June 2021 (Page 2)

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New Yeovil Town goalkeeper Grant Smith has said he is hoping to come “drive the team on” to success in the National League next season,

The stopper was confirmed on a one-year contract following his release by rivals Chesterfield at the end of last season.

Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel, the 27-year-old said: “For me personally, I want to get as many games as I can and hopefully stay fit for the whole season, and hopefully drive the team on.”

The keeper kept 10 clean sheets in 18 appearances for Chesterfield last season and is hoping to bring that confidence with him to Huish Park.

He added: “I am coming in with a positive mindset, I am really happy to be here and I just can’t wait to get going.

“I am a bit of everything. I like to be dominant from crosses, I like to think one of my strong points is my distribution as well as being able to save the ball.”

Smithis the third signing of the summer for boss Darren Sarll having brought in defender Morgan Williams and midfielder Charlie Wakefield.

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Yeovil Town have announce the signing of former Chesterfield goalkeeper Grant Smith on a one-year contract.

The former Brighton stopper has spent time at a number of non-league clubs including Hayes and Yeading, Bognor Regis and Boreham Wood before spending the back end of the most recent season with the Spireites.

 

He played – and kept a clean sheet in Chesterfield’s 3-0 win over Yeovil in March, goals from Akwasi Asante, Tom Whelan and Jack McCourt sealed the three points.

We will bring you reaction on his signing here on the Gloverscast when we hear from our new ‘keeper.

Welcome to Huish Park, Grant!

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Where are they now? Yeovil Town manager Darren Way's first teammates at Huish Park - Somerset LiveBen Smith has spoken about his regret at leaving Yeovil Town just weeks before Gary Johnson arrived at Huish Park and started a dynasty at the club.

The former Glovers’ midfielder arrived at the club as a teenager in 1998 and was part of the Glovers’ squad which was pipped by Rushden & Diamonds for the Conference title in 2000, before leaving to join Southend United in summer 2001.

He spoke to the Gloverscast about his departure following his former Yeovil manager David Webb to Essex.

Smith said: “I look at that young, vibrant team that Gary put together and I am pretty sure I would have fitted quite well in to that and it would have helped me grow up because of the professionalism he put in place and the way the team grew together.

“I don’t see any reason why I could not have been part of that with Darren (Way) and Lee Johnson in midfield, I look at Paul Terry who went there later and did well, and I could have done that role quite easily.

“But, who knows? Gary Johnson could have said ‘No, you’re not for me’, but if you could have guaranteed me I would stay there.  If I had a one-year contract offer I would have done it 100%, but when you get the opportunity to go to a club in the league above after having a pretty poor to the end of the season, you can’t really turn it down.”

You can hear the full interview with Ben on the latest edition of the Gloverscast including his time playing under David Webb at Huish Park – listen here.

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Yeovil Town are being linked to former Harrogate Town defender Jay Williams.

The72.co.uk is reporting that the Glovers are leading the way in the hunt for the former Northampton Town defender’s signature since his name appeared on Harrogate’s released list at the end of the League Two season.

The website’s reporter Luke Phelps simply cites “sources” with regards to the where his information has come from, so at the time of writing this is nothing more than speculation and rumour… but who doesn’t love a bit of that during the off season?

Williams begun his career for the Cobblers (no, it’s true, he did) and has spent time with both Kettering Town and for the back end of the 2020/21 season Harrogate Town.

Predominantly a central defender, Williams has been used in as a midfielder in the past.

We will bring you news on where Williams ends up – whether it’s Huish Park or somewhere else!

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The average travel time of a Yeovil Town supporter reduced dramatically as Hartlepool United saw off Gary Johnson’s Torquay United on penalties in a dramatic play-off final at Ashton Gate.

The Poolies won it 5-4 on penalties with Yeovil-born midfielder  Matt Buse missing the all-important spot kick for the Devon side.

The game went to extra time after Torquay goalkeeper Luca Covolan scored a dramatic equaliser in the 95th minute

Hartlepool had looked like they were destined to win it in ordinary time after Luke Armstrong, who is on loan from Salford City, scored his 15th goal for the club  gave them a 35th minute lead.

The North East side were on top for the majority of normal time but as the clock began to tick down, Johnson’s men began to lay siege on the Pools’ goal.

It looked as if they had weathered the storm  until in the fifth minute of injury time when a high ball in to the box was met by a glancing header from the Brazilian Covolan, who had gone forward for an earlier set piece.

In the shoot-out, neither side scored the first two spot kicks with Covolan saving both Hartlepool’s opening two efforts.

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Former Yeovil Town midfielder Ed Upson has signed a one-year contract at League Two side Newport County.

The 31-year-old, who was part of the Glovers’ side which won promotion to the Championship in 2013, was released by Bristol Rovers following their relegation to League Two last season.

He links up with another former Yeovil Town midfielder Matt Dolan at the South Wales club who has lost Josh Sheehan, who had a spell on loan at Huish Park, and Josh Labadie from the side which reached the League Two play-off final in May.

Follow the progress of former Yeovil players with the Gloverscast  Where are They Now? tracker – here.

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Former Yeovil Town midfielder Ben Smith has said he believes the Glovers would have “comfortably” beaten Rushden & Diamonds to the Conference title in 2000 if manager David Webb had not left.

The former Chelsea player and manager quit in September 2000 to re-join Southend United having overseen the club’s transition from part-time to full-time football.

He left a side which went on to compete with big-spending Rushden under the management of Steve Thompson as caretaker boss and then Colin Addison, but fell six points short.

Speaking to the Gloverscast on an episode due out tomorrow, Smith said: “We had a young team and he (Webb) had us on a tight leash, whereas Colin was a really good coach, great manager good guy but he gave you a lot more freedom.

“When David was in charge, we were the fittest team (in the division). I was the fittest I have been in my whole career, that was the hardest pre-season I have ever done even after playing 17-18 years.

“That just tapered away as the season went on, especially for people like me who were not behaving themselves and getting a bit excited and we just lacked that bit of nous at the end.

“My form tailed off because I was enjoying myself too much and not training as hard as I should have done, and that was my fault not Colin’s, but at that age David Webb was certainly the right man for me at the time.”

Don’t miss the Gloverscast  on Monday to hear Ben talk about his time at Huish Park, stories from his time under David Webb and his thoughts about leaving Huish Park just before Gary Johnson‘s arrival.

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Former Glovers favourite Kieffer Moore has been in the news recently for his exploits at Euro 2020 with Wales, and his former coach, Darren Way has been speaking to BBC Radio Wales about the strikers journey, including a stint playing for the Glovers at centre-back.

“Gary Johnson was manager, we were in the dizzy heights of us in the Championship at the time, we signed him from Dorchester and he came in to a level which was a few jumps up,” said Way.

“For me, personally, to work with him, to play 50 games was excellent for his experience”

Way was asked about how Moore adapted from part-time Non League football to Tier 2 of the football pyramid after swapping Dorchester Town for Yeovil Town in the Championship.

“Gary Johnson has to take huge credit for giving Kieffer that opportunity… it was a huge jump and I think it took him time to adjust to that level”

The former Swansea midfielder was quick to praise Moore’s attitude and talked about how much he learned in a short period of time, whilst also having to adapt to some slightly unusual situations when asked to play in defence.

“One thing I can witness is that his perseverance, the number of clubs [he’s played for], dealing with team selections, coming in, coming out, it’s helped him massively”

“He’s very brave, he had a number of bandages playing for us, in fact he had a number of appearances playing as a central defender, to put someone at centre half, you’d got to be willing… show a huge willingness to be brave”

“I think that was one of his strengths, his willingness to run, you can see his athleticism… there was always going to come a time where someone was going to bear those fruits”

“The experience of playing in all of those positions, I think, has helped his understanding of the game”

Moore scored nine goals in 57 appearances for the Glovers.

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Former Yeovil Town player, coach and manager Darren Way has been speaking to BBC Radio Wales about a couple of the nation’s Euro 2020 stars and their time at Yeovil.

On Connor Roberts, who spent a season on loan at Huish Park in 2015, played 50 times for the Glovers something which Way says says wasn’t a surprise given his attitude.

Way said: “(He’s) probably the hardest working player that I’ve ever coached, I feel quite honoured to still speak to Connor regularly, he would probably be the only player that I’ve seen complete a full training session and then do 10 ‘box to boxes’ off his own back”

“It doesn’t surprise me that Connor Roberts would be defending in the last five minutes and end up in the six-yard box in the last five minutes all in one run”

“He’s got an incredible drive”

Darren would go on to draw comparisons with another former Glover who has gone on to better things in higher divisions, Luke Ayling:

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he did get a big move, because he’s gone under the radar for the quality that he’s got…”

“He reminds me of Luke Ayling in terms of that journey (to the top) completing 50-odd games in a loan spell…  I had huge belief that Connor’s perseverance, his hard work, his commitment, his energy around the training ground, he inspires others… I feel very proud to just be a very small part of Connor’s journey, because you want to work with the best players.”

“He was up there as being one of the best that I’ve worked with”

Huge congratulations from everyone at the Gloverscast to Connor on his performances with Wales, and his goal vs Turkey.