PLANS

[Deano11]

WITH THIS SEASON SURELY PUT DOWN AS A DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER THE START TRURO HAD ARE THEIR ANY SIGNS ABOUT THE PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR. I.E NEW MANAGEMENT, PLAYERS ETC

[Common Tater]

A fifth successive promotion looked possible after about ten games but the league eventually proved to be a bridge too far for Truro this season. However, they have finished as a respectable middle of the table side and I sense the Truro core support accept this. It has, as far as the games I have seen, been a season of unparalleled quality for Cornish football. When Truro played badly, it was badly for Level 3! When they - or, to be fair, their opponents - played well, it was sublime to watch. To gain promotion next or any other season they will need half a dozen new players with Andy Watkins' pace, Arron Pugh's height, Marcus Martin's fire and of equal skill, too. It will take good contacts and tempting money to get them. How deep are Mr Heaney's pockets these days? The club could do worse than Lee Hodges as manager. At least he (just!) lives in Cornwall!

[Topcat]

Whatever happens at Truro they have done Cornwall proud and offered the highest standard of football to some players that would not have ever had the chance. I am not an avid Truro fan, but a decent standard of football has got to be a good thing for the county. Good luck next season!

[MOUNTAINEER]

This has been the season where the club has reached it's limit with the players available, I think it may be the parting of the ways for 5 or 6 but the basics are there some of the players are well equipped for a higher level, from here on in things will be difficult, Truro's problem is their wage bill along with the travel, City have to pay good money to get players of the standard required to cross the Tamar to play for us, other parts of the country have such players on their doorstep knocking on the door keen to play, at Beaconsfield SYCOB last season (they did the double over Truro) I was talking to their committee men who revealed that they have gates of less than a hundred and only pay travelling expenses, this year I was talking to people at Banbury where we drew 0-0 (if it hadn't been for Rice and a couple of last ditch clearances by defenders we could have lost 5-0), there I was told that they pay their players £20 a week, we go to places who appear to have a choice of players on the cheap, if these areas can produce them why can't Cornwall or do the big three Devon clubs snatch them up at an early age, one of the reasons I am not happy with Torquay United likely to have an academy at Truro College.

Attendances at Treyew Road have dropped dramatically, recession or no recession for the standard achieved so far attendances should be around 700 not 300 like they are now, a supporter should follow their team even though the results are almost 50/50 = 15 wins 10 draws - 14 defeats so far this season, yes some performances may have been dire at times, we are only as good as the opposition allows. the big wins are a thing of the past but let's face it not very exciting, close games add to the enjoyment when you win it's a bonus.

Tomorrows opponents Hemel Hempstead recently changed their manager and almost over night had practically a new team, the players came in and their last six games have been one win, four draws and one defeat, in that sequence they drew with champions elect Farnborough, a team built on a shoestring, that shows how difficult it is for ANY TEAM FROM CORNWALL TO COMPETE.

I am optimistic for next season on the field of play, it is the off field antics, the PR that I think stops the crowds attending in the numbers we should expect, there are signs that that could soon be addressed with the new hospitality initiative.

[hammers]

Mountaineer,

I agree with every thing that you have said, this was a tough league for Truro & yes mid table is a respectable position to finish the season on,

But lets us be clear sbout one thing it is always going to be harder for a Cornish team to reach for the top, to start with we are at the bottom of the Country, & as you say it is going to cost a Cornish team much more to attract good players down here, if they do not have a job in Cornwall the price goes up, Travel cost are very high,& with the high price of fuel not helping,

If one could afford to have & pay for a fully profesional team living in Cornwall, things would be much easier, also the higher up the leagues a Cornish team rises the greater the cost,

& no matter how much a chairman may put into a team there is a limit to what he is prepaired to pay, & remember most owners of Football teams are at the end of the day business men, & they are not going to pay out money for ever, without getting back a good return for their money,

so Cornish clubs have a big mountain to climb to reach the top, compared to most other parts of the Country.

so before anybody knocks a Cornish club for trying to reach better Leagues, think about how hard it is to get there,

Hammers :c: