Now this one could really challenge you and don’t bite our heads off for asking, but which Yeovil Town player impressed you most in today’s 1-0 home defeat to Bromley?
If you need any inspiration, take a look at the picture in the banner (above) to see who we think you might want to consider.
Yeovil Town captain Josh Staunton had called on his team-mates to unite to pull the club out of the relegation scrap at the bottom of the National League table.
The skipper admitted the recent influx of a number of new players in recent weeks had proved difficult to integrate in to the group which started the season.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the 1-0 home defeat to Bromley, he said that he was “taking the pressure” on behalf of his team-mates and urged them to play with a “freedom” which was obviously lacking at Huish Park this afternoon.
He said: “It is important every single player is pulling in the same direction and it is my job to unify the dressing room. People are under pressure and pressure does strange things to people in terms of decision making and characteristics, this would be a much easier integration if we were relaxing in the middle of the table.
“It is clear to see that we look like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders and it is my job to relieve that pressure and keep it on myself and let the boys play with a sense of freedom they should have.
“I would run through a brick wall for this football club and it is important that everyone in that dressing room has the same mentality. You will never find me blaming my body – I hurt, I ache but will go out there and do everything for the football club. The boys do look tired, but when I am looking them in the eye I am asking them to give everything for the club and I wanted every single player to find that extra 10%.
“It’s essential (we have that unity) and if we don’t have it we will be in a very difficult position in a few weeks time. Characters at this stage of the season are worth points, they make a difference, stand up, run through brick walls for each other and get you those few points when you really need them. So it is important we all take the time to realise what we are playing for and it has to be your driving force.”
He gave his backing to manager Mark Cooper who is looking to lift the team which could be in the National League relegation zone before the kick a ball in the televised fixture against Southend United next Saturday afternoon.
Gateshead, who sit one point and one place below them, host Dagenham & Redbridge in midweek and a win for the North East side would see them go above the Glovers.
On his manager, Staunton said: “I support Mark Cooper, he is one of the best managers I have ever worked under. As a person, he is a fantastic person and there’s not a better man to deal with the pressure. I trust the Gaffer and I respect that he takes a lot of the responsibility and I will try and take as much pressure off every single player in the dressing room as I can.”
On the performance against Bromley, he added: “The first five or ten minutes we were in disarray, but we managed to gain some sort of control and finished the first half well. I thought second half they had a lot of territory and really could have hurt us on the break but we had lot of balls in the box and we are clearly trying to do things the right way. But we had no answers to any questions today.“
Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper pointed to the absence of a number of energetic midfield players as the reason for his side’s lacklustre performance in today’s 1-0 home defeat to Bromley.
He said that it was unrealistic to expect new signings Callum Harriott, Zanda Siziba and Scott Pollock, who all featured in the loss, to hit the ground running having not played in recent months.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, the boss said: “We had a lot of the ball today but we had very little to show from it, we have been crying out for that impetus at the top of the pitch and we just haven’t got it.
“If we are expecting the new lads to come in and just be fit enough to cope with it, it’s just not going to happen. Apart from Miguel (Freckleton) the rest are going to play catch up and it is going to take them two or three games to get up to match fitness.
He added: “I can’t question their effort, the boys gave everything that they had and it was not enough. I have to be there for them, put my arm around them and find a way of getting enough points (to keep us in the league).
“If you take Stevens, Young, Worthington out of our team it takes away a lot of impetus. Our team is based on energy and legs, if you take the legs out of the team, you are not going to be the same.”
He confirmed that Harriott, who was replaced by Pollock at half time, suffered a quad injury towards the end of the first half and defender Chiori Johnson also appeared to be struggling with a hamstring injury at the final whistle.
With permanent signings Harriott, Siziba, Pollock all featuring alongside loanees Miguel Freckleton and striker Reo Griffiths, the boss was asked whether the recruitment led by new owners SU Glovers had made a difference.
Speaking the week, owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla had said the new recruits had been selected by group of people involved with the owners rather than “the old school model” of the manager being in sole charge of recruitment.
On this, Cooper said: “We need players that are match fit and they only way we are going to get them match fit is to keep putting them on the pitch, but then we risk them getting injured.
“It is a bit of a puzzle that we have got to find the right answers to. We are always going to differ on targets and players we are going to bring in, that’s just the way it is, Matt has made it clear he is going to recruit the players he is going to recruit and that’s fair enough – it’s his money and it’s his club.”
The manager added that “the last week has really effected” his team, saying: “There was three or four that kept going as they do every week, the new boys have to add to that now and be really effervescent and bubbly, even if it is only for 20 minutes.“
Venue: Huish Park
Saturday, 25th March, 3pm kick-off
Pitch: Sticky after some heavy rain overnight
Conditions: On and off rain and a strong wind
Attendance: 3480
Scorers: Besert Topalloj 5 (0-1),
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Grant Smith 65
Bromley: Ryan Stirk 56, Arthurs 65
Referee: Richie Watkins
Yeovil Town (4-3-3)
Substitutes: Scott Pollock (for Callum Harriott, 46), Zanda Siziba (for Jordan Maguire-Drew, 54), Reo Griffiths (for Andrew Oluwabori, 54), Max Hunt (not used), Malachi Linton (not used).
Bromley: Charles-Cook, Reynolds, Sowunmi, Whitely, Dennis (for Krauhaus, 86), Cheek, Stirk, Arthurs, Topalloj (for Bingham, 46), Elerewe, Fisher (for Vennings, 66). Substitutes (not used): Kendall, Forster.
A dreadful display from Yeovil Town saw them fall to a 1-0 home defeat against Bromley which pushed them within a point of the National League relegation places.
A fourth minute goal from Besert Topalloj was the difference on the scoresheet but the visitors spurned numerous other chances and Glovers’ goalkeeper Grant Smith pulled off a number of fine stops to prevent the scoreline being greater.
Perhaps more worrying was the complete lack of effort from many in green and white who were met by boos at the end of either half from second biggest crowd of the season at Huish Park.
It was the worst possible start for Yeovil as they fell behind after just five minutes. Kellen Fisher got away down the right for Bromley, Andrew Oluwabori got to him but the wideman still got the ball in and a complete failure to clear by the Yeovil defence saw it break to Besert TOPALLOJ who slammed it past Grant Smith.
That was the first attack of the game but it set the tone for a start which saw the visitors completely on top. It was on 10 minutes that a terrible pass by Oluwabori saw the ball break to Michael Cheek who burst in to the box and was denied by a point blank save from Smith. From the resulting corner a header by visiting defender Deje Elerewe, on loan from Charlton Athletic, was turned over by Smith.
Every time Bromley are coming forward they look like they can score. The visitors looked every inch a side pushing at the top end of the table and whilst looking threatening on the attack, they also looked confident in snuffing out anything approaching forward play from Yeovil.
It took until the 24th minute for Yeovil to get their first effort on goal when a long ball forward found Oluwabori who did well to bring it down, cut inside and Harriott took the ball off his team-mate who hammered in a shot which took a deflection and was well turned aside by Reice Charles-Cook in the visitors’ goal.
That sparked a bit of possession for the home side but balls in from Chiori Johnson down the right and then Oluwabori from the left were about as near to a threat on goal as Yeovil got as the game ticked past the 30 minute mark.
On 32 minutes, a beautiful ball over the top found Louis Dennis who had time to take a touch on the edge of the area but lifted his effort over the bar. Bromley will be baffled as to how they are only 1-0 up.
The half-time whistle was met with boos from a bumper home crowd boosted by visitors coming as part of Non-League Day and the #PackThePark ticket offer. A very poor first half from Yeovil.
The interval saw Harriott, who had not played a competitive minute since the start of January, replaced by Pollock. The winger appeared to be playing with a knock at the end of the first half.
On 51 minutes, Yeovil got a huge let off as Bromley waltzed through the hosts’ defence and lifted a ball over the top to Cheek (don’t worry, he’s only one of the best strikers in the division, lads) who put his effort over from a tight angle.
By the 54th minute, manager Mark Cooper had clearly seen all he needed to see as Maguire-Drew and Oluwabori, neither of whom had affected the play in a positive fashion, were replaced by Reo Griffiths and Zanda Siziba. But with a spark desperately needed, Yeovil simply could not get the ball off their comfortable visitors.
From the crowd to the players to the dug out, energy was completely missing – literally no-one was up for this one. Except Bromley, of course, who seemed to be quite happy to let their hosts get frustrated. This could not be more different to the feeling in the previous home game, the 1-0 win over Eastleigh.
Thatchers end make some serious noise!!! The boys need you!!
— Matt Uggla (@matt_uggla) March 25, 2023
With 63 minutes gone, Billy Bingham’s challenge broke to Cheek who slid it in to Dennis, from the resulting scramble Smith was able to grasp it and took a kick in the process. The referee booked Arthurs for Bromley for the kick and Smith for his protests.
Dennis smashed a shot over a minute ago and it was the visitors who were asking all the questions and Corey Whiteley had another effort over the bar.
At the other end, there was a scramble in front of the away end after 68 minutes with Ryan Law and Fisher in close proximity but neither were able to prod the ball home.
Ugh. We simply don’t look like a team at the moment. Cooper was full of running, Johnson got forward well in the second half and (as ever) only captain Staunton seemed interested in driving forward whilst Smith did his part at the back. The rest? The body language spoke volumes, lots of arms waved in the air and very little else.
On 82 minutes, Griffiths won a free-kick just outside the penalty area, Cooper did superbly to pick out Fisher in the middle of the box but his header flashed wide. Four minutes later Dennis bent one round the post. How are they not more than a goal ahead?
From minute one to minute 90+5, Yeovil were second best and the final score flattered them thoroughly.
New signings winger Callum Harriott and defender Miguel Freckleton are handed debuts as Yeovil Town go in search of victory against Bromley at Huish Park today (3pm kick-off).
Harriott, who joined on a short-term contract in the week following his release by Gillingham last month, is expected to start on the right of a three man attack including top scorer Alex Fisher and Andrew Oluwabori, whilst Freckleton is expected to play in the middle of the park.
Chiori Johnson comes in on the right side of defence in place of the injured Edwin Agbaje, who has returned to Ipswich Town after his loan spell.
There is also a place for midfielders Scott Pollock and Zanda Siziba on the substitutes’ bench which also features defender Max Hunt, on loan striker Reo Griffiths and frontman Malachi Linton, who came off the bench to score a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw at FC Halifax Town last weekend.
Owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla has said he expects to own Yeovil Town by Monday morning.
Posting on his Twitter account, the 29-year-old, whose group SU Glovers have been running affairs at Huish Park on a day-to-day basis since the end of February, that he expected the deal to be completed.
This follows comments made in a press conference on Thursday that he was expecting to sign papers which would transfer the majority shareholding in Yeovil Football & Athletic Club, the company which runs the club’s football operations, from chairman Scott Priestnall.
Responding to a supporter’s enquiry about the progress of the deal on Saturday morning, Uggla said: “Stewardship comes to an end Monday morning.”
Stewardship comes to an end Monday morning ?
— Matt Uggla (@matt_uggla) March 25, 2023
When they were first unveiled around a month ago, SU Glovers were described as having “taken on the stewardship” of the club which Uggla said was his way of saying he did not feel being named ‘owner’ would be appropriate.
However, immediately after that announcement he told us on the podcast that there was “a bureaucratic thing” which needed to be completed to finalise the deal which would see him take on the majority shareholding of Yeovil Football & Athletic Club for Priestnall.
The majority shareholding is around 72% with fellow director Stuart Robins retaining the 20% he purchase and the remaining 8% held by a number of minority shareholders, many supporters who bought shareholdings when the club’s future was in jeopardy in the 1990s.
Although the deal appears to see Priestnall out of the day to day running of the football club – and presumably resigning his position as chairman, as suggested by Uggla earlier this month – he remains the majority shareholder in Yeovil Town Holdings and retains the exclusive buy-back of Huish Park stadium and its surrounding land granted to him by South Somerset District Council.
A planning application to build 250 house on land around the stadium is expected to be submitted after planning consultants DLP Planning contacted the council about the next steps in the development process last month – read our article here.
In response to the enquiry, the council’s owner Highways Department warned that the removal parking facilities at the club would lead to “indiscriminate parking in the new estate road, and surrounding roads” and “increase the risk of collisions on the highways” – which we are sure will delight residents in the area.
We’ll keep you updated on the progress of this…..
After Charlie Wakefield‘s player registration deadline day loan move to National League promotion chasers Woking, Glovers’ fan Jake Gallagher has poured his feelings in to a blog……
There’s a star-man.
Playing on the right.
His name is Charlie Wakefield.
And he’s fucking dynamite.
It’s a dangerous business falling in love with football players. Especially in the lower leagues when the merry-go-round of loans and short-term contracts mean you will see more footballers through the revolving door at your club than you would at a top division outfit. But that doesn’t stop us.
Foolish though as it is, we just can’t help singing the names of our favourite players. We know it’ll end in heartbreak; we know they’ll be snapped up by a club in the division above on the eve of the season (see Tom Knowles) and we know that ultimately the better players move on to bigger things.
It’s rare these days that a player would have his own chant – they just don’t stick around long enough for fans to conjure up something catchy and come together, in the Thatcher’s Stand, as one orchestrated and organised choir. Few players get the “Super, Gav, Super Gavin Williams” treatment but Wakefield earned it and deserved it.
Perhaps it was his willingness to allow fans to peer into his life to see what it’s like to be a footballer. His ‘Man Up’ film on YouTube, a documentary about mental health in football, showed the maturity levels of such a young man who clearly cares about his family, his welfare and his future. His ‘A Day in the Life’ documentary – also on YouTube – allowed us to see a personal side that you don’t often get beyond the post-match interview. As a fan, I can’t get enough of that insight and access.
While the above is true, the real reason we all love Charlie Wakefield is his ability to ignite the crowd. Just give him the ball on the halfway line, he’ll knock it past the opposing left-back and Yeovil Town are on the attack. Not many footballers possess that quality, that get-the-supporters-off-their-seats quality. One of the most satisfying sounds in football – other than the ball hitting the back of the net – is when you can hear stadium seats flip up as people stand in anticipation of a goal. That’s what Wakefield does. Under Darren Sarll, when we were at our most dangerous, it’d be Tom Knowles breaking at pace, laying it on a plate for Charlie. One touch to control, one touch to finish. Rinse and repeat. That winning goal against Stevenage in the FA Cup 2nd Round in 2021. That was vintage Wakefield. A silky winger, just what we need, he’ll win Yeovil the National League. We can’t sing that anymore.
This does sound a bit dramatic, I’m aware of that. After all, he’s only left on loan and has played just a handful of games this season. Since the departure of Sarll it’s been obvious that both new managers have felt their style doesn’t suit a fast-breaking wide player. Chris Hargreaves tried and failed to convert him into a wing-back and Mark Cooper’s system needs more technically astute players in the forward line. Couple all that with his injury record and you can’t say you’re surprised. But that didn’t stop me feeling a twinge of regret seeing him move on, especially to Woking. Bloody Woking.
I’d love to see Charlie Wakefield back at Huish Park next season, running at defenders, scoring goals on the break. I can’t see it personally and that’s fine – it’s time to make my peace with it.
For now, I’m just going to wish him all the best. And if you’re reading this Charlie – thank you.
Ben, Dave and Ian return to chat about a matchless midweek, but there’s been plenty going on. We talk about the signings, the not signings and preview Bromley.
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Yeovil Town Under-18s’ captain Jake Graziano has joined Southern League side Dorchester Town on loan until the end of the season.
The midfielder has signed a dual registration with the Magpies and could make his debut against Merthyr Town at The Avenue at the weekend.
We’re not sure ‘Dual Registration Watch’ has the same ring to it as ‘Loan Watch’, so Ben will do what he can to work him in to his round-ups.
Yeovil Town owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla (see below for more on that title) and manager Mark Cooper have both been in front of the local media today to talk about player incomings and the ownership situation at Huish Park.
In summary:
Firstly, on the ownership issue, Uggla told 3 Valleys Radio’s Adi Hopper on Thursday: “We have got the papers and they should be signed today or tomorrow. I like the term ‘steward’ (rather than owner) but it will be changing.” So, that’s that one.
He also explained that there was now a team of “numerous different people” who was involved in recruiting players with both Harriott and Siziba being announced as arriving at the club by Uggla’s owner Twitter account.
Speaking about the arrivals, he told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins: “Having people who are experienced in the game who might not necessarily at the club but we know through our network, getting those opinions is key.
“If you have ten people watching a player rather than one person watching that player, you are going to have a more well-rounded view of what you are looking at.”
Having confirmed that Cooper was involved in all decisions involving the playing staff, he admitted things were changing: “We are definitely moving away from the old school model of the manager solely selecting a team.
“Managers come and go but Yeovil is forever, when the manager maybe does eventually go, then it is a seamless transition for the person coming in because this is how Yeovil play. If the manager is just picking the players, that is not a place we really want to be at.”
Asked if he still had 1,000% backing for the manager, he added: “We are still in a transitional phase and next season (the philosophy) will be more obvious. Mark has done a good job to get to where he is at the moment, but, as I say, getting as many eyes on players is the way forward and maybe then it transitions to a head coach role and we bring in a recruitment team – maybe it doesn’t. We’ll figure that out in the summer, let’s just try and stay up first.”
He added: “Mark is manager right now and that is great. Let’s get to the end of the season and make sure we stay up and go from there.
“Things are different if we are not in this division because the budget is not going to be the same, so we are not thinking too much about (the long term) – it’s just think of Saturday, then the following Saturday, then Tuesday.”
On the subject of Harriott and Siziba’s potential involvement in Saturday’s National League match with Bromley at Huish Park, both Uggla and Cooper were asked their thoughts.
On Harriott:
Uggla: “This is the lowest level he has ever played at. I went down to training to have a look and he looked fantastic. I think for us to be able to get a player like that shows the ambition the club has, he had offers from lots of different teams, so for him to come to us and buy in what we are selling is great. He will get fans off their seats and that is what want going forward.
“I know for a fact that Callum had been playing. He played last week for 90 minutes and scored a goal, he’s fit, he’s fine and I don’t know if he will start but he will take part on Saturday.”
Cooper: “Callum has been a top player, I remember watching him play in the Championship and my teams have played against him.
“He’s had a few injuries and has had a bit of time out, so he is playing catch up with his fitness, but he has tremendous ability and we have to find out the best way to use him without putting him at too much risk. Whether that is to start him or bring him on, that is what we need to decide.”
On Siziba:
Uggla: “I doubt you will find a faster player in the league. He’s a young player who has such an elite attitude.
“He came over from Ipswich to train with us, he got his head down, trained really well, he wants to prove everyone wrong and he plays with a chip on his shoulder because he should be playing higher.
“Zanda has been training which I know if different to playing in a match, but he is fit and ready to go – and try and catch him!”
On the injury front, both owner/steward and manager confirmed that defender Max Hunt and midfielder Scott Pollock are back in training – but it does not sound like either will feature from the start against Bromley.
Uggla described Pollock as “a special player” having watched him train in the week and Cooper admitted the recent signing from National League North side Boston United had impressed in training.
The manager said: “He has looked sharp in training this week, but he has not played for six or seven weeks. If we put him straight back in to that environment we risk him breaking down again and that is what we don’t want. He is training properly this week and he is showing some glimpses.”
Hunt is still “a week away” from fitness, but Cooper pointed out the defender has not played since the 4-1 defeat at Bromley in mid-January.
Perhaps tellingly with no out-and-out striker arriving ahead of the registration deadline, Uggla also commented to on loan Doncaster Rovers striker Reo Griffiths‘ form in training: “Reo Griffiths is up to match fitness and watching him, he is a special player and should hopefully take part.”
Griffiths appeared as a second half substitute in the 2-1 defeat at Barnet and travelled with the squad to FC Halifax last weekend despite missing training the day before.