Jim Parker: United! Now we all must stick together for the future of the club

For me it summed up the moment. Mel Hayman with Rhys Morgan-Vale hugging each other and in floods of tears.

I am sure they weren't alone at Plainmoor on Saturday as Torquay United took on Avelely just 48 hours or so after one of the worst, if not the worst, days in the 120-year history of the club. The entire staff, both on and off the field, were shocked to the bone when owner Clarke Osborne suddenly announced he was no longer prepared to put any more money into the club after reportedly dishing out up to £6million from his own pocket in the past five or six years.

Not only was there no money, but it was also announced that the club was going to file to go into administration - the start of the slippery slope to professional football oblivion. It was a far cry from just a couple of months earlier when I sat down with millionaire owner Osborne for my exclusive little chat where he emphasised yet again his commitment to stick with United and lead them back into the Football League in a new stadium complex and with manager Gary Johnson at the helm. The vow came after a dreadful spell on the pitch for the Gulls and a prolonged attack - some of it personal and vile - on Osborne, Johnson and the owner's right hand man at United, CEO George Edwards. And there we were at United on Saturday with Osborne and then, within hours, Johnson gone, leaving Edwards to pick up the pieces with the administration team.

By Edwards' side, as she has been since he and Osborne arrived at the club, was director Mel Hayman who had also taken a fair bit of stick herself in recent months. Exactly, how much the club means to Mel and Rhys was there for all to see in that emotional embrace on Saturday. Rhys was as proud as punch when he was appointed as one of the club's accessibility ambassadors to make sure that people from all walks of life were looked after at United. Now he could see his 'family' disappearing before his very eyes and needed reassurance from Mel that that wasn't going to happen.

'All this fuss. There are bigger things in life than just blooming football club' I can hear some cry. They are probably right about 'more important things' but there is something about football clubs which make them more than 'just' football clubs and there is something more about Torquay than 'just' being Torquay United. The club lies at the heart of the Torbay and South Devon community for thousands and thousands of people. You could see that with the response to United's rallying call for help to get people through the turnstiles and cash into the club just to keep it afloat and pay the wages. More than 3,500 people turned out. Support came immediately locally, nationally and internationally. There were a staggering 760,000 views of one post alone put on social media by the club.

Former managers and players got in touch. Supporters from some of the club's fiercest rivals lent their support - I spotted a Plymouth Argyle fan wearing a 'Green Army' shirt at the game which would have been unheard of in normal circumstances.

Some people bought 'ghost' seats, paying for them even tough they had no intention of watching the game. Others have made cash donations to the club who have set up a special fund-raising account. The Torquay United Supporters Trust have also set up some kind of fund and I gather they have money in the bank. I'm still not sure what their end game is in all this but United could do with all the financial help they can get at the moment .....

This was the community united in answering the United SOS. The clock is ticking to find a buyer and I gather there has been lots of interest. If a deal isn't done quickly the administrators will move in for real. United will be docked 10 points and transfers blocked and that will only be the start of the downward spiralling story. I just have a feeling that we haven't heard the last of Mr Osborne in this unfolding story. I have no regrets for my conversation with him. Some people thought I was in his pocket. Others thought I was taking a back hander! Some even took a pop at me for daring to agree to an exclusive interview. 

Was I being used at the time? Probably. I’m not stupid! At the end of the day I was doing my job and no money changed hands. I know that behind the scenes moves were still being made up until just a few weeks ago to progress the stadium plans. Those who have called for change have won. Good luck to them. They will have my firm support when they reveal their Plan B. Now we have to all stick together for the future. For the sake of Mel Hayman and Rhys Morgan-Vale. For the future of Torquay United and much more.

l Donations to the Uniteds fund can be made online at this address: http://tinyurl.com/5yj4nvbn