With speculation mounting about the future of Torquay United, given their precarious league position, chairman and owner Clarke Osborne issued a statement outlining his vision for the club.
Osborne, who is also chair of Swindon-based Gaming International, reiterated his plans to relocate the Gulls to a new stadium - with Nightingale Park in Barton believed to be his favoured location - and stated that the five-year plan he talked about when he completed his takeover of the club back in December 2016 is still on track.
In addition to this, Mr Osborne also stated that he also stated that Torbay deserves ' a successful football club, and one that is challenging back in the Football League.'
However, whilst many fans remain sceptical of his intentions your correspondent would regard these following questions as being particularly pertinent for Mr Osborne.
1. Which recent newly built football stadia have you visited as part of the research in building a new stadium?
2. Have you, or do you intend to, seek out advice from figures from other sports such as Tony Rowe of the Exeter Chiefs with regard to building any new stadia and developing associated income streams?
3. In your statement you talk about the new stadium having 'good road and rail communication'. Does this therefore mean that the proposed new train station at Edginswell Park is likely to happen if Nightingale Park is your preferred option, and is the overall stadium plan dependent on this happening?
4. When can we expect to see an artist's impression of the new site?
5. Finally, when you say your objectives remain the same in the event of relegation - does this mean that the club will stay full-time if relegated to National League South in order to challenge for immediate promotion back to the National League?
As his stadium plans are indeed intended to benefit Torbay and South Devon public as a whole, Mr Osborne shouldn't just be trying to sell his idea to Torquay United fans, but to the wider South Devon community too.
