Gulls' boss Alan Knill looking for striker after securing midfielder Labadie
Manager Alan Knill is expected to turn his transfer attention to a forward, after completing his first loan signing for Torquay United.
Notts County midfielder Joss Labadie is due to join in his first training session with the Gulls today, after accepting a deal which will run to the end of the season.
-
Loan signing Joss Labadie is due to join in his first training session with the Gulls today picture: Dan Westwell
The former West Bromwich Albion and Tranmere Rovers player will go straight into the squad for Saturday's npower League Two home game against Oxford United.
Knill, anxious to tackle a goal drought which has seen Torquay score only twice in the last seven games, is already working on another deal, probably for a striker.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
On-loan Southend United forward Elliot Benyon's one-month deal runs out after the Oxford match, although there is an option for him to stay to the end of the season.
However, even if Knill keeps Benyon, the Gulls' boss will go ahead with his efforts to sign another forward.
Labadie, 22, is a 6ft 2in tall powerfully built midfielder of whom Knill said: "He's a good size, he can tackle and he can pass the ball.
"I've watched him grow up from his early days at West Bromwich.
"Whenever my teams have played against Joss, I've always thought he was a good player.
"He has always been someone that I thought I'd like to sign and never really had the opportunity.
"He knows this league and he knows exactly what is required. You come across a lot of big sides in this league. You need big players to compete with that, and Joss is also a very good footballer."
Labadie, born in south London, had loan spells at Shrewsbury Town, Cheltenham Town and Tranmere during his days with West Bromwich.
Meanwhile, United's latest accounts, for the 2011-12 season, show a £111,000 loss, even though they reached the play-offs last May.
It follows a £100,000 profit on the previous year (2010-2011) when they lost in the play-off final to Stevenage under former boss Paul Buckle.
Although the latest figures included the sales of Chris Zebroski to Bristol Rovers and Chris Robertson to Preston North End, totalling £100,000, they do not cover the £500,000 worth of sales which saw goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik, Mark Ellis and Eunan O'Kane leave Plainmoor last summer.
Turnover, for the year ended June 30, 2012, was slightly down, to £2.57 million.
United may well sustain another loss this season, with chairman Simon Baker saying: "There are some negatives – we haven't sold anyone this season, crowds are down as they are everywhere, we've had no cup run and we are going to have to bring in a few loan players.
"It's not easy, and a bit of a struggle at the moment because of the league position and the economy. But overall the club is in a good position, especially compared to some other clubs at this level."
Baker stressed the importance of the role of club benefactor Thea Bristow, the widow of former United vice-chairman Paul Bristow, after whom Plainmoor's new 'Bristow's Bench' grandstand is named.
"Thea is massively supportive, and that support remains as strong as ever. But we have never and do not take that support for granted," he said.
"We have had a major programme of investment in recent years, and the majority of that work should be done by the end of this financial year.
"That makes it even more important that we should be break-even in the future."
Comments