Torquay Utd v Dartford Sat 9 Mar 2024

[Trevor B]

Tony H says

Biased opinions in favour of the Board - nonesense!
I’m not going to comment on the game as I wasnt there, nor did I have the usual excellent commentary to guide my opinions ( but from those that were there, we were very good first half, and awful second!)

Back to my point - DFC has to be run as a business especially given our levels of expenditure and revenue. The Board are charged with running the business and do an excellent job in that regard. Just look at the shit-show at both Taunton and Torquay in comparison. My only criticism of them from a football point of view is that they left it too long before sacking Dowse, but have taken appropriate action to remedy on-field “business”. Ten games to go - I’m pretty certain Ady knows the scale of the challenge!

Yes, it’s been a wholly dissapointing season, and what will be will be. Criticism (or opinion) of the sort that I read on here neither helps nor changes a thing!

Thanks Tony a very sensible posting which I have to agree with
I won't comment on the game having not seen it nor will I comment about the board or it's members but having watched the Darts for 70 years I have seen several seasons like this with relegations pending or happening after managers have been sacked and others where we have survived and also
I can remember more easily those where we have won promotion and it's all in a season some up's some down's.
For those fans who are currently blaming the board &/or the manger I accept their views having seen similar situations over the years and for the the older fans I was one of the many that were behind the stand at Watling Street shouting for Biddle's head years ago so understand the feelings of those posting for and against the current team the board and Dowse.
All I would ask is lets all get behind the team the manager and the board for these final 10 games and help lift the club to a possible survival from relegation.
We can help using this Forum something that was not around a few years ago not by criticising and slagging off posters but trying to join forces accepting peoples views and getting behind the team.
Many seasons ago we used to have a magazine (programme size) called Light at the end of the tunnel produced by Spike and others which was sold at the turnstiles and helped generate a bit of humour for the fans during the season and I would like to see a similar situation develop on the Forum back to how it used to be when Gary first launched it where we tended to accept posters views for and against but all were 100% behind the team during the season.

[Spike]

To say someone's opinion is biased because it's different to your own makes no sense to me. We form our opinions based on our own experiences and our interpretation of the facts. Where does bias come into it?

[Lars Resort]

Stumpy, I am hanging comfortably to the left. What does that mean?

[Stumpy]

Stumpy, I am hanging comfortably to the left. What does that mean?

Who knows?

[Jonty]

[Park Life]

Individual errors again and as i thought at the time, Coulson looks clearly onside for our disallowed second goal....

[Stumpy]

Having just watched the highlights, before we start commenting on 'individual errors', we should recognise the bigger picture and the collective defensive errors on each of those goals which is laughable, at best. Each of those goals is avoidable.

[Tony H]

Nobody should have, or even feel the need, to explain themselves on here so long as comments are respectful and not abusive.

[Dicky Dart]

In my opinion, although the Board needs to take its share of responsibility, our current predicament is mostly down to Alan Dowson building a sub-standard squad. Relegation to the Isthmian…there’s no quick way back. Clubs on a downer don’t do well. It could take years.

I don't think Yeovil fans will agree with you. They were relegated last year after two bad seasons - this year they're only 12 points clear at the top of the table. If, and that is by no means a certainty, if we go down then we can bounce straight back up in a similar fashion to Yeovil

Yeovil got relegated from NL to NLS not NLS to Isthmian. There’s a big gap now between Steps 1 & 2 so the teams that come down should be near the top of this league. Steps 2 & 3, however, isn’t that much different in standard. That’s just my opinion, of course, but I think the top half of the Isthmian could hold their own in the NLS. I would like to think we’d have a chance of coming back within a couple of seasons, but it would be a competitive league. And unlike our last stint down there we will be a club low on morale.

[Undercover Elephant]

I cannot believe fans are not blaming the board . They let the rot under Dowse set in till it was untreatable, then the main man took charge and was hopeless ( yet still was worshipped by a few) then employ someone with ten games to go to keep us up. Dartford is a fantastic club , are these the people to take it forward?

100% the truth most think it many don’t say it

It's not the truth it's an opinion, which everyone is entitled to.

However it's one which i don't agree with and know many others don't either.

Or me for what it’s worth!

[Undercover Elephant]

In my opinion, although the Board needs to take its share of responsibility, our current predicament is mostly down to Alan Dowson building a sub-standard squad. Relegation to the Isthmian…there’s no quick way back. Clubs on a downer don’t do well. It could take years.

I don't think Yeovil fans will agree with you. They were relegated last year after two bad seasons - this year they're only 12 points clear at the top of the table. If, and that is by no means a certainty, if we go down then we can bounce straight back up in a similar fashion to Yeovil

Spot on!

[Undercover Elephant]

Well there were 117 supporters at Torquay of all ages, We all saw what was going on and the visible improvements in performance and all the shortcomings. In the first half we were the better side in the second half defensive dithering cost us. Sitting with the fans was our co-Chairman who is a diehard supporter and certainly knows what needs to change. As for those who don't go anymore I fail to see how you can comment on current performances - your opinion counts but I feel you are out of touch with the current workings within the club.

Dowse has left us in disarray with an unbalanced squad with no leaders and some players out of their depth at this level. AP has got very limited time to make signings and has a big task to change things around but there are already signs of his hand at the tiller

Another spot on post!

[EbbsfleetSupporter]

You're probably right, Dartford aren't in a financial mess like Taunton, Torquay and others.

However unlike Dartford they have don't have the benefit of a 'free' stadium built at local tax payers expense, being able to play matches in a stadium 'rent-free' and also not having the financial benefit of receiving rental of the 3G practice pitches which are rented out to local clubs and organisations.

If Dartford are in mess financially then serious questions need to asked why bearing the above in mind?

[Skip]

You're probably right, Dartford aren't in a financial mess like Taunton, Torquay and others.

However unlike Dartford they have don't have the benefit of a 'free' stadium built at local tax payers expense, being able to play matches in a stadium 'rent-free' and also not having the financial benefit of receiving rental of the 3G practice pitches which are rented out to local clubs and organisations.

If Dartford are in mess financially then serious questions need to asked why bearing the above in mind?

Always nice to get the views of an Ebbsfleet supporter on our site, if indeed you are… but whilst you’re here; I think we’d all be interested to know what is Ebbsfleet’s cumulative losses since the middle eastern chap took over your bankrupt club?

[Undercover Elephant]

You're probably right, Dartford aren't in a financial mess like Taunton, Torquay and others.

However unlike Dartford they have don't have the benefit of a 'free' stadium built at local tax payers expense, being able to play matches in a stadium 'rent-free' and also not having the financial benefit of receiving rental of the 3G practice pitches which are rented out to local clubs and organisations.

If Dartford are in mess financially then serious questions need to asked why bearing the above in mind?

Thanks for your concern but maybe you should be worried about you club!
With the accounts filed up to May 2022 showed they made a loss £1.4 million.

A bit like taking child care advice from Jimmy Savile!

But thanks for the concern!

[PeteSamson]

I listened to the match commentary on BBC Devon Live (thank you Clare) which I thought was pretty unbiased and gave a feel for the game, and indeed it seemed it was nearly all Darts in that first half. I was really looking forward to the same again in the 2nd half, but was totally flabbergasted to suddenly find ourselves 3-0 down within 3 minutes. I can't believe how many penalties we are conceding. I have waited until the highlights have been released before commenting. However, I didn't think it was a penalty as the Torquay player seemed to cut in front of our defender (still not sure who it was!), tripped himself and then gone to ground. Thought Terrell was also a bit unlucky not to make the save with the penalty.

Neither was Coulson offside! I froze the highlights at 11:10, showing the ball having been released, and showing a Torquay defender playing Coulson onside. A very poor decision by the lino, but we are certainly not getting the rub of the green, and had the goal been allowed, would have made it 3-2, and really put pressure on Torquay. I agree with others though, that all of Torquay's goals should have been prevented.

Nevertheless, I don't think the Darts heads dropped, even at 0-3, and it is that spirit, if we can take advantage of the chances we have been creating, that leads me to think we can gain the points needed without relying on the failure of others, especially with AP now in charge. It is a difficult run in, and when teams below us play each other, then points are going to be gained by them. Equally, we just have to take maximum points from those sorts of games we are involved in.

I am hoping to be able to travel down for our final game of the season on 20 April v Truro. I just hope that by then, we have done enough and been able to secure our future in this division. It is going to be a close call, but we can do it and all of us need to get behind the team.

COYD

[Russyb63]

I was just wondering was there no interview with AP about the game ? I have not seen any video etc from Saturday , was curious to see what AP thought of his first game etc ?
Having been there at Torquay on Saturday & seen a few encouraging bits in first half & deff not 2nd half but perhaps having a decent linesman it might of changed !!!!!
Anyway AP where is your interview & thoughts ???

[Skip]

I was just wondering was there no interview with AP about the game ? I have not seen any video etc from Saturday , was curious to see what AP thought of his first game etc ?
Having been there at Torquay on Saturday & seen a few encouraging bits in first half & deff not 2nd half but perhaps having a decent linesman it might of changed !!!!!
Anyway AP where is your interview & thoughts ???

I think I read that there was no media team there on Saturday so no one to interview AP after the match.

[Dave T]

You're probably right, Dartford aren't in a financial mess like Taunton, Torquay and others.

However unlike Dartford they have don't have the benefit of a 'free' stadium built at local tax payers expense, being able to play matches in a stadium 'rent-free' and also not having the financial benefit of receiving rental of the 3G practice pitches which are rented out to local clubs and organisations.

If Dartford are in mess financially then serious questions need to asked why bearing the above in mind?

Welcome back "Up the Darts", we've missed you, like hole in the head

[ozymandias]

Made a fair fist of things in the first half but gave them far too much room second.