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Richard Dryden is to join the coaching staff at Yeovil Town next month following the expiration of his contract at National League rivals Aldershot Town.

The former Bristol City and Bristol Rovers defender is reunited with manager Mark Cooper who has worked alongside him previously at five clubs including Notts County and Forest Green Rovers.

The 53-year-old was most recently assistant manager at Aldershot since April 2023 and was part of the coaching team which guided the club to last season’s FA Trophy.

In a statement, Dryden said: “I’m really excited to be joining Yeovil Town and to be working alongside Mark again. I know Toddy (Glovers’ assistant, Chris Todd) well and have had some good conversations with Sam Curry, the analyst, over time. I’m also looking forward to working with (goalkeeping coach) Matt Gould – his grandfather actually gave me my debut at Bristol Rovers when I was just 17, so there’s a nice connection there. I’m looking forward to getting started and beginning training with the players on the 1st of July.”

Fans will a good memory will remember Dryden being alongside Cooper in his first match in charge of Yeovil. The pair were sat in the stands at Maidstone United for the 1-1 at the end of October 2022 when Todd was in temporary charge on the touchline following the departure of Chris Hargreaves.

Cooper said Dryden was “an exceptionally experienced technical coach with a track record of really improving players.”

He added: “What’s more, he knows this division really well. His services were in demand so we are delighted he’s chosen to come to Huish Park on a long-term deal. He joins my excellent backroom team, working especially closely with Chris Todd and Sam Curry. I can’t wait to welcome Richard and hit the ground running when the players return.”

There is no specific title which Dryden will take that is mentioned in the statement, but Cooper’s specific reference to Todd suggests he will not take the assistant manager role. Dryden has assisted Cooper in 151 matches at their previous clubs.

In his recent round of media interviews, new owner Prabhu Srinivasan revealed he was looking to strengthen Cooper’s coaching staff.

He told BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah: “We might have a few more coaches with Mark to find a way to make the team as competitive as it can be.”

Welcome to Huish Park (as of 1st July), Richard.

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Yeovil Town’s new owner Prabhu Srinivasan has spoken about his plans to back manager Mark Cooper with new signings and his desire to return the club’s Huish Park stadium to its ownership.

Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Jack Killah during a visit to Somerset on Wednesday he revealed he had spoken at length with the manager about his plans when he visited earlier in the season. You can listen to the interview in full – here.

Asked about his commitment to strengthening the squad ahead of the National League Premier Division season,  the new owner also said he expected to bring in new additions to Cooper’s coaching team.

He said: “I spent two or three weeks here in April and a lot of the discussions I had were about what Mark wants to do. He has figured out some gaps in the first team and we are trying to find a way to get players in and we are also finding ways to augment Mark’s team as well. We might have a few more coaches with Mark to find a way to make the team as competitive as it can be.“

Yeovil Town owner Prabhu Srinivasan during his visit to Huish Park on Wednesday.

The Dubai-based businessman, who will meet supporters at open forums at Huish Park on Thursday and Friday evening, said he had ambitions to buy back the land the stadium sits on from Somerset Council.

The authority which took over from South Somerset District Council following a local government reorganisation in April 2023 is the landlord of land Yeovil Town’s stadium sits after the club’s former owner <NAME REDACTED> sold it for £2.8m in May 2022. 

Asked about his hopes to reunite the land with the club, Srinivasan said: “While our core anchor is doing what is right for the football team, there is so much we can do for the community and it links to what we can do with the stadium. There are not many stadiums with 9,000 seats and we need to find a way to leverage that. I know the council owns the stadium at this point and our desire is to get the stadium back in to our ownership and then find a way to use this space for what can be done for the community. It can be used for better purposes outside the football games.”

Speaking on the latest episode of the Gloverscast, Executive Chairman Stuart Robins said that he had spoken with the council about extending exclusivity to buy back the land which is held by Yeovil Town Holdings Limited.

He told us: “I have been talking with the council for a little while about trying to extend the option which I think we will. We are pushing against an open door, the council has been so supportive but until (the takeover) was completed there was nothing we could do either from our side or the council’s side. But it is pretty high up the agenda and we are working to complete that as quickly as we possibly can.“

 

 

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New Yeovil Town owner Prabhu Srinivasan has spoken about his ambitions for the club after visiting Huish Park ahead of Thursday’s Meet the Owner event.

The Dubai-based businessman, who completed a takeover from former owner Martin Hellier in last month, spoke with the media at the stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Asked by BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah about his background, he said: “I am banker originally a banker, but I did a lot of work with technologies and then I had to find a way to get involved in sports in some form and shape. That is how I set up a youth sports platform for kids, we manage about 1,600 schools and colleges in India and about 50-odd schools in the Middle East.”

That business is KOOH (Kids Out Of Home) Sports a company he co-founded  in 2010 as an organisation which runs sports curriculum activities with schools across India funded by invested raised from private investors. 

In a more pointed question about his personal wealth from ITV Westcountry reporter Ross Arnott he was asked how much he was worth and when the club would get to the Premier League. He replied: “I wish I could tell you the answer to the first question, I can’t unfortunately. This is not a vanity buy for us as a family, not an ego buy for us, we are there for the fans. There have been highs and lows and there will be highs and lows when I am the owner as well, but we need to do what is right for the club, on and off the pitch.“

He also appeared to reference the desire to reunite the ownership of land at Huish Park with the club, something which Executive Chairman Stuart Robins spoke with us about in the latest edition of the Gloverscast – listen here.

Srinivasan said: “This is not about the money, our desire is to get the stadium back with the club. I am not going to put a timeframe on this, but our desire is to get back to the EFL but be competitive and make sure there is calmness in the club and some sustainable growth for the club.“

In his interview with the BBC, the new owner echoed statements made by Robins and in his own open letter to supporters about the desire to bring stability and sustainable growth to the club.

He said: “We want to be very measured in what we do, we want to get sustainable growth for the club and therefore we need to work on and off the pitch. It is not about being a one season wonder, we do not want to do that at all, we want to look back in three years and be able to say ‘we have done what we need to do for the club.’ We will ensure we have a very measured, thoughtful process in the way we do it.

“We think we should get in to the EFL as soon as we can and we hope (manager) Mark (Cooper) and his new team get there sooner than we think we should. I have been listening to Yeovil True almost every day and, like the song says, there will be ups and downs. Any club, any business has ups and downs, but you have to have green-and-white in your heart which is very important.“

VERDICT: Do you agree with the decision to move first team training to Bristol?

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The most significant decision made since the takeover is the one which will see first-team training move more than 70 miles away at the SGS WISE Academy in Stoke Gifford, north of Bristol.

Speaking about the decision, Srinivasan said: “It is fundamentally driven by the fact we need proper training facilities. There were a few injuries last season, we want to make sure we do not have injured players and we can make sure they get proper facilities in Bristol. We went to see the facilities in Bristol which are outstanding. But one thing we need to understand is that this does not mean we will not be taking players from Yeovil, we will keep coming and checking here and evaluate them on their capabilities and take them to Bristol for efficient training, it is all for the team to be competitive.

Asked if he hoped to bring training back to Yeovil, he added: “That is the plan, subject to how we do in the next two seasons. The intention is to bring it back.“

What are your thoughts on the latest from Prabhu Srinivasan? Let us know by leaving a comment, below.

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Yeovil Town have confirmed plans to move first team training to Bristol from the start of the 2025/26 season.

The Glovers will train at the SGS WISE Academy, part of the West of England Institute of Specialist Education (WISE), to the north of the city which the club says will give players and staff “access to top-class facilities in a high-performance environment.”

News of the move had been rumoured by former loanee and one-time permanent player Otis Khan in an interview with the I Had Trials Once podcast last month.

In a statement on the club’s website on Tuesday evening, manager Mark Cooper said: “From a football perspective, this is a really positive step for the club. The facilities at SGS Wise are first-class and will help create the kind of professional, high-performance culture we want to build here. It’s about giving the players everything they need to develop, compete, and succeed. At the same time, our heart remains in Yeovil – we’re doing this to bring success back to our fans and our town.”

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The statement from the club said that the relocation of training, which had previously taken place at the Alvington Playing Fields in Yeovil or on the artificial surface at Huish Park, would broaden its “recruitment reach.” It added: “By positioning ourselves in a more central and accessible location, we are better placed to attract a wider pool of talent – an important factor as we continue building a squad capable of pushing closer to a return to the Football League.”

Executive chairman Stuart Robins said: “This move represents a major milestone in the continued evolution of Yeovil Town Football Club. Providing our players and staff with access to elite training facilities is essential if we are to raise standards and push toward our ambition of returning to the Football League. The SGS Wise Campus offers exactly the kind of environment we need to drive progress and deliver results, while maintaining our strong identity and connection with the Yeovil community.”

The decision has raised questions from some supporters about the connection the club will maintain with the local community in Somerset by choosing to move its training base more than 70 miles away from Huish Park. Strengthening links with the community has been a centrepiece of the initial pitch made by new owner Prabhu Srinivasan who described service to the community as “equally important“ to success on the pitch in an open letter published after he completed his takeover.

The statement added: “This move represents a major milestone in the continued evolution of Yeovil Town Football Club. Providing our players and staff with access to elite training facilities is essential if we are to raise standards and push toward our ambition of returning to the Football League. The SGS Wise Campus offers exactly the kind of environment we need to drive progress and deliver results, while maintaining our strong identity and connection with the Yeovil community.“

Manager Mark Cooper, left, alongside former chairman Martin Hellier at the fans’ forum in January.

You may recall that Mark Cooper spoke about training facilities at the fans forum back in January – click here to relive the answer, it starts about one hour and 33 minutes in to the recording.

Answering a question, the manager said: “The club went down in to the Championship and went down in to the non-League with no legacy whatsoever – no training ground, nothing. For me training facilities are the most important thing. I am not bothered about (the Huish Park) pitch because we are only on it 23 times a year, we train four or five times a week and that is where my work is done, so I need really good facilities if we are going to be better.

“That is one thing that will attract a player, certainly a good young player, who will ask ‘have I got somewhere really good to work every day?’ or am I going to come and train all over the place on a mud pit. Little things like that can attract players, so we have to strive for that.

“I am talking about trying to build organically, it is not boom or bust. Instead of spending money on a striker in the summer, we might put it on a training pitch which makes more sense to me.“

The Football Stadium Pitch at the SGS Wise Campus in Bristol.

What is the SGS WISE Campus?

Opened in 2005, the SGS WISE Campus is the sports facility of the West of England Institute of Specialist Education (reckon they thought of the acronym first?).

It is based in Stoke Gifford which actually falls in the district of South Gloucestershire, but to all intents and purposes it is really north of Bristol – don’t tell the villagers we said that though! If you are driving, Google Maps suggests it is a 72.2 mile journey each way taking about one hour, 20 minutes – depending on traffic.

WISE is involved in teaching a whole range of subjects across the Bristol area including arts at the Bristol School of Arts, construction and engineering, hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapies and animal science and conservation – and sport, of course.

On the WISE website, it describes its Football Stadium Pitch as follows: “The Football Stadium Pitch at SGS WISE Campus features a 3G surface suitable for both training and matches. It is RFU and FIFA approved with a shock pad for enhanced safety and performance. The pitch is frequently used by prominent non-league teams such as Bath City, Mangotsfield United, and Yate Town FC. With seating for 100 spectators, it also serves as the home ground for the college’s elite teams, hosting matches on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Whilst being marked out for football, this pitch can also be used for other contact sports including Football, Rugby, and American Football.“

There are a wide range of grass pitch facilities – including two football pitches which will probably be our preference – along with indoor 3G, sports hall, and rugby and American football. Exactly which facilities you get to use is unclear, but we assume there will be no gridiron training being undertaken.

SGS Colleges which runs the facility has its own football academy which has been responsible for producing a number of male and female professional footballers including Antoine Semenyo, the former Bristol City winger now plying his trade at AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League, and a number of Bristol City Women’s team members (current and former) including Jasmine Matthews, Aimee Palmer, Flo Allen, Georgie Wilson and Maisy Collins.

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Defender Jake Wannell and midfielder Charlie Cooper have both committed their futures to Yeovil Town.

However, midfielder Harry Kite and defender Michael Smith have both followed Sonny Blu Lo Everton in confirming that they will not be returning to Huish Park next season.

The club confirmed it is in talks with a number of other players including defenders Alex Whittle, Dom Bernard and Marcel Lavinier about new contracts after their deals expired.

In an official statement posted on Tuesday afternoon, it said Wannell had “agreed terms to extend his stay at Huish Park” with no details around the length of the new deal, and added that Cooper had “activated a clause in his contract” to stay for next season.

In the statement, the club listed Kite, who joined the club on a short-term deal at the end of last season as he looked to rebuild his fitness after a serious injury, as one of those in “ongoing conversations” with manager Mark Cooper.

However, in a post on his own social media, the former Exeter City man said: “Would like to thank @YTFC for the last few months. It’s been short but sweet! Wishing you all the best next season and beyond!”

Smith followed suit with his own farewell confirming the end of two seasons which saw him collect a National League South champions’ medal to his collection during the 2023/24 campaign.

Michael Smith says goodbye as well.

The statement also lists goalkeeper Will Buse, who spent last season on loan at relegated W*ymouth, and little seen midfielder Caleb Hughes among those in talks with the manager.

Kite and Smith’s confirmations that they will not be returning next season follows hot on the heels of a similar confirmation by Lo Everton that his two-year spell at the club has ended.

The 22-year-old posted on his Twitter/X channel to confirm he had left the club before the club had published its retained and released list of players.

In the post, Sonny said: “Just wanted to say thank you to @YTFC for the past 2 years, would have loved to carry on and make more memories but that’s football. I’ve had some really good times and met some unbelievable people.  Massive thanks to the fans who support home and away, and for the supporters Player of the Season.”

The club has also confirmed players who remain under contract  from last season with the club as goalkeepers Aidan Stone and Matt Gould, defenders Morgan Williams, Finn Cousin-Dawson and Jordan Thomas, who spent much of last season on loan at National League South side Torquay United. Midfielders Brett McGavin, Jacob Maddox, Josh Sims and Lewys Twamley also remain under contract along with strikers Harvey Greenslade and Aaron Jarvis.

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Midfielder Sonny Blu Lo-Everton has announced he has ended his time as a Yeovil Town player in a post on his social media.

The 22-year-old posted on his Twitter/X channel to confirm he had left the club before the club has published its retained and released list of players.

In the post, Sonny said: “Just wanted to say thank you to @YTFC for the past 2 years, would have loved to carry on and make more memories but that’s football. I’ve had some really good times and met some unbelievable people.  Massive thanks to the fans who support home and away, and for the supporters Player of the Season.”

A huge thankyou to Sonny for everything he has done in green-and-white.

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The Green & White Supporters’ Club is asking whether Yeovil Town fans would be interested in travel to the opening pre-season friendly at Exmouth Town.

The Glovers travel to face the Southern League Division One South side on Saturday 5th July, 3pm kick-off.

If you are interested in travelling, please send a message to Paul Hadlow on 07736 044570.

 

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New Yeovil Town owner Prabhu Srinivasan has told the club’s supporters he is targeting getting the club back to the Football League.

In an open letter published on the club’s website, the Dubai-based businessman said he would support these ambitions with “a larger budget than they have received over the past few seasons.”

He spoke of his desire to provide “steady and sustainable leadership” echoing comments made by executive chairman Stuart Robins this week that the takeover did not been the club would be bankrolled like the multi-millionaire owners which have overseen Wrexham’s rise.

In the open letter, Srinivasan said: “Like you, we are excited about the future. We will now start a period of development both on and off the pitch. In short, we want to put the businesses on a stronger financial footing. We understand that we need to invest to get the club to where we believe it should be. We are delighted to support the team on the pitch with a larger budget than they have received over the past few seasons.

“Let me be clear – we want to see the team promoted back to where it belongs, the EFL. That said, we are fully aware of how competitive the National League is and that the main priority is the long-term viability of the club.”

Prabhu Srinivasan, the new chairman and owner of Yeovil Town – yes, this is the best picture of him we can find at the moment!

He also set out his ambition to strengthen bonds between the club and the local community and confirmed he would attend an open evening to meet supporters at Huish Park on e can also answer any questions you have. We have scheduled the event for Thursday, 12thJune at 7.30pm.

An open letter fromPrabhu Srinivasan – in full

Dear Fellow Glovers,

As you might be aware, our family office, Inflection Holdings, has purchased Yeovil Town Football Club. We are delighted to announce this transition in ownership, marking a transformative chapter in the club’s history. 

We want to make a clear promise: we will work tirelessly for the values of this incredible club. Like you all, we want success on the pitch, but service to the community is equally important. You never truly own a football club; we are merely the custodians with a responsibility to provide steady and sustainable leadership for the foreseeable future.

As the famous Glovers song goes…

“A sign of a true supporter is the colour of their heart. 

Day or night we will be green and white…”

First, a note of gratitude. We want to thank Stuart Robins for agreeing to come in as the club’s Executive Chairman and joining our investment team. Stuart has done a remarkable job in his short time in a leadership role; he is a tremendous asset to our cause and a true servant of the club.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Martin and Jack Hellier for a swift and smooth transition.

There has been much written about the situation at Huish Park over the last few weeks. With the transition complete, I would like to share with you, our treasured fans, a little about who we are and what we have planned.

Me and my family…

I have over 30 years of experience in banking, retail, technology, travel, real estate, e-waste and wellness. More importantly, I have built one of the largest multi-sports youth platforms in India and the Middle East. My wife, Bhavna, is a seasoned leadership coach and business strategist, widely recognised for her contributions to entrepreneurship and wellness integration. 

Our son Sahil’s core passion is football. He has cultivated extensive football expertise, having trained in Spain, Germany, the UK & UAE under prestigious league clubs. He has designed proprietary programmes for youth training. His academic focus in sports science at New York University strengthens his deep understanding of football analytics and strategy. We now reside in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

Why we fell in love with the club…

The potential, size, history and uniqueness of this club is fantastic. We truly believe Yeovil is a special club in the most wonderful part of England. I quickly fell in love with the area. On my first visit I had the real pleasure of visiting local landmarks, including walks in Montacute House’s garden, a concert in Sherborne Abbey and viewing the rolling countryside. When you live in a desert, it’s nice to see green grass!

But above all, we appreciated the dedication and skill of the team working at the club. Behind the scenes, a small, dedicated team works tirelessly to deliver for our players and fans. We hugely look forward to working with them.

Finally – and most importantly – you the fans! I attended the last home game of the season against Sutton United. The club had kindly offered me a seat in the Tam Main Stand, but I couldn’t resist joining the vocal fans in the Thatcher’s End. I just loved bouncing around with you, despite the result. In that short interaction, you made a ‘stranger’ feel very welcome.

Looking forward…

Like you, we are excited about the future. We will now start a period of development both on and off the pitch. In short, we want to put the businesses on a stronger financial footing. We understand that we need to invest to get the club to where we believe it should be. We are delighted to support the team on the pitch with a larger budget than they have received over the past few seasons.

Let me be clear – we want to see the team promoted back to where it belongs, the EFL. That said, we are fully aware of how competitive the National League is and that the main priority is the long-term viability of the club.

Together a Team…

We are ready to work hard, be innovative and show determination to improve all aspects of the club in the coming years. We will always be honest and transparent with you. We want to foster a close and trusted relationship with you where you feel comfortable sharing your concerns and ideas.

We want to invite you to Huish Park for a meet the owner’s event. This will be an informal evening, where we can meet and chat through ideas. We can also answer any questions you have. We have scheduled the event for Thursday, 12thJune at 7.30pm in the Glovers Lounge at Huish Park. More details on ticketing for the event will be released next week.

What we ask of you…

The best way to show your support is to ensure you are with us at every home match next season! We have prolonged the chance for fans to buy season tickets at early bird prices. By purchasing your season tickets, you make a massive contribution to the club and ensure we ‘pack the park’. Let’s make Huish Park a fortress next season!

Our commitment to you…

We are committed to delivering success for you, our amazing supporters, key stakeholders, and the wider Yeovil community. We are here for the long haul. We want to build a legacy for the local community that we can all be proud of. Your support means the world to this football club, and we are counting on it as we look ahead to the new season.

We are all in this together

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New Yeovil Town owner Prabhu Srinivasan wants to  bring the community of South Somerset closer to the football club, according to executive chairman Stuart Robins.

The Dubai-based businessman completed his takeover of the club through his holding company Inflection Holdings from former owner Martin Hellier on Thursday after what Robins described as “a hard, long negotiation.”

Speaking for the first time since the takeover was announced, he told BBC Somerset reporter Jack Killah the reason why he had backed the deal with the Indian businessman.

Robins said: “I have had so many conversations with different suitors actually before Martin made his announcement. What was exciting about Prabhu and his family was that it was not just about the football club, it was about the whole community. When I got to know Prabhu, I got to find out about the community-related activities that he has been instrumental in. Because this is so dear to my heart and, as people know, I love this place and the club.

“It was important to me as a Yeovil boy that it was not just about someone who wanted to come in and be part of a famous football club, it was someone who wanted to make sure we could build Yeovil Town as part of the community and make it more inclusive for everybody and I think that is what Prabhu brings.”

Prabhu Srinivasan, the new chairman and owner of Yeovil Town – yes, this is the best picture of him we can find at the moment!

Who is Prabhu Srinivasan?

The club director, who joined the club’s board under the ownership of former chairman (NAME REDACTED) in May 2022, said that the new owner would be visiting Huish Park in the coming weeks with the club promising a ‘Meet the Owner’ night for fans.

He spoke about Srinivasan’s previous success in building community initiatives in his native India and his adopted home in the Middle East. He co-founded KOOH (Kids Out Of Home) Sports  in 2010 as an organisation which runs sports curriculum activities with schools across India funded by invested raised from private investors. You can read more about KOOH Sports in an article in Forbes India admittedly from 2016 – click here.

The businessman’s profile on professional networking website LinkedIn describes him as “a multi-faceted corporate thought leader and entrepreneur with over 28 years of multi-sector global experience in integrating strategy and operations to deliver outstanding stakeholder value.” To be honest, we’re not really sure what that means, but clearly it is a description not written with a footballing audience in mind.

It goes on to give his career highlights as being involved in 20 mergers and acquisitions (maybe 21 now!) with a number of major global investment firms, heading companies across the world employing up to 30,000 people, and describes him as “a serial entrepreneur” having been involved in businesses involved in sports (see KOOH Sports, above), e-waste management and  sustainable packaging.

Does this add up to multi-millionaire status? The truth is we do not really know, but Robins’ comments about “not doing a Wrexham“ would suggest not to get too carried away about a massive chequebook.

Asked about the new owner’s ambition and past history in sports, Robins added: “I do not want to steal Prabhu’s thunder because he will go in to much more detail when he comes over, but one thing that drew me to him was that his whole motivation in his (previous ventures in the Middle East and India) were to ensure his son Sahil was not stuck in front of a computer all day.

“He wanted to use the wealth and experience he has accumulated to make sure children were able to get out and play support and I am really pleased he is really interested in football because it gives us such a great opportunity.

“Prabhu and his advisors had done their research and they had seen there was a good opportunity to make a difference. We have gone through some difficult times since we were in the Championship (in 2013) and it has been a rapid decline, but we are now back on the way up. It is an opportunity to be involved in that.

“Whenever a new owner comes in, it is a new start and a new opportunity, I would not say it was a rebuild, but it is an opportunity to build bigger and better.“