oil barron among them – but I have been wrong before, and I am sure I will be again.
NDA agreements are an odd thing, aren’t they? Is there any kind of punishment if you sign one and don’t stand by it, when you are trying to buy a football club?

Unable to talk about NDAs myself, on account of me signing that one with myself so that I wasn’t tempted to give anything away, this morning I came up with the perfectly sensible idea of asking AI what an NDA means in footballing terms.

Google’s Gemini explained: “Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are legal contracts that bind parties to keep certain information confidential. While often associated with corporate mergers or trade secrets, they also play a role in the world of football, albeit a somewhat shrouded one.” Mmm.

Gemini continued: “NDAs are prevalent in the commercial aspects of football. Clubs use them to safeguard sensitive financial information during potential transfers, sponsorship negotiations, or stadium development projects. This ensures the information is shared only with those directly involved, preventing leaks that could disrupt negotiations or give competitors an unfair advantage.”

Thanks Gemini, but what I want to know is, if I rocked up at Plainmoor this afternoon with £25 million hanging out of my back pocket, and said I wanted to buy the club, but refused to sign an NDA, would they just dismiss me, send me packing with a solicitors’ letter and a flea in my ear?

What if I said I only wanted to buy the club if they trusted me? Is ‘trust’ such a difficult concept in business these days – indeed, in football?

Yes, I know, I am being naive – and to be fair I don’t have £25 million currently hanging out of my back pocket – so it’s irrelevant. But like when Clarke Osborne was keeping schtum for all those years and the lack of communication from the club was palpable, this last week has also offered a space to fill with rumour and social media speculation. I heard a billionaire wants to buy the club and I looked him up and indeed he has localish links - but I doubt very much if he is one of the three.

And just because there is hopefully going to be a new owner, please don’t just expect them to be the ‘right’ new owner. Remember the Roberts’ era and tremble. But positive news is expected this week, says Supporters’ Trust chairman Nick Brodrick, and I trust him. ‘Trust’ – now there’s an outdated but beautiful concept.

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