Ben Barrett (Page 180)

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Rotherham United have announced that former Yeovil Town loanee, Shaun MacDonald will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

The Millers, managed by another former Glover, Paul Warne announced their released and retained list on Monday.

MacDonald spent no fewer than five(!) loan spells at Huish Park from 2009 – 2011.

In total, the Welsh international played 64 times in Green and White, scoring 9 goals including a hat-trick against Leyton Orient in 2011.

We wish Shaun all the best in finding a new club.

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Yeovil Town made a management change on this day in 2006.

Steve Thompson, was – for the second time – stood down as the Glovers’ manager.

He and assistant Kevin Hodges were told that the club was going to look elsewhere for a head coach.

At the time, the official statement read;

“Following lengthy discussions, the Board of Directors of Yeovil Town Football Club have now confirmed, that subject to further talks, Steve Thompson has agreed to continue his role as first team coach, but to relinquish his football management duties in the near future.”

Yeovil Town Chairman John Fry gave the following view on the situation to the official site:

“Steve Thompson has made a fantastic contribution towards the success of this club during his eight years of service as a player, coach and manager. He is an essential part of future plans in developing a team for Championship football at Huish Park. It is the right time to make the necessary changes for the challenge of keeping the club in Coca Cola League One next season and the important task of appointing the next manager of Yeovil Town Football Club which will need to be completed by the end of this month. In the meantime negotiations will continue with out of contract players.”

Thompson would go on to confirm his initial displeasure at the decision saying “Myself and Kevin were devastated when we were told the club was looking for a new manager. We feel that given the circumstances this season, we have done a very good job. As for our future circumstances, talks between myself, Kevin and John Fry are on-going.”

Talks would continue and soon the announcement of Russell Slade‘s arrival to work alongside Thompson would follow, but Kevin Hodges would leave the club not long after,

Slade and Thompson would lead the Glovers to the League One Play-Off Final in their first season as Manager and Assistant.

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May 15th 2001.

In the summer of 2001, Yeovil were searching for a new manager following the resignation of Colin Addison, and if reports were to be believed, Chairman John Fry had a couple of very well known faces lined up for a spot in the Huish Park dug out.

Local media had been reporting that both Tony Pulis and Harry Redknapp were being lined up for the job.

However, it was on this day in 2001 that Fry put those rumours to bed.

Telling the club’s official website;

“That’s just paper talk. I had a reporter talking to me about Neil Coates’ testimonial against West Ham, and we got talking about Harry Redknapp. Next thing I know, I’m apparently after him for the job! All I can say is that I have not talked to Harry Redknapp or Tony Pulis about the position.”

Rumours were firmly quashed by the Western Daily Press as well, with them saying “it is absolute rubbish”.

Of course, neither Pulis or Redknapp ever did end up joining Yeovil, althought  did stop by for a coffee on a couple of occasions after being invited by Darren Way in 2017

The Glovers ended up signing a chap by the name of “Gary Johnson” in June of 2001, and we here at the Gloverscast are told… he ended up doing alright.

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Former Yeovil Town Captain Omar Sowunmi will be leaving Colchester United at the end of his current contract.

Defender Omar Sowunmi.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The U’s detailed their plans for the upcoming season with their released/retained list on Friday, which includes confirmation the central defender will be leaving.

Sowunmi joined the Glovers at the start of the 2015/16 season from Ipswich Town by then Manager, Paul Sturrock.

Despite not playing any league games for the Tractor Boys, he had played regularly with loan spells in the National League Divisions with Braintree and Lowestoft.

He would spend four seasons and Huish Park before joining Colchester for an undisclosed fee in July 2019.

Sowunmi would play 87 times in the Green and White and was named Team Captain in 2018.

We wish Omar all the best in his search for a new club, also, here’s a slightly frightening Gif of him, very happy about something ?

 

via GIPHY

 

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Two former Yeovil Town loanee are on the hunt for a new club this summer after being released by Bristol City.

Midfielder Liam Walsh during his loan spell with Yeovil Town in 2016.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin played a handful games on loan from Watford in the 2011/12 season before having spells at Plymouth, Crawley Town and Colchester before landing up the road on the red side of Bristol.

But more surprisingly on the released list is Liam Walsh.

A firm fan favourite from his 15-game loan spell from Everton in 2016, he lit up Huish Park with some glittering performances.

Walsh spent time with Birmingham City, before joining Bristol City – signed by former Glovers’ midfielder, Lee Johnson.

Injuries and a loan spell at meant that his time as Ashton Gate has been stop=start, but with undoubted quality, it wont be long before Walsh has an option or two for the forthcoming season, maybe Skivo still has his number? 

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Yeovil Town Manager Darren Sarll spoke to the media on Thursday ahead of the fixture against King’s Lynn on Saturday but couldn’t help but look further ahead to the following Tuesday’s game with Maidenhead where supporters will be allowed back into Huish Park.

“It is probably the first time I have felt any joy around football in the last eight weeks if not longer, I can’t wait to see and hear them. I can’t wait for them to back our lads, I can’t wait to be proud of our lads, I can’t wait to win a game and do that song at the end of the game.”

Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Sarll admitted his singing might be a tad rusty though, joking: “I can’t remember the words but I just clap when they clap and sing the bits I can remember.”

Tickets have been selling well, with social media buzzing with Glovers fans who have secured their spot at Huish Park next Tuesday, even our very own Ian Perkins is booked in for a spot in the stand for the midweek fixture!

Sarll continued to reminisce  about the scenes we saw regularly at the end of home matches last season;

“When I look back to at last season, I have bits I absolutely love, it was the best year of my life by a country mile.”

“All of those moments were with the fans at the end of games at Aldershot, Solihull and home games. It energises you, it gives you confidence. What a nice thing to have, what a nice moment to share and energise before we go again next season with a vibrant game of players. When we are attacking that Thatcher’s End, that stand is lifting the whole football club. We have missed it so much.”

Tickets for the game are still available but are subject to strict social distancing protocols, click HERE to secure your seat on Tuesday night.

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Former Yeovil Town midfielder, Marc Bircham has taken on his first full-time managerial role with League of Ireland side Waterford Town.

Bircham arrived in Ireland on Thursday and will undertake a period of self isolation before joining his new side.

The Canadian international joined the Glovers in 2007, and played a little over a dozen times before ankle injuries ended his career in 2009.

Bircham has spent time coaching in America as well as taking on the QPR job in a caretaker capacity and had been on the coaching staff at Millwall.

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May 13th 2010

As we start to see clubs up and down the EFL and in the National League begin to announce their released and retained lists, today’s On This Day highlights just how much player turnover occurs in a single summer of contract discussions.

In the summer of 2010, Terry Skiverton had just guided the Glovers to another mid-table finish in League One.
We finished in 15th, had a wonderful FA Cup moment when we faced off against Southampton at St Mary’s and got to enjoy players like Alex McCarthy (on loan from Reading), Steven Caulker and Ryan Mason (on loan from Tottenham).

But as with any summer, came the contract negotiations.

Skivo and the Glovers had no fewer than 11 players who were in need of having their future sorting, and it was on this day that decisions were made.

The Glovers released; former Bristol City man Scott Murray, Aidan Downs, Andre McCollin and ‘keeper Richard Martin were all told their future’s lied elsewhere.

Former Spurs defender Danny Hutchins was placed on the transfer list, whilst contract discussions were held with a number of other key players.

Dean Bowditch, top scorer from the previous campaign, as well as Nathan Smith would sign their new contracts, but others, namly Terrell Forbes and Gavin Tomlin would opt against an extended stay in Somerset and returned to clubs nearer to their home in Somerset.

Jean Paul Kalala chose to stay whilst Keiran Murtagh headed for Wycombe.

This was the summer we signed Ed Upson, Luke Ayling permanently and Paul Huntington – so what do you think, did Skivo do decent business in the summer of 2010?

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Former Yeovil Town loan defender Morgan Williams has been released by his parent club, Coventry City.

Williams, 21, has spent two loans spells at Huish Park, playing three times last season before returning in October 2020 for another short stint.

Speaking to YTFC.net upon resigning Williams, Manager Darren Sarll said at the time;

“I immediately requested (when needing a defender) Morgan because of his playing traits. He is very different to what we have, and he made a huge impression on us all the last time he was on loan.

“He knows the group, to some extent, and understands what it is to play for Yeovil, the expectations that are placed on the players and the need to win games on a weekly basis.

“It’s great to have him back and I hope he has a great experience with us again.”

Everyone at the Gloverscast wishes Morgan Williams all the best in his search for a new club.

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More EFL clubs are starting to formluate their plans for the upcoming season and Exeter City are the latest to release details of who will be staying and who will be leaving this summer.

Striker Alex Fisher during his time at Yeovil Town.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

There are a couple of interesting names to Yeovil Town fans including former defender Tom Parkes who played a couple of times on loan from Leicester in 2011, but also former striker Alex Fisher.

Fisher, joined Yeovil just hours before the 2018 meeting with Manchester United, having driven down from Motherwell to Somerset to sign the deal in time to be included in the glamour cup tie.

The front man would go on to score 14 goals in 62 games for a Yeovil side struggling at the wrong end of League Two, he,  like many others at the time, found himself released from Huish Park at the end of the 2018/19 season when relegation was confirmed.

We wish Alex and Tom all the best in finding a new club.