When TUST was formed 20 years ago, Alan Wills became member number 46. Two decades later, he’s still a member.
Alan lives in Basingstoke these days, but that hasn’t stopped him from following Torquay United. He gets back to Plainmoor for most home games when he can and also travels to most away games.
His involvement with supporters’ groups goes back even further than TUST.
“I had been a member of the Torquay United Supporters Club in the mid-1990s where we raised funds for the football club through sponsored events and other initiatives.”
When Alan had to leave the area in the late 1990s, he became an exile supporter and joined the Capital Gulls, even managing their website for a year or so before the group eventually disbanded.
Then TUST came along.
“I joined as a way to still be involved in the supporter community, and to potentially contribute towards safeguarding the club if the worst happened.”
Alan was already familiar with the supporters’ trust movement through his membership of the Football Supporters’ Association, so he understood the importance of having a supporters’ trust behind the club.
A safety net for the club
Twenty years on, that reason for supporting TUST hasn’t gone away.
Alan says he felt it was essential to have TUST there as a potential safety net, initially during the Chris Roberts era and later when Clarke Osborne took control of the club.
He also wanted to support TUST in continuing to represent supporters, particularly during a period when communication between the club and its supporters had broken down.
“I also wanted to support TUST to continue to push the interests of supporters, which it has done even when the club had refused to communicate under the previous regime.”
Looking back over the last 20 years, there are a couple of things that stand out for Alan.
He believes TUST was brave to stand up for supporters during the later years of the Clarke Osborne era, but says its standout achievements were the work that helped bring together the members of the Bryn Consortium and the Community Share Issue.
Those ultimately led to supporter representation on the football club’s board and the protection of important heritage rights within the club’s articles of association.
For Alan, that’s a long way from simply being a membership organisation.
From £2 to Forever Yellow
For many years, Alan supported TUST through a £2 monthly standing order.
When Forever Yellow launched, he initially joined at Gold level.
“I initially joined Forever Yellow Gold tier as I could afford to pay more than the two pounds a month which I had set up by standing order for many years.”
His circumstances then changed.
Living in Basingstoke meant he couldn’t get to as many home matches, so he decided not to renew his season ticket, which he’d held continuously since 2021 despite living outside the area.
Instead, he decided to put that money towards Forever Yellow and upgraded to Platinum.
“I decided not to renew my season ticket which I had held continuously since 2021 (despite living in Basingstoke) and instead upgrade to the Platinum Forever Yellow membership so I was still putting the money towards the club.”
There was another reason too.
Alan wanted to help TUST reach its target of contributing £100,000 to Torquay United every year.
Choosing where his money goes
One of the things Alan particularly likes about Forever Yellow is being able to decide where his contribution goes.
He’s chosen to split his £25 a month equally between First Team Operations, Youth Development and Stadium & Matchday Experience.
“The First Team doing well is absolutely pivotal to the success of the club, whereas the other two have been critically underfunded for many years.”
It’s a choice that reflects what Alan wants to see from the club as a whole.
He wants the First Team to be successful but also believes that investment in the youth setup and the matchday experience is important for the longer-term future of the club.
And while the benefits aren’t the reason he joined, they have been useful.
“My main reason for joining Forever Yellow is to put more into the club, especially with living outside of the area and therefore not being able to use club facilities like Boots and Laces during the week, or easily attend midweek matches.”
He has already made use of the 10% club shop discount to buy the new home and away shirts, and was also able to join the online Meet the Manager event in August.
The priority ticket access could prove useful too.
“I also like that Forever Yellow members get priority for tickets (after season ticket holders), which could come in handy if we get a big draw in the FA Cup this season!”
Twenty years on
Alan has seen a huge amount of change during his 20 years as a TUST member.
For him, the Trust’s role today is very different from the organisation he joined back in 2006.
“TUST is now an integral part of the club.”
He points to TUST’s representation on the club’s board, the funding of things such as the Big Screen, and the contribution that Forever Yellow is now making to the playing budget.
Most importantly, he believes supporters now have a voice at the football club that is listened to and valued.
“It provides a voice for supporters, that is listened to and valued by the football club, which has not been the case in the recent past.”
That’s quite a journey for someone who joined as member number 46.
From supporting TUST with £2 a month for many years, to now contributing £25 a month through Forever Yellow, Alan’s support has evolved as his circumstances have changed.
But the reason behind it remains much the same: he wants to play his part in protecting and improving Torquay United.
Looking ahead
So what would Alan like to see next?
For TUST, he wants the Trust to continue doing what it has done for the last 20 years — representing supporters and making sure their voice is heard.
And for Forever Yellow, his hope is that the regular funding can help the football club become sustainable.
He also wants to see a competitive youth scheme established again, with young players capable of making the step up to the first team.
It’s a fitting ambition for someone who has supported the club for so long.
Alan joined TUST when it was just getting started.
Twenty years later, he’s still here, still travelling to games from Basingstoke, and still putting money into the club.
From £2 to Forever Yellow.
Member number 46. Twenty years and counting. 💛
TUST would like to thank Alan for being a member for the last 20 years and for sharing his story with us.
