David Coates (Page 191)

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Yeovil Town Under-18s earned a 1-1 draw against their Dorchester Town counterparts at Avenue Stadium.

A goal from Finlay Skiverton, the 17-year-old son of Glovers’ legend, Terry, put the visitors ahead in the pre-season friendly.

In fact, it was a proud moment for the Skiverton family with another of his son’s, 15-year-old Aidan, also turning out for Yeovil.

A late equaliser from the hosts saw the game finish a draw.

The Under-18s lost at Paulton Rovers in their opening pre-season friendly and travel to Darren Way’s Plymouth Argyle Under-18s in their next match on Saturday.

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When a 15-year-old kid with a four barreled surname met then-Watford youth team manager Darren Sarll on his first day at the club’s academy, you can imagine the reaction.

In an interview with The Athletic, published in August 2019, the now-Yeovil Town manager is described as recalling the moment “with a smile“.

That player was Sonny Blu Lo-Everton who has become the Glovers’ boss’ latest signings after joining on loan from Watford until January.

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton in action for Wealdstone against Yeovil Town last season.

 

In The Athletic article, Sarll recalls inviting the young Scot to join his academy side in some hard running: “I remember after the third run of six I said to him ‘Come out, you’ve done enough, that’s enough for you,’ but refused and said ‘No, no, no I want to do what they’re doing.’

“Straight away he endeared himself to me because at 15 he gave a grown up answer — a big boy answer.

“He had his trainers on and I hadn’t seen him kick a ball but you get a scent of anticipation when you get a young player like that who reacts so maturely, so I was looking forward to seeing this lad with the ball at his feet.”

Having seen the youngster with football boots – as opposed to trainers on – Sarll described him as “the most intelligent footballing brain” who was “ridiculously balanced for a smaller player” with “great awareness of what was around him”.

The boss added: “He works hard, he tackles when he has to tackle, he confronts when he has to confront. But he’s got a real balance and awareness that says ‘you’re going to have to be really clever and sharp if you want to catch me’.”

The article goes on to quote Sonny’s father, Johnnie Everton, describing Sarll as “a proper friend”  as well as confirming he named his son after “a bright blue sky” rather than anything to do with Chelsea, where he has been a season ticket holder since the 1970s.

 

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Teenager Sonny Blu Lo-Everton has joined Yeovil Town on loan until January from Premier League Watford.

The 18-year-old forward turned out for the Glovers as a trialist in the pre-season friendly match at Weston-super-Mare where he was involved in equaliser scored by Tom Knowles.

He is described as “an exciting attacker can play across the forward positions” and is known to Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll from the manager’s time in the academy at Watford.

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton in action for Wealdstone against Yeovil Town last season.

Speaking to the club’s website about his arrival at Huish Park, the Scotland under-19s international said: “It feels great. We’ve got a good bunch of lads here, and with the Gaffer’s sessions, it’s been enjoyable.
“I think he (Sarll), brings the best out of me, he’s great to work under.”

The youngster has arrived on a deal until January 15 next year and seems likely to be part of the squad for the opening National League match at home to King’s Lynn Town on August 28.

His appearance in the friendly at Weston follows a number of appearances for Watford in pre-season campaign this season having turned out for the Hornets’ under-23s on a number of occasions.

He is under contract at Vicarage Road until next summer.

Lo-Everton had a spell on loan in the National League at Wealdstone last season, making 10 appearances including as an 18th-minute substitute against Yeovil when goals from Knowles and Joe Quigley sealed a 2-0 win in May.

He scored twice in a one-month spell with the struggling Stones who nose-dived in the second half of last season following the departure of boss Dean Brennan.

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The opening day trip to big spending Wrexham has been postponed due to COVID-19 cases in the Yeovil Town camp.

The tie had been due to take place at the Racecourse Ground next Saturday, August 21.

The news was confirmed by Wrexham inan article on their website which added:

All at Wrexham AFC would like to wish those affected at Yeovil Town well, and we look forward to meeting you later in the season.

Details of our re-arranged match against Yeovil Town will be posted in due course, along with relevant ticket information.

It was swiftly followed  by an article from Yeovil which said: “A new date for the fixture will be issued in due course.”

However, it did not take the Red Dragons long to get over us as they fixed up a  trip to Solihull Moors, whose match against Dover Athletic was postponed due to COVID-19.

The cancellation follows the postponement of the Glovers’ last two pre-season friendlies against Southampton B last Tuesday and the match against AFC Bournemouth Under-23s which had been due to take place this weekend.

As it stands, we will kick-off our National League campaign with the home match against King’s Lynn Town on Saturday, August 28.

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Yeovil Town‘s final pre-season friendly against AFC Bournemouth Under-23s has been cancelled due to cases of COVID-19 in the Glovers’ squad.

The club confirmed the match at Huish Park on Saturday was off “with the safety of both teams in mind ahead of their return to competitive football.”

All tickets will be refunded by the club. If you have a ticket, contact  the ticket office on ticketoffice@ytfc.net or call 01935 847888.

The cancellation follows the decision to call off Tuesday’s friendly with Southampton B due to COVID-19.

All of which means – unless something else is arranged – there are no further fixtures until the opening day trip to Wrexham on August 21.

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Tickets are now on sale for most of Yeovil Town‘s opening matches of the season – except for the opening day fixture at big-spending Wrexham.

The club have confirmed tickets are on sale for the opening six National League fixtures at Huish Park against King’s Lynn Town, FC Halifax Town, Altrincham, Maidenhead United, Notts County and Woking which takes you through until the end of October for you forward planners.

For full details and to purchase tickets, visit the club’s website – here.

Tickets for the Glovers’ second away fixture at Aldershot Town on August Bank Holiday Monday are also now on sale on the Shots’ website – here.

It is worth noting that no tickets will be available on the turnstiles, so make sure you don’t turn up without one.

There are seated and standing tickets available for travelling supporters which are priced the same, as follows:

Adult: £20
Senior (65 years+): £16
Disabled: £16
Junior (17 years and under): £7

If you are planning on making the trip to Hampshire, check out our Ciderspace Away Travel Guide to the Recreation Ground – here.

We are still waiting to hear from Wrexham about their plans to house away supporters for the opening day fixture in North Wales a week on Saturday.

It appears over-running building work at the Racecourse Ground is causing the delay.

However, if you do want to book a trip to the match, the Green & White Supporters’ Club are taking bookings – see here.

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Over-running building work at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground has delayed tickets going on sale for the club’s opening day fixture with Yeovil Town.

Responding to an email from a Glovers’ fan trying to get information on tickets for the match on August 21, club secretary Geraint Parry said the work may lead to the closure of part of the ground for the Dragons’ opening two fixtures.

The issue is caused by work to the Wrexrent Stand which houses 2,800 home fans behind one to the stadium’s goals.

Wrexham, who were taken over by Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at the end of last season, recently capped season ticket sales due to “unprecedented demand.”

However, what we do know is that the Green & White Supporters’ Club will be laying on travel to North Wales. Read more – here.

If you are planning on heading to Wrexham, make sure you check out outer Ciderspace Away Travel Guide – here.

 

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Taunton Town have launched a raffle to raise funds for Young Minds, the mental health charity which Yeovil Town has partnered with in memory of former club captain, Lee Collins.

The Peacocks, who host Darren Sarll’s side in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday night, are charging a minimum entry donation of £2 with “some great prizes” on offer.

To donate visit: http://gofundme.com/lee-collins-charity-raffle

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Yeovil Town midfielder Josh Staunton spoke candidly about his topsy turvy time at Huish Park when appearing on the latest Gloverscast, despite chatting about how ankle and knee injuries nearly ended his career let alone his season, the former Halifax Town man was still positive and upbeat about the Glovers chances this season as well as his own personal ambitions.

“We were all massively disappointed with last season and it is now time to put it right.”

“We have fresh group of players and at times, especially after seasons like we had last year, you need a refresh, you need new characters around the dressing room who have no association with the club.”

Staunton managed just a handful of games in his first season with the club, but having played plenty of football at National League level remains one of the more experienced members of the side, something which he believes he can use to his advantage following the the departure of Charlie Lee, Carl Dickinson and Jimmy Smith

“They (Dickinson, Lee, Smith) are huge characters to replace and they embedded something in the club and it’s now time for other players to step up, fill those boots and be those senior voices.

“Even when I was 20, I was a leader in terms of what I did on the pitch and off it and I think it is a character trait you have.”

Whilst the Captains armband has been worn by new signing Mark Little for the first couple of preseason fixtures, a role Staunton admits he’d like, but wouldn’t define his performances.

“I would love to be captain one day, the way pre-season has gone Litts (Mark Little) will be captain, he is an unbelievable character and a great character in the dressing room, It would be a huge honour to be captain of Yeovil, but I will do exactly the same in the way I play whether I am wearing an armband or not.”

Whether skipper or not, Staunton has joined a number of other squad members in outlining their ambitions to get Yeovil out of the National League and back where it belongs, in the Football League.

“If we went in to the season and we were not saying (we can get promoted), a club of this stature should be worried…A few of the more senior boys have set ourselves targets and our targets are clear, we have not come here to be part of this league for a long time.”

You can catch the latest edition of the Gloverscast wherever you get your Audio on demand,
or via the ‘Podcast’ page of the Gloverscast.co.uk

 

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Josh Staunton has revealed that one specialist only gave him a 20% chance of playing again after a knee injury which kept him out for most of last season.

The Yeovil Town midfielder spoke to the Gloverscast in a podcast which will be available on Monday about the injury which ended his season after just seven matches last year.

He recalled how during the FA Cup defeat at Stockport County last November he suffered an injury where he felt like his knee “exploded” and could not move it when he got back on the bus.

But, he played in the home game with Eastleigh just two days later “loaded up with painkillers” with the Glovers suffering an injury crisis at the time.

The 25-year-old recalled: “I was as good as useless, I had half a leg to stand on and every time I got the ball I felt uncomfortable.

“In hindsight, I never should have played but I thought I could get through for the benefit of the team and went for a scan and it was about as bad as it could be.

“There was a period of time where specialists were saying I would never play again. One specialist gave me a 20% chance of running properly again, so there was a time where I thought that was me done.

“Then I saw a different specialist and there was a bit more optimism and that triggered something inside me and I thought to myself ‘this is a chance to come back better’ and I had something to push towards.”

In a new episode of the Gloverscast due out now, Josh spoke to Ben Barrett about the tragic loss of club captain Lee Collins, the frustrations of the disappointing National League campaign last season and his hopes for the coming campaign.