There has been an air of change around Plainmoor during the last week, after it emerged that former Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas arrived in south Devon as an advisor to Torquay United chairwoman Thea Bristow.
As well as advising Bristow, Thomas, who was Chairman of the U's between 2008 and 2012, is also acting as an advisor to a group interested in buying the Gulls, which is believed to include Hayes and Yeading assistant manager Tristan Lewis.
Thomas also announced that he would be helping Bristow to review all aspects of the club over a three week period, and has also met with the staff at United.
At this moment in time, the Gulls - like most clubs in the lower leagues in these difficult times - are losing money and, following last season's relegation from the Football League, have also suffered a major reduction in income.
Following their relegation to the Conference, the Gulls received parachute payments which - in the season after next - will come to an end. Therefore United need to find new ways to generating funds to enable them to be competitive on the pitch, and then there is the added factor of keeping their revamped youth academy going.
The former is an area where Thomas has a high level of expertise; as chairman of Oxford, he oversaw their return to the Football League at the time when their own parachute payments had long since ceased.
And the latter is where Lewis's experience could come into play; in addition to his role with Hayes and Yeading, he is also the UK Director for the Pro Direct Soccer Academy and is a UEFA A' Licence holder.
He has also spent eight years working in Reading's youth academy.
The duo's arrival in Torquay was greeted with a cautious welcome; the disastrous reign of Chris Roberts, as well as the sale of the now defunct Hereford United to Tommy Agombar, is fresh in the minds of many Gulls fans.
However, in the current climate, Thea Bristow is not in a position to constantly underwrite huge losses indefinitely so some changes will have to be made.
