June 2024 (Page 2)

National League South Champion, Jake Hyde has signed for Chelmsford City.

The former Southend and Wrexham front man made important contributions from the bench as he helped Yeovil Town land the NLS title.

But after injury troubles prevented him from seeing the season out with a regular spot in the team, he was deemed surplus to requirements and released.

Now he’s back in the NLS and looking to go for back to back promotions with Chelmsford.

Go well, Jake! 

 

Yeovil Town have confirmed the signing of striker Aaron Jarvis who departed Torquay United at the end of the 2023/24 season.

The 26-year-old spent much of last season injured at the Gulls but scored 9 goals in 19 league games. In the National League season prior, he scored 15 goals as the side followed Yeovil to National League South.

Jarvis, who has EFL experience with Luton and Scunthorpe, as well as a stint in Scotland heads to Huish Park despite rumoured interest from Cheltenham Town, where his ex-Gulls’ manager and former Glovers’ boss Gary Johnson recently arrived as Director of Football.

Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel Jarvis said: “After the success last season here, obviously that was a big attraction to me. I think listening to the Gaffer’s [Mark Cooper] words and his plans for next season, I think the club’s got a great potential of back-to-back promotions – which is something I’d like to be a part of. Hopefully I can help out.

The Gaffer has explained my role in the team to me and I think I will be able to do a good job at that and I am hoping to bring a lot of success this season and any way I can help on the pitch, I am going to do so.

When the Gloverscast spoke exclusively to Frank Nouble last week, he said he had spoken to the former Torquay frontman, but that there were other conversations to have.

The pair linked up with great success last time Jarvis was playing at National League level. When Nouble arrived late in the 2022-23 season when Torquay (and Yeovil) were relegated, the pair scored six goals in eight games but could not complete a great escape.

Jarvis admitted his old team-mate was a factor in signing: “He’s been like a fly on the wall, pestering me for weeks now and obviously it has worked out and I am sure he will be getting a bit of commission from this deal!

Looks like Agent Frank worked his magic and a highly sought after frontman is heading to the Glovers.

Welcome to Yeovil, Aaron!


 

The Football Association has confirmed the dates for the 2024/25 FA Cup and FA Trophy.

For the FA Cup, Yeovil will enter at the Fourth Qualifying Stage, which is set for the second weekend in October.

As for the FA Trophy, The Glovers will enter that competition later than last year too – the perks of getting Promoted!

The full list of dates are available below – remember, no FA Cup replays this year, the bigger boys are all a bit tired from their trips around the world in their private jets – bless their cotton socks.


The Emirates FA Cup
Season 2024-25
Round Dates

Extra Preliminary Round – Saturday 3 August 2024
Preliminary Round – Saturday 17 August 2024
First Round Qualifying – Saturday 31 August 2024
Second Round Qualifying – Saturday 14 September 2024
Third Round Qualifying – Saturday 28 September 2024
Fourth Round Qualifying – Saturday 12 October 2024
First Round Proper – Saturday 2 November 2024
Second Round Proper – Saturday 30 November 2024
Third Round Proper – Saturday 11 January 2025
Fourth Round Proper – Saturday 8 February 2025
Fifth Round Proper – Saturday 1 March 2025
Quarter Final – Saturday 29 March 2025
Semi Final – Saturday 26 April 2025
Final – Saturday 17 May 2025


The Isuzu FA Trophy
Season 2024-25
Round Dates

Preliminary Round – Saturday 24 August 2024
First Round Qualifying – Saturday 7 September 2024
Second Round Qualifying – Saturday 21 September 2024
Third Round Qualifying – Saturday 5 October 2024
First Round Proper – Saturday 26 October 2024
Second Round Proper – Saturday 16 November 2024
Third Round Proper – Saturday 7 December 2024
Fourth Round Proper – Saturday 4 January 2025
Fifth Round Proper – Saturday 1 February 2025
Sixth Round Proper – Saturday 1 March 2025
Semi Final – Saturday 5 April 2025
Final – Saturday 10 or Sunday 11 May 2025

Yeovil Town Women FC have confirmed that fixtures for the 2024/25 season will be played at Alvington, returning the club to Yeovil after playing its inaugural season at Somerton Recreation Ground.

Following an unbeaten League season, the Women earned promotion from the Somerset County League to the South West Regional Division One South – Tier 6 of the Womens’ game. They’ll welcome the likes of Bideford, Helston, Weston-super-Mare and W*ymouth to Alvington next season.

The double-winning side have also confirmed their pre-season schedule below:

Tom Bailey is back with transfer round up of the National League, including Glovers corner…


Glovers’ Corner

Before we dive into the National League ins and outs, let’s look at the former Glovers that have moved about in the last couple of weeks. We may miss a few, so if any of you see any we may have missed, tag us on Facebook or Twitter (or X), or leave a comment below and we’ll add them in the next week’s round-up!

Week Three of these posts, and there’s no slowing down in the former Glover department! One of our champions from last season has found a new home, as it was announced last weekend that Will Dawes has joined Chippenham Town on a one year deal.

Will Dawes. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

A couple more former Glovers on the move; Angelo Balanta was announced at newly-promoted NLS side Hornchurch, following his one year spell at recently relegated Boreham Wood, while Ben Seymour made a move to Torquay United. He wasn’t the only man from Hampton & Richmond to make a move to the South West this week (more on him later!)


All Transfers

AFC Fylde

Only a new departure to add to the list this week for Fylde, as Connor Barrett secured a move to the EFL, joining Walsall and being touted as Tom Knowles’ replacement at RWB.

In

Joe Riley (Walsall)

Out

Luke Conlan (Cliftonville)
Pierce Bird (Eastbourne Borough)
Sam Graham (unattached)
Danny Whitehead (Macclesfield)
Ashley Hunter (unattached)
Joe Rowley (unattached)
Tom Walker (Radcliffe)
Chris Neal (unattached)
Kieran Glynn (Scarborough Athletic)
Luke Charman (Hartlepool United)
Connor Barrett (Walsall)


Aldershot Town

Just the one bits of news for Aldershot in a much quieter week, as Coby Rowe was announced as departing the club for pastures new. Stuart O’Keefe also found a new club, joining Chatham Town.

In

Haydon Vaughan (Bracknell Town)
Pat Nash (Farnham Town)
Emmanuel Maja (Banbury United)
Marcus Dewhurst (Wealdstone)
Luke Jenkins (Chelmsford City)

Out

Ethan Burnett (unattached)
Stuart O’Keefe (Chatham Town)
Zain Walker (Welling United)
Tommy Willard (Worthing)
Alex MacAllister (Leatherhead)
Jasper Sheik (unattached)
Finlay Westen (unattached)
Cian Harries (Woking)
Coby Rowe (unattached)


Altrincham

No incomings at Moss Lane, however one player has left the club, as Sam Roscoe has jumped across the pond to Northern Ireland. joining Linfield. Dan Mooney has also joined a new club in the National League, signing for newly promoted Boston United.

In

Lucas Weaver (Colne)

Out

Joey Jones (unattached)
Mitch Hancox (unattached)
Dior Angus (unattached)
George Burroughs (unattached)
Dan Mooney (Boston United)
Liam Brockbank (unattached)
Sam Roscoe (Linfield)


Barnet

One new addition to Barnet’s summer shopping spree, as midfielder Mark Shelton was announced on Thursday, joining from Oldham Athletic. Nothing new in the departures department.

In

Rhys Browne (Woking)
Jermaine Francis (Chelmsford City)
Nik Tavares (Dagenham & Redbridge)
Joe Grimwood (Braintree Town)
Finley Wilkinson (Hitchin Town)
Nick Hayes (Ipswich Town)
Joe Kizzi (Sutton United)
Joe Rye (Worthing)
Mark Shelton (Oldham Athletic)

Out

Ben Wynter (Woking)
Connor Stevens (Chesham United)
Dale Gorman (Woking)
Moussa Diarra (unattached)
Gary Hooper (unattached)
Courtney Senior (unattached)
Laurie Walker (unattached)
Sam Granville (unattached)

Ex-Glover Dale Gorman is finally booked by referee Gary Parsons. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Boston United

A much more exciting week for Boston fans this week, as three new faces came through the doors. Frankie Maguire (unrelated to Harry and Laurence) joins from Sheffield United, 22 year old  defender Kieran Coates followed the Pilgrims up from the National League North, as he departs from Chester, and previously mentioned Dan Mooney joins from Altrincham.

In not so ideal news, Jimmy Knowles joins his strike partner from last season, Kelsey Mooney, at Accrington Stanley. The 22 year old bagged 20 goals at NLN level last season, so replacing his goals will be a big ask. Sam Smart also joins pre-season opponents Farnborough.

In

Frankie Maguire (Sheffield United)
Kieran Coates (Chester)
Dan Mooney (Altrincham)

Out

Kelsey Mooney (Accrington Stanley)
Michael Gyasi (unattached)
Keziah Martin (unattached)
Ethan Sephton (unattached)
Sam Smart (Farnborough)
Jimmy Knowles (Accrington Stanley)


Braintree Town

A very busy week for the Essex-based side, as four new faces arrive. First through the door was George Langston, following Ryan Clampin from Eastleigh, before Marley Marshall-Miranda followed shortly after from Colchester United. Rounding off an impressive day of dealings was former Dagenham & Redbridge frontman Inih Effiong, the 33 year old scoring 16 goals in the National League last season.

Thursday saw signing number four arrive, as former York City midfielder Finlay Barnes was announced.

Following on from last week’s slight confusion, Gianni Crichlow has found a club very quickly, joining Hampton & Richmond. Star keeper Jack Sims has also departed the club, he’s been picked up by Sutton United, while Lewis Miccio has returned to the National League South, signing with St Albans City alongside Alfie Payne.

In

Ryan Clampin (Eastleigh)
James Vennings (Bromley)
Kyrell Lisbie (Cray Valley Paper Mills)
George Langston (Eastleigh)
Marley Marshall-Miranda (Colchester United)
Inih Effiong (Dagenham & Redbridge)
Finlay Barnes (York City)

Out

Joe Grimwood (Barnet)
Alfie Payne (St Albans City)
Gianni Crichlow (Hampton & Richmond Borough)
Jack Sims (Sutton United)
Lewis Miccio (St Albans City)


Dagenham & Redbridge

Just the one new signing this week for the Daggers, as Dylan Stephenson moves down from Newcastle following a loan spell at South Shields last season, recording 8 goals in 17 games.

The aforementioned Inih Effiong departs following a brilliant 18 months with the club.

In

Oscar Rutherford (Eastleigh)
Josh Umerah (Hartlepool United)
Trent Rendall (QPR)
Dion Pereira (Luton Town)
Dylan Stephenson (Newcastle United)

Out

Nik Tavares (Barnet)
Sydney Ibie (unattached)
Josh Hare (Boreham Wood)
Lewis Page (Ebbsfleet United)
David Longe-King (unattached)
Omar Mussa (unattached)
Rohan Matyar (unattached)
Inih Effiong (Braintree Town)

Dion Pereira in action against Notts County.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Eastleigh

All quiet on the incomings this week for the Spitfires, as some of their released players find employment up and down the league, Enzio Boldewijn and George Langston joining Wealdstone and Braintree Town respectively.

In

Luis Fernandez (Hampton & Richmond Borough)

Out

Brennan Camp (Dorking Wanderers)
Ryan Clampin (Braintree Town)
Aaron Martin (retired)
Ben Reeves (unattached)
George Langston (Braintree Town)
Oscar Rutherford (Dagenham & Redbridge)
Luka Chalwell (unattached)
Nigel Atangana (unattached)
Aidan Barlow (unattached)
Enzio Boldewijn (Wealdstone)
Luke Croll (unattached)
Kaya Tshaka (Havant & Waterlooville)


Ebbsfleet United

The only bit of news to come out of Ebbsfleet this week was the departure of Darren McQueen, as he joined Isthmian League Premier Division champions, and now National League South side Hornchurch.

In

Jim Kellermann (Woking)
Lewis Page (Dagenham & Redbridge)

Out

Chris Haigh (Worthing)
Matthias Fanimo (unattached)
Shaquile Coulthirst (unattached)
Joe Martin (unattached)
Jordon Ibe (unattached)
Chris Solly (retired)
Hayden White (unattached)
Omari Sterling-White (unattached)
David Amoo (unattached)
Darren McQueen (Hornchurch)


FC Halifax Town

A familiar feeling for Halifax fans, as no new incomings have been announced. It has been confirmed that Jamie Stott and Tylor Golden are both leaving the club upon the expiration of their deals.

In

Tom Pugh (Scunthorpe United)

Out

Luke Summerfield (unattached)
Tom Scott (unattached)
Rob Harker (unattached)
Tom Wilson (King’s Lynn Town)
Jack Hunter (Hartlepool United)
Jamie Stott (unattached)
Tylor Golden (unattached)


Forest Green Rovers

Nothing new here for Forest Green, with no new incomings or outgoings.

In

Liam Sercombe (Cheltenham Town)
Sean Long (Cheltenham Town)
Ben Tozer (Wrexham)
Tom Knowles (Walsall)

Out

Matty Stevens (AFC Wimbledon)
Dominic Bernard (unattached)
Richard Keogh (retired)
Finn Bell (unattached)
Jack Carter (unattached)
Nathan Holland (unattached)
Darnell Johnson (unattached)
Jordon Garrick (unattached)
Sean Robertson (unattached)
Alex Gorrin (unattached)
Fankaty Dabo (unattached)
David Davis (unattached)
Reece Brown (unattached)
Luke Daniels (unattached)
Murphy Bennett (unattached)

Tom Knowles.

Gateshead

No news from the north east.

In

N/A

Out

Lirak Hasani (Torquay United)
Joe Cook (Worthing)
Connor McBride (Rochdale)
Lewis Knight (unattached)
James Montgomery (unattached)


Hartlepool United

Staying up north, and staying with the lack of transfers; no new arrivals or departures for Darren Sarll’s side.

In

Luke Charman (AFC Fylde)
Jack Hunter (FC Halifax Town)

Out

Josh Umerah (Dagenham & Redbridge)
Jake Hastie (unattached)
Brody Paterson (unattached)
Edon Pruti (unattached)
Alex Lacey (unattached)
Callum Cooke (unattached)
Tom Crawford (unattached)
Mikael Ndjoli (unattached)
Chris Wreh (unattached)


Maidenhead United

No new arrivals at Maidenhead, however Harry Parsons joins Will Dawes at Chippenham, while Lewis Kinsella has announced his retirement from football following persisting knee injuries.

In

Tyrese Dyce (Slough Town)

Out

Ashley Nathaniel-George (York City)
Charlee Adams (unattached)
Daniel Jinadu (unattached)
Lewis Kinsella (retired)
David Omilabu (unattached)
Harry Parsons (Chippenham Town)


Oldham Athletic

A quiet week at Boundary Park, with only the previously mentioned Mark Shelton departing the club this week to Barnet.

In

Reagan Ogle (Scunthorpe United)

Out

Benny Couto (unattached)
Llyton Chapman (unattached)
Frazer Cookson (unattached)
Brennan Dickinson (Queen of the South)
Mike Fondop (unattached)
Devarn Green (unattached)
Dan Gardner (unattached)
Hallam Hope (unattached)
Oliver Kilner (unattached)
Dan Langley (unattached)
Harrison McGahey (unattached)
Jake Forshaw (unattached)
Ben Tollitt (unattached)
Jordan Windass (unattached)
Mark Shelton (Barnet)


Rochdale

Another new face arrived this week at Rochdale, as Tanzanian international Tarryn Allarakhia joins from Wealdstone. Nothing new from the departure lounge!

I should also add that Finlay Armstrong has stayed with the club on a permanent basis, following his loan spell from Fleetwood Town last season.

In

Connor McBride (Gateshead)
Tobi Adebayo-Rowling (Notts County)
Finlay Armstrong (Fleetwood Town)
Tarryn Allarakhia (Wealdstone)

Out

Adam Clayton (unattached)
Tyrese Sinclair (York City)
Michael Afuye (unattached)
Max Taylor (unattached)


Solihull Moors

Nothing new at Solihull Moors, outside of a new contract for club icon Jamey Osbourne.

In

Sam Bowen (Newport County)

Out

Joe Sbarra (Doncaster Rovers)
Richard Stearman (unattached)
Max Brogan (unattached)
Jack Myatt (unattached)
Harry Chesterton (unattached)
Luke Carsley (unattached)
Finn Barker (unattached)
Leo Wood (unattached)
Taylor Eades (unattached)
Ashton DeMulder (unattached)


Southend United

We continue to support Southend United in their battle against their “owner”, no new arrivals or departures at Roots Lane.

In

N/A

Out

N/A


Sutton United

Another three signings for Sutton, as they gear up for their return to the National League. Jack Sims arrives following two great years with Braintree Town, before exciting forward Nana Boateng joins after leaving his boyhood club Millwall. Tyler French rounded off the incomings for this week, moving down from Scottish Premiership side Dundee.

No new departures to report.

In

Dillon De Silva (Wealdstone)
Siju Odelusi (Aveley)
Eduino Vaz (Aveley)
Jayden Harris (Carlisle United)
Jack Sims (Braintree Town)
Nana Boateng (Millwall)
Tyler French (Dundee)

Out

Harry Beautyman (Woking)
Joe Kizzi (Barnet)
Craig Eastmond (unattached)
Rob Milsom (unattached)
Jonathan Barden (unattached)
Lee Angol (unattached)
Tope Fadahunsi (unattached)
Brad House (unattached)
Scott Kashket (unattached)
Deon Moore (unattached)
Christian N’Guessan (unattached)
Craig Dundas (unattached)
Tobi Ogundega (unattached)
Oliver Khinda (unattached)
Harry Smith (unattached)
Omari Patrick (unattached)


Tamworth

A new signing for Tamworth this week, as former Rushall Olympic forward Alex Fletcher makes the step up from the National League North. No new departures to discuss.

In

Kai Lissimore (Kidderminster Harriers)
Tom McGlinchey (Coalville Town)
Kennedy Digie (Alfreton Town)
Miracle Okafor (Halesowen Town)

Out

Callum Reilly (unattached)
Brad Gascoigne (unattached)
Alex Jones (Stourbridge)
London Meikle (unattached)


Wealdstone

One incoming, and one outgoing to report for Wealdstone, with both already being mentioned. Enzio Boldewijn signs from Eastleigh on a one year deal, with an option for a second, while Tarryn Allarakhia departs the club, moving up north to join Rochdale.

In

Deon Woodman (QPR)
Enzio Boldewijn (Eastleigh)

Out

Dillon De Silva (Sutton United)
Jaiden Bartolo (Wycombe Wanderers)
Nathan Ferguson (unattached)
Marcus Dewhurst (Aldershot Town)
Corie Andrews (unattached)
Manny Duku (unattached)
Tarryn Allarakhia (Rochdale)


Woking

A busy start has simmered down for Woking, with no news regarding incomings or departures on the field, however their Chief Executive Officer John Katz has announced he is returning to the USA and is stepping down from his position.

In

Harry Beautyman (Sutton United)
Ben Wynter (Barnet)
Cian Harries (Aldershot)
Jacob Jones (Cove Rangers)
Dale Gorman (Barnet)
Timi Odusina (Bradford City)

Out

Jim Kellermann (Ebbsfleet United)
Alexis Andre Jr. (unattached)
Charlie Wakefield (unattached)
Ricky Korboa (Livingston)
Rhys Browne (Barnet)
Alfie Pavey (Eastbourne Borough)
Luke Wilkinson (unattached)
Sam Habergham (unattached)
Paul Osew (unattached)
Emmanuel Oyeleke (Farnborough)
Alan Judge (unattached)
Greg Taylor (King’s Lynn Town)
Robbie Willmott (unattached)
Josh Casey (Farnborough)
Scott Cuthbert (retired)


Yeovil Town

We’re exceeding my wish from last week, of one signing a week, as two new faces arrived this week (as of the time of writing) – on Wednesday, Finn Cousin-Dawson joined the club following his release from Bradford, before Jordan Thomas (a different one to who you may be familiar with) was announced on Thursday afternoon, the defender joining from Hampton & Richmond Borough.

As mentioned at the start of the roundup, Will Dawes has joined Chippenham Town, we wish him all the best and hope to see him bagging goals for fun!

In

Harvey Greenslade (Bristol Rovers)
Brett McGavin (Torquay United)
Finn Cousin-Dawson (Bradford City)
Jordan Thomas (Hampton & Richmond Borough)

Out

Rhys Murphy (Dorking Wanderers)
Jordan Stevens (unattached)
Josh Owers (unattached)
Malachi Linton (W*ymouth)
Alex Fisher (unattached)
Jake Hyde (unattached)
Ollie Haste (unattached)
Will Dawes (Chippenham Town)
Benjani Jr. (unattached)

Harvey Greenslade

York City

One new face arrived at York this week, as Alex Hunt returned to the club on a permanent basis following a loan with the club from Grimsby Town last season.

Two departures to mention, Finlay Barnes was listed above as joining Braintree Town, and Sam Sanders was announced at Truro City just hours after his release was made public.

In

Harrison Male (Dorking Wanderers)
Ollie Pearce (Worthing)
Joe Felix (Worthing)
Ashley Nathaniel-George (Maidenhead United)
Tyrese Sinclair (Rochdale)
Alex Hunt (Grimsby Town)

Out

Michael Duckworth (Scarborough Athletic)
Scott Barrow (???)
Scott Burgess (unattached)
Kai Kennedy (unattached)
Quévin Castro (unattached)
Finlay Barnes (Braintree Town)
Sam Sanders (Truro City)

Defender Jordan Thomas has become arrival number four of the summer at Yeovil Town after arriving from Hampton & Richmond.

The right-back made 26 appearances in National League South last season becomes the second signing of this week following the arrival of defender Finn Cousin-Dawson on Wednesday.

The Glovers confirmed that he had signed a two-year contract and comes in to provide competition – and cover, one would imagine – for first-choice right-back, Michael Smith.

Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel, the 23-year-old said: “With my previous clubs I have gained quite a bit of experience even at just 23, but this is the move to really kick on in my career and show people what I can do, especially at this level.

I think I can slot in really well with how the manager wants to play. I was really impressed with how Yeovil played last season and it was always in the back of mind that I would love to play under (Glovers’ boss) Mark Cooper and his Yeovil side, so I am really delighted to be a part of the squad now.”

He went on to speak about his desire to play under Cooper, adding: “It goes without saying his pedigree as a manager and a player, he has so much knowledge at this level and higher levels. I remember watching him when he was at Forest Green when I was at Leyton Orient and I was really impressed with how his team playing and that was four or five years ago, but to see how he has brought that to Yeovil, it was definitely something I wanted to be a part of.

Thomas does have Premier League experience (of a sort) having come on as an 89th-minute substitute for Norwich City in a 5-0 defeat at Manchester City back in July 2020, he went on to have a spell on loan at Leyton Orient before joining Barnet where he made 27 appearances in the 2021-22 season.

In January 2023, he became the first permanent signing of Hampton manager – and former Yeovil Town goalkeeper – Mel Gwinnett.

Signing number three is in through the door as Yeovil Town announce the signing of former Bradford City defender, Finn Cousin-Dawson. The 21 year-old has signed a contract keeping him at Huish Park until 2026. The former Northern Ireland U21, spent last season on loan at Blyth Spartans, where he became one of the best young defenders in the National League North.

In this article I will be doing a detailed analysis on Finn Cousin-Dawson. The article will include:

  • Player Profile
  • Previous History
  • Key Strengths
  • Areas To Improve
  • Key Stats – 23/24
  • How he suits the “Mark Cooper System”
  • Conclusion

Enjoy the read! Any feedback would be massively appreciated as I continue to analyse every signing the Glovers’ make this summer. I would also be interested in hearing your opinion on the signing of Finn Cousin-Dawson and how the summer has gone so far?


Player Profile

Name: Finn Cousin-Dawson

Position: Defender (Centre Back or Right Back)

Age: 21 (4/7/02)

Height: 6ft (183cm)

Strong Foot: Right

Previous Club: Bradford City – Blyth Spartans (Loan)

23/24 Season Stats: 4237 Minutes – 43 Games – 3 Goals

Finn Cousin-Dawson

Previous History

2019 – Signs his first professional contract at Bradford City.

2019-2020  Brighouse Town (Loan) 7 Games – 0 Goals

2021-2022 – Makes 7 appearances for Northern Ireland U21s.

2022-2023 – Spennymoor Town (Loan) 21 Games – 0 Goals

2023 – Blyth Spartans (Loan) 15 Games 0 Goals

2023-2024 – Blyth Spartans (Loan) 44 Games 3 Goals

2024 – Released by Bradford City after making 34 appearances for the Bantams, scoring no goals.

Finn Cousin-Dawson

Key Strengths

Exciting Talent – Similar to the signing of Harvey Greenslade, Cousin-Dawson is coming in with a real view into the future for this Yeovil side, potentially staying around for a few seasons and then making a good amount of profit in the future. He was playing for Northern Ireland Under 21s at 18-19 years-old.

Senior Experience – The National League is one of the toughest leagues in the country so having experience in senior football is vital for a young player. Despite being just 21, Finn Cousin-Dawson has played over 100 games in senior football, from playing for Bradford in League Two, to Blyth Spartans in the National League North.

Football League Minutes – To have played 34 games in League Two at such a young age shows that he must be a very exciting talent. When playing for Bradford in League Two, he didn’t exactly disappoint either. I doubt they will be his last minutes in the Football League.

Versatility – As we found out, at the end of last season, having a big squad or having players available to us, who can play in multiple positions, is absolutely vital when we get towards the business end. As well as being brilliant at centre back, Cousin-Dawson is comfortable at right back. He can also do a job in a defensive midfield position because of his athleticism and quality in the ball.

Strong Defender -You will hear a lot about Cousin-Dawson’s quality on the ball but don’t let that take away from him defensively. For his age, he is very powerful into challenges and reads the game very well. Him being in a poor side, like Blyth, who were relegated from the National League North, did him no favours. He was still one of the best defenders at the level despite problems around him. This is shown from the chat below, created by Ben Pearson.

NLN centre backs

Excellent Passing Range – There is no doubt that the most exciting part of Finn Cousin-Dawson’s game is his quality on the ball. From this chart below, also by Ben Pearson, we can see that he is always willing to create chances with his progressive passes. He made the 4th most completed passes in the whole of the National League North last season, for a side who got relegated, this is very impressive.

NLN Centre Backs

Composure – His composure is top quality which allows us to build out from the back really well and punish teams who press really high. When he gets the ball with pressure on him he isn’t going to hit it long every time, he will take risks to keep the game ticking and create space for us to play. This suits Mark Cooper perfectly.


Areas To Improve

Location – The two previous signings have both come from local clubs, Torquay and Bristol Rovers, so the time to settle in and get used to the area was a lot less. Coming from Bradford, Finn Cousin-Dawson has never played his football down, in the South West so it may take some time to get used to the area.

National League Experience -Despite having over 100 senior appearances under his belt, at just 21 years-old, none of these have come in the National League Premier. He will have to understand the fairly quickly so he can get up to the correct pace of the game to show us what he can do.

Leadership – This one is fairly expected for a young lad like Cousin-Dawson and doesn’t really matter when you have leaders like Morgan Williams, Jake Wannell and Michael Smith around him but it’s always nice to have the trait which should be able to get trained into him by the leaders of the group.


Key Stats – 23/24

Stats produced by FevsFootball

General Passing:

  • Passes Per 90 – 50.2
  • Passing Accuracy – 83%
  • Long Passes Per 90 – 8.7
  • Long Passing Accuracy – 48%
  • Progressive Passes Per 90 – 12.2
  • Progressive Passing Accuracy – 65%
  • Passes to Final Third Per 90 – 6.4
  • Passing to Final Third Accuracy – 55%

Duels:

  • Defensive Duels Per 90 – 5.5
  • Defensive Duels Won – 74%
  • Offensive Duels Per 90 – 1.9
  • Offensive Duels Won -49%
  • Ariel Duels Per 90 – 5.8
  • Ariel Duels Won – 61%
  • Loose Ball Duels Per 90 – 3.7
  • Loose Ball Duels Won – 62%

Defensive Actions:

  • Shots Blocked Per 90 – 0.5
  • Interceptions Per 90 – 4.5
  • Sliding Tackles Per 90 – 0.3
  • Fouls Per 90 – 0.7

How will he fit in?

In the post above, I have planned out what I believe the current squad looks like, where players will be positioned etc. It is important to remember that we still have the brilliant defensive partnership of Morgan Williams and Jake Wannell so Finn Cousin-Dawson has to impress to get into the team. It leaves us with three top quality defenders to work with next season meaning we have brilliant cover in case of a suspension or injury.

If Finn Cousin-Dawson does play, he will most likely be introduced as a right side central defender in a back 4, alongside Jake Wannell to give a good balance of having one right footer and one left footer.

It is important to note that the 21 year-old can also play right back, if needed, which gives us another option in that position, just in case of any injury to Michael Smith. I think it’s fair to say he will be most regularly used as a right side centre back, as shown below.

People may not be the biggest fan of 3/5 at the back however, for the sake of the analysis it has to be mentioned. The signing of Cousin-Dawson means that we have 3 brilliant central defenders in the building, leaving one out will be a tough task for Cooper.

This signing could potentially mean that we lean towards a back 3 at times this season, with Williams as the central defender, having Wannell and Cousin-Dawson either side. With his quality on the ball and ability to get forward, Finn Cousin-Dawson would massively suit a 3 at the back system which allows us to have all of the control in the game and dominate the ball.

As shown below, the 3 at the back system could look something like this:

Despite having this option, I think the main formation we will use next season will be a 4 at the back however, it is always good to have another option and be versatile with formations. If we are in a position where we need to see out a game, this would be a brilliant way to do this, whilst keeping hold of possession and dominating the ball.


Conclusion

As of writing this, on Thursday morning, this is probably our best signing to date. He gives us a fantastic option at the back, as cover to Morgan Williams and Michael Smith. Recruiting versatile options is a massive help, come the end of the season, when dealing with lots of injuries. I think Cousin-Dawson will find it tough to be a starter right away but he will certainly make an impact when called upon.

He suits the way Mark Cooper wants to play perfectly because of his quality on the ball and his way to build from the back. With the amount of progressive passes he makes per game, it shows that he is more than just a “pass sideways” player. He has the ability to pick out a long pass or a driven pass through the lines into the striker feet.

The age profile of this signing and the other ones made, so far, really excites me, as it shows we are building a strong side for the future, which allows Cooper to develop the side to suit his style.

What are your thoughts on the signing?


As I have previously stated, any feedback or comments are massively appreciated and taken on board. I hope you enjoyed the read, thankyou!

Former Bradford City Defender, Finn Cousin-Dawson has joined Yeovil Town after leaving the West Yorkshire side this summer.

Cousin-Dawson has represented the Bantams since 2019 with Loan spells into the National League system with, amongst others Blyth Spartans in recent seasons.

Listed as a right sided central defender, the versatile 21-year old can also play at right back and as part of a back three… helpful to have options! 

Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel, he said: “It is obviously a really big club and as soon as I heard there was an interest in coming here, I could not wait to get here.

“I could not have picked anywhere further away from Bradford but for me it was completely a football decision. It was the project of the football club itself that was something I could not really turn down.

The identity of the club was a big draw, they have obviously been in higher leagues in previous seasons, and the way the manager has the team playing suits me, those were a massive factors in coming here.

Watching how Yeovil played last year, that was how they won the (National League South) title, so it suits me and hopefully I can fit right in to the team. I’m really excited, it is always good to put yourself in a new environment and meet new people.

Welcome to Somerset, Finn! 

Yeovil Town striker Frank Nouble has revealed he has spoken with former strike-partner Aaron Jarvis and his brother, Joel, about coming to Huish Park.

Both are free agents after Jarvis, who the Glovers’ striker linked up with at the end of the 2022-23 season at Torquay United, left the Devon club, whilst his brother left Scottish Premier side Livingston.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Gloverscast, Nouble said he knew manager Mark Cooper was looking to bring players in and admitted he would love to see either striker – or even better both – move to Somerset.

On Jarvis, he said: “There are strikers out there that have been spoken about online, so hopefully that player does come in and I have been on it for weeks now. So hopefully he does come in because I think he would be a great signing for us.

I hope he comes back (from holiday) and knows where his bread is going to be buttered because when I played with him his form was quite high and he was linked with loads of clubs.

I have said to him before that I have got players moves before, Sam Szmodics (who he played with at Colchester United), James Maddison (who he played alongside at Coventry City). I would love Jarvis to come to the club, if the manager wants him, but I think there are ongoing conversations.

Nouble was a key part of Yeovil’s title-winning season last year, scoring ten goals.
Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Jarvis has been linked with a move in to the Football League with his former Torquay manager and ex-Yeovil legend Gary Johnson, who has taken a role as Director of Football at Cheltenham.

He admitted his brother already has options elsewhere, saying: “I have heard people say can I get my brother in which would be nice. I have spoken to him probably too many times about it now, so you would think I am getting closer – I think I am about 7% in!

It is definitely not about the level or the club, it is more about what he has been offered already elsewhere. But as long as he has not signed anywhere yet, he’s still an option, isn’t he?

But, Nouble said he regularly received a lot of calls from players and admitted Yeovil’s location played a part in the discussions.

He said: “I get a lot of phone calls from players I have played with, because I have been at a lot of clubs, and they ask for my opinion and I give them my opinion. But when it is about coming to the club I am at, I can’t talk too much because I don’t know all the financials behind the deal and what they have been offered.

All I can say is ‘it’s the best place in the world for you, come here, we need you here’ and all you can hope for is that that’s enough. But a lot of things come in to play, people have families and things like where they live matters, so we just hope we can get the best players that are the fit for our football club.

In an exclusive, Frank also gives us his views on the success of the team last season, his thoughts on the campaign to come and gives some insight on the arrivals of midfielder Brett McGavin and Harvey Greenslade, and the re-signing of Sam Pearson.


You can listen to the full episode with Frank Nouble below or from any of your regular podcast providers.

 

 

 


If you’re boss is away on paternity leave, you need a Guv’nor to step in!

We are delighted to welcome Frank Nouble onto the podcast to make his Gloverscast debut, we talk about the wonderful title winning season, the hopes and plans for the next campaign in the National League Premier, his work with the community… and see if you can spot a couple of intriguing name drops along the way.

An absolute pleasure to welcome a National League South Champion to the podcast.

NOMINATE THE GLOVERSCAST FOR THE 2024 FOOTBALL CONTENT AWARDS.

DETAILS HERE – https://gloverscast.co.uk/fcas-nominations-open/


Frank Nouble, he’s top of the league
📸 Gary Brown