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Post by dawlishwarren on Jul 3, 2016 20:40:37 GMT
I'm not sure if it's common knowledge amongst Gasheads that Gaming International - the renamed Bristol Stadium (Eastville) company - has lodged a bid to purchase Torquay United. The company, which still operates the speedway and greyhound stadiums at Poole and Swindon, is chaired by Clarke Osborne who was heavily involved with the stadium company when Rovers were forced to leave Eastville in 1986. It's been calling itself Gaming International since it made a short-lived incursion into the Japanese pachinko market in 2001 (pachinko being a form of electronic pinball). That was around the time it gave up on flogging Hereford United's ground to a supermarket and not long before it had a stake in South Gloucestershire Arenas' attempt to build the Severnside stadium. In March 2016 Gaming International signed a memorandum of understanding with Torquay United's current owners for the purchase of the club. It's now July and neither party appears to be keen on discussing the progress of the deal. The speculation is that Gaming International has little interest in the affairs of the football club but plenty of enthusiasm for the construction of a new stadium. To this effect Clarke Osborne, chair of Gaming International, has incorporated a company called Riviera Stadium Limited Any deal would be subject to the approval of Torbay Council, current owners of the Plainmoor ground as well as the most likely site for a new stadium. Without this permission the suspicion is that Gaming International have no interest in purchasing the football club. There have been several discussions on the various Torquay United forums. You can find the most recent at: www.torquayfansforum.co.uk/thread/11946/tufc-takeover-bid-gaming-internationaltorquayfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8858 |
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Post by Hugo the Elder on Jul 3, 2016 20:51:58 GMT
Originally posted in General Sport chat, but I felt maybe worth moving into Gas Works for a greater audience.
Interesting stuff.
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Post by BishopstonBRFC on Jul 3, 2016 20:53:43 GMT
Do they fancy building the UWE instead?
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Post by oldgas on Jul 3, 2016 21:43:26 GMT
One can only hope that the Torquay stadium is properly fire proofed and that their insurance is comprehensive.
Gaming International.
Sponsored by Swan Vestas.
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Post by gregsy on Jul 3, 2016 21:56:43 GMT
slightly related but why did eastville get sold to the greyhound company in 1940.... I guess something to do with the war?  |
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Post by womble on Jul 3, 2016 22:17:49 GMT
slightly related but why did eastville get sold to the greyhound company in 1940.... I guess something to do with the war? Rovers were £12,000 in debt and professional football had been suspended because of the war. The chairman (I think Fred Ashby), made a verbal agreement to sell the ground to the greyhound company and lease it back. The rest of the board were not consulted and were against the idea, but the greyhound company held the chairman to his word. I believe that's correct, but others may well know more. |
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Post by countygroundhotel on Jul 4, 2016 8:24:37 GMT
I'm not sure if it's common knowledge amongst Gasheads that Gaming International - the renamed Bristol Stadium (Eastville) company - has lodged a bid to purchase Torquay United. The company, which still operates the speedway and greyhound stadiums at Poole and Swindon, is chaired by Clarke Osborne who was heavily involved with the stadium company when Rovers were forced to leave Eastville in 1986. It's been calling itself Gaming International since it made a short-lived incursion into the Japanese pachinko market in 2001 (pachinko being a form of electronic pinball). That was around the time it gave up on flogging Hereford United's ground to a supermarket and not long before it had a stake in South Gloucestershire Arenas' attempt to build the Severnside stadium. In March 2016 Gaming International signed a memorandum of understanding with Torquay United's current owners for the purchase of the club. It's now July and neither party appears to be keen on discussing the progress of the deal. The speculation is that Gaming International has little interest in the affairs of the football club but plenty of enthusiasm for the construction of a new stadium. To this effect Clarke Osborne, chair of Gaming International, has incorporated a company called Riviera Stadium Limited Any deal would be subject to the approval of Torbay Council, current owners of the Plainmoor ground as well as the most likely site for a new stadium. Without this permission the suspicion is that Gaming International have no interest in purchasing the football club. There have been several discussions on the various Torquay United forums. You can find the most recent at: www.torquayfansforum.co.uk/thread/11946/tufc-takeover-bid-gaming-internationaltorquayfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8858I thought when this was originally mooted they were looking to build a stadium somewhere other than Plainmoor? I forget where and my knowledge of Torquay isn't great. I'd have thought that the Plainmoor site must have the smallest footprint of any league (or ex-league) ground in the country |
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Post by I Voted For Kodos on Jul 4, 2016 8:45:20 GMT
slightly related but why did eastville get sold to the greyhound company in 1940.... I guess something to do with the war? Rovers were £12,000 in debt and professional football had been suspended because of the war. The chairman (I think Fred Ashby), made a verbal agreement to sell the ground to the greyhound company and lease it back. The rest of the board were not consulted and were against the idea, but the greyhound company held the chairman to his word.I believe that's correct, but others may well know more. So there was no watertight contract? |
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Post by dawlishwarren on Jul 5, 2016 20:46:35 GMT
County Ground Hotel, the site under discussion is Nightingale Park at Barton. It's an old landfill site - swampy, possibly contaminated - to the left of the main road coming in from Newton Abbot. If anyone knows the area it's behind the crematorium. Just imagine you could easily find yourselves in the Crem End on your next visit. No enjoying yourself in Torquay either. Straight in off the A380 and straight out again afterwards.
To be honest I'd bet against any of this happening. Gaming International has a patchy record when it comes to stadium development (albeit a far better one when it comes to stadiums disappearing). This might just be me being hopeful. We live in interesting times.
As you suggest not an inch wasted at Plainmoor.
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Post by althepirate on Jul 5, 2016 21:09:14 GMT
When we dealt with them we had a stadium with two stands.
Then we had one stand.
Next we had nothing except somewhere to buy Swedish furniture.
Then we had to play at a non league ground in Bath for 10 years
Not a great CV is it?
Be very careful
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Post by dawlishwarren on Jul 11, 2016 16:22:32 GMT
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Post by dawlishwarren on Jul 28, 2016 17:46:00 GMT
We're still in a state of flux regarding Clarke Osborne and the former Eastville greyhound company's bid to buy Torquay United. The memorandum of understanding, technically made with a recently-incorporated company called Riviera Stadium Ltd (which has a registered address in Beaconsfield Road, Clifton) runs out on Sunday.
The assumption is that "it's off" because getting hold of the freehold of Plainmoor (in the hands of the council since 1910) might not have been as straightforward as Clarke Osborne anticipated. The local paper reports the club's owners are working on a "Plan B". The supporters trust is making noises about community ownership.
We may learn more soon unless the memorandum gets extended again.
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Post by dawlishwarren on Jul 31, 2016 12:48:08 GMT
Gaming International’s deal to buy Torquay United is off. Announcement from Torquay United today: www.torquayunited.com/news/article/2016-17/statement-from-the-chairman-3217186.aspxA major stumbling block whereby Gaming International went outside of the Memorandum to explore purchase of the freehold of Plainmoor? Hmm. Who knows? Attention now on the bloke who owns Truro City and, possibly, the supporters trust. Thank you for your interest. All the best. |
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Post by lulworthgas on Dec 16, 2016 17:24:44 GMT
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Post by Dirt Dogg on Dec 16, 2016 17:57:21 GMT
Sad really, never nice to see a club fall like that, even worse when you consider Torquay got relegated with us in the first place
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