April 2023 (Page 2)

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Local businessman Martin Hellier has said he believes that Yeovil Town will go in to administration if the club’s on-off takeover is not completed soon.

The owner of Hellier Group, which has been sponsor of the Main Stand at Huish Park since last September, claimed he has been blocked in his bid to buy the majority shareholding of chairman Scott Priestnall despite having entered in to initial discussions at the end of last year.

In an interview with Three Valleys’ Radio presenter Adi Hopper, he confirmed his interest in buying the club and surrounding land owned by South Somerset District Council which he outlined in a message to fans earlier this week – see more here.

In the interview, Hellier said: “You cannot do (a deal) if the seller does not want to engage with you, and I say ‘seller’ on the assumption he wants to sell. You have to question why that person is stonewalling every effort for people to come in.

“Given the state of the state of the club’s finances, it is a bit like the homeless person you invited for Christmas dinner complaining that they didn’t get to carve the turkey!

“In this state, and it really is ‘put on your big boy pants’ time, in my opinion the club is going to go in to administration.

“All I can say with absolute certainty is that your owner will not enter any dialogue with myself, and if he is also not entertaining anyone else, it is a given (the the club will go in to administration).”

In the interview, he said claims a quarterly rent of £50,000 is due to SSDC next month and said he did not know how the club would meet the charges describing its financial situation as “reading like a Greek tragedy.” When Gloverscast has approached SSDC regarding the amount of rent which would be charged to the club and we were told: “These are matters for the owner to respond if he wishes.”

He revealed he had contacted SSDC around his interest in buying the land which Huish Park stands on together with surrounding ground which was sold to the authority in a deal worth £2.8m last May. However, he was told back in January the deal could only be completed if it was approved by Yeovil Town Holdings Limited, a company which has Priestnall as a majority shareholder.

Hellier added: “We have clearly stated we have no interest to build houses on that land for personal gain, it would be our intention to reunite the ownership of the surrounding lands and the stadium with the trading business of the football club.

“If there was any development of that land it would be directly for the benefit of the football club to bring in revenue streams which would help support it. It is time for people to act like the business people they claim to be to sit at the table and figure out.”

You can listen to the interview in full on Three Valleys Radio’s website – click here.

By:
On:
In: Gloversblog, Latest Yeovil Town News

The final day of the 2002/03 season was a day of celebration. The title was already well wrapped up, the records had already been smashed and the TV Cameras were in attendance to see Yeovil lift the Nationwide Conference Trophy and end a 106-year stay in Non League.

By clicking on the link below you will find the full CIderspace match report of that momentus day from Noddy Elms, there’s a most incredible Champagne-soaked photo gallery, the live Sky Sports footage of Kevin Gall’s goal (with thanks of course to Green and White Goals) and a picture of the Programme Cover.

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Polls

It’s been 115 days since Yeovil announced an ‘exclusivity agreement’ with a preferred bidder. We learned on February 28th that the bidder was SU Glovers and that they’d taken on the ‘stewardship’ of the club – how naive our headline looks now. Despite ‘scarves on pitch’, it turns out there’s a bit more to it than that and now 56 days later we’re still awaiting official confirmation.

It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, so lets gauge the room and your gut feel on the question…

Do you think SU Glovers will complete their takeover of YTFC?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Did you know? There were 132 days between Simul Sports entering ‘final stages of due diligence’ and the deal collapsing in May 2022.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil Town’s Academy side will play on the hallowed Huish Park turf this Wednesday evening.

The Under 18s will face their Bath City counterparts this coming Wednesday, 26th April.

The game kicks off at 7:30pm and entry is free to all.

Entrance is via the Conference Centre in the main stand.

The Under 18s could name a number of players who have been out on loan or have been involved in the first team during Men’s Somerset Premier Cup games, with names like Charlie Bateson, Rob Hollard and Benjani Jr all available for selection.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Main Stand Sponsor Martin Hellier has released a statement on behalf of Hellier Group this morning. You can read the full statement below.

Openness — Transparency — Unity

Much has been said and speculated about my intentions, my group’s intentions, negative or otherwise, with regards to the ownership of Yeovil Town Football Club, which I wanted to clarify.

Openness

I can happily admit that over recent times, I have endured some personal events that have caused me to say things, that I might regret, in the heat of the moment, and for the passion of the community that I live in and the club that I love.

Transparency

Hellier Group operates successfully and profitably, and when we became aware of YTFC’s dire situation, we felt personally obliged to extend our commitment to the community’s best interests, as we do already, silently, to the tune of over £100,000 a year, to various charities in the region.

We were, and still are, prepared to invest at least £2millon into the restructuring of the club, for player investment and improvements to the stadium and the match day experience. We are the only interested party to have ever listed the investment we would have made, and with an acceptance to probably never recovering this investment.

YTFC as a standalone business, is now financially unviable, yet as a trading business within our group, would have been comfortably supported, while it found its feet, and without financial pressure.

We have, at every step of the timeline, warned of the consequences of the mismanagement of the club, since autumn last year, and it brings us no pleasure whatsoever, to see that these predictions have come to fruition.

Unity

We can publicly state on record now, that we would immediately reunite the surrounding grounds and the trading business, as one, with any future development plans and subsequent revenues directly benefitting the club. I am sorry that in all that we have offered, that we have mostly been treated with suspicion and negative rhetoric, and remain, as ever, committed to the turnaround, and success, of Yeovil Town Football Club.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Podcasts

Well, Oldham happened. Ian and Ben are joined by Wattsy to chat this match through and all the off-field stuff that’s been going or not going on. Plus we take all your cheerful GCQs. One game to go eh…

Thank you for your continued support of the Gloverscast. Remember to add Gloverscast.co.uk to your favourites and check the website daily for the latest news and views from Huish Park.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Leave us a review and share the pod with a pal.

We’d love to welcome some local businesses into the Gloverscast family through advertising. If you’re a business that would like to speak to a dedicated audience of more than 1000 monthly listeners, please get in touch. Find out more about advertising with us here.

If you have an idea for the website, want to contribute or just want to send us a message, feel free to email ian@gloverscast.co.uk.

By:
On:
In: Five Conclusions, Gloversblog, Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil finished their home campaign with a whimper yesterday, losing 3-0 to Oldham. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions…

 

It started badly and didn’t get any better. If this was a ‘pressure off, express yourself’ kind of day, it really didn’t feel it. After just 8 minutes a cross into the box found Devarn Green who was given the freedom on the six yard box to give Oldham the lead. Oldham looked organised, drilled and a team that could do something in the National League next season.

We just couldn’t get any attacking rhythm. Passes were either too short, too hard, impossible to control and wildly misplaced. There was no cohesion and it was a performance that was symptomatic of a relegated team that just want the season to finish. There were flashes of play, pockets of neatness but Oldham’s keeper was only really troubled by crosses into the box.

Reo Griffiths. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

There won’t be fond memories of this season at Huish Park. In 23 games at home this season, supporters have seen 6 wins, 8 draws and 9 defeats and celebrated just 18 goals. Last season wasn’t much better, 7 wins, 7 draws and 8 defeats and 20 goals. There was more than 4000 at Huish yesterday, and they weren’t sent away with a great deal to look forward to next season. The manager described relegation as death by a thousand cuts but in the last 108 league matches at home, the town has seen just 36 wins. Now that’s a tough sell…

That will be the last Huish Park sees of some of these players. Given our destination its a safe bet that many if these players won’t be around next season. Grant Smith, the standout player who kept teams at bay for so long this season will surely see his sights higher. Matt Worthington, who despite our dreadful season, has kind of had a breakout season of his own. He won’t be short of suitors in the National League and after his years in green and white who can begrudge him that. Lawson D’Ath’s heartfelt message last night feels like a goodbye. There will be a huge loss of character in the changing room if you take those three out and there will need to be a huge rebuild. That is why…

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Someone needs to grab this club by the scruff of its neck and restore some pride. The owner has control of the destiny of Huish Park, facilitated by SSDC. He’s got what he wanted from before day one and has gone. SU Glovers, after ushering in a new era in March, weren’t at Huish Park yesterday. There has been discontent within the club about how SU have operated since there stewardship was announced more than 50 days ago. When Mark Cooper says it: ‘stirring the pot’. When Josh Staunton says it: ‘what a leader’. There is a universal truth at the club that the takeover has totally derailed the season. It’s difficult to comprehend just how badly the wheels have come off after such positivity. I know there are people still rooting for them and if it goes through everyone will be behind them, as wholesale change is inevitable. Right now though, I don’t see how this deal gets completed. Clearly, there is another plan underway and a search for an alternative trying to preserve the long term future of the club. After the debacle over the last couple of months, it’s difficult to have faith that the right person can be found when time is of the essence. From May, we’ll start paying the landlords for their ‘rescue package’ last Summer but the club feels anything but rescued. Administration is a massive risk but it would bring to light what’s been going on behind the scenes at the club over the past couple of seasons.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

There can’t be many loan watch articles left this season as campaigns draw to a close, but it was a sad day for a couple of our loanee as their adopted side dropped out of the regional National League divisions.

First, we start in the National League itself;

Ben Richards-Everton wasn’t involved for Scunthorpe as they lost to Southend, Charlie Wakefield came off the bench for Woking as they cemented a top four spot by beating Gateshead,

National League North now and Leamington went down 5-1 to AFC Fylde to confirm their relegation from the NLN, Ollie Hulbert played an hour.

In the National League South, Max Evans was between the sticks for Hungerford as they drew 1-1 with Dulwich Hamlet, a point wasn’t enough however, they will not be an opponent for the Glovers next season.

Truro started Ollie Haste as they finalised their regular season with a win over North Leigh, however he was taken off just before half time, it remains to be seen if he is fit for their Play Off game against Poole on Wednesday evening.

Benjani Jr and Mason Hunter both started for Sherborne, but they fell 3-0 to Falmouth Town.

Jake Graziano and Toby Stephens weren’t in action for Dorchester and Plymouth Parkway respectively and their seasons drew to a close, whilst Charlie Bateson and Sam Hodges were back with the Under 18s.

Finally, Rob Hollard was in goal for Wincanton Town, they may have lost 5-0 to Oldland Abbotonians but the Wasps’ social media was full of praise for the young keeper, who very nearly saved a penalty and kept the score respectable at times.

 

 

 

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil Town midfielder Charlie Cooper has said it has proved impossible to reunite the dressing room at Huish Park leading to the club’s relegation from the National League.

The 25-year-old, who joined his father, manager Mark, at the club in January following his release by Oldham Athletic last December, apologised to the club’s supporters for the team’s performance in a 3-0 defeat at home to his old club on Saturday.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, he was asked whether he thought all the club’s players were playing for pride after relegation was confirmed with a defeat at now-champions Wrexham in midweek.

He said: “It is a difficult group (to comment on). You have young lads in there, loan lads and with everything that has gone on, it is hard to pull the changing room together.

“The skipper (Josh Staunton) has done a great job of trying but when confidence is down you can see a few sticky situations today and we didn’t get going. The first goal put us on the back foot and it was just not good enough.

“A few weeks ago we felt like we were a strong group which was pulling in the right direction and even though we were not great, we were getting some results and I thought we were okay.

“It’s a weird one that has gone too far and it’s gone too far, it’s tough to pull a changing room like that together. If you were to go in there after games and even before games it is not a great place. I can’t wait for this season to finish, to be honest.”

Following the defeat inflicted by a brace from Oldham substitute striker Mike Fondop and an opener from Devarn Green, Cooper apologised to supporters in the Thatcher’s Gold Stand at Huish Park and repeated those apologises in his post-match comments.

He said: “It was not good enough and apologies to the fans who had to watch that. I know that is becoming a bit of a recurring message. I can tell you we did not set out to play like that, even though relegation had been confirmed we still wanted to start bright and give (the fans) something they could get behind. I said before about playing for personal pride, but as a whole it was not good enough.

“My shooting was horrendous today. We have got nothing to lose today and I think the build up play was fine but then when you get in that final third it is about going and expressing yourself but we didn’t see that.

“If I was a fan I would be raging, but they have to understand there is other stuff going on. They want the season to finish as well and as long as they are positive for next season, that is all they can do.”