David Coates (Page 2)

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With the end of another mad Yeovil Town season upon us and with at least one more year of National League Premier Division football secure, we I are looking to the future and speculating on what our squad may look like next season. There was a marked improvement in our play since the arrival of Billy Rowley, but this transfer window is huge especially with only eight players still under contract. Glovers’ fan WILL JONES has taken a look at some of the players who Billy Rowley could look at as summer transfer targets.

I’m sure we’d all agree the biggest improvement needed next season will be a bigger squad, therefore I’m making 3 suggestions for each position (except 1 for reasons I’ll outline), I’m not expecting all of them to be signed, far from it, but in certain positions 2 out of 3 being signed in a few places would be sensible to ensure that we’ve got quality and sufficient cover, even if it means having less star men style players, a ‘medium squad of solidity’ if you will.
When picking players I’ve favoured finding players who have previous links with either Billy Rowley or Head of Recruitment Jamie Hedges, as well players who are likely to be based in the local area, but there are a few wild cards thrown in here and there. 

Goalkeepers

Of course the ideal answer would be bring back Jed Ward, likely on loan, permanently if we’re going crazy. However I’m assuming his heroics for us will lead to him being poached by an EFL team, or a higher level National League side with deeper pockets, so we’ll be in the market for a replacement.
Max Harris – Weston-Super-Mare’s first choice goalie for the last few seasons, and this season he managed 18 clean sheets, massively contributing to Weston’s play off push. Good with his feet, even if the current Weston tactics don’t always encourage it, one of the best shot-stoppers at step 6, and at a good age to play for several more years at 26. Doesn’t appear to have any links with our current recruitment team, however if we’re analysing players in the local area and prefer to have a permanent goalie over another loan, then we seriously should be looking at Harris.
Mason Terry

Mason Terry – If we do elect to loan in a goalie and Ward is elsewhere then I would push for Terry on loan from West Ham as an option. Despite being in a relegated team with Braintree, he managed to keep 9 clean sheets and has had several fans naming him as one of their best players this season. Add to that the fact that in previous seasons he’s won multiple player of the season awards, he’s clearly got some real quality about him. I think with a more solid back line ahead of him than he had at The Iron he’d be a safe pair of hands with a decent amount of men’s football experience despite still being a youngster.

Jordi van Stappershoef – Maidenhead’s number 1, like Harris, kept 18 clean sheets this season in a very effective defensive unit and, unlike Harris, previously played at Aldershot under Jamie Hedges as scout. The Dutchman is an absolute giant at 6’6” and despite that he’s known for being a front foot goalie who steps well out of his goal, so he clearly has confidence in his own technical ability, my only concern would be how he never seems to have nailed down a first team position in a team for more than a season or so, but at 30 years old, he’s well in his prime goalkeeper years and may be a more mature head behind a younger team.

Centre Back

Centre back is one of the few places we’re reasonably well stocked at currently, with 3 players signed for at least 1 more year. However, for depth alone if we’re continuing to play 3 at the back then I believe 2 signings would be needed, especially another left footer who can cover for Wannell if he’s out of the squad. With that in mind this is the one position I’ve made 4 suggestions, rather than 3, 2 right footers and 2 left footers, you can also consider Declan Skura my unofficial 5th pick, but he’s been mentioned everywhere else, so I wanted to be different.
Rollin Menayese – A more experienced suggestion at 28 years old, the current Macclesfield defender has history playing in the Southwest, having previously played for Weston-super-Mare, Bristol Rovers and Swindon and was also at Aldershot when our current head of recruitment was there. With almost 100 League Two appearances under his belt and his very physical style, Rollin could be the sort of signing needed to bring some grit and nous to a team that likely will otherwise consist of younger players.
Dynel Simeu

Dynel Simeu – Released by Oldham after signing a short term contract, this ex-Chelsea and Southampton youth lad just screams of someone who needs to drop into the national league and find a home. From his youth days he’s used to playing on the right of a back 3 and the thing that stands out about him from highlights is his athleticism, particularly his high jumping, which makes him appear bigger than his 6’1” frame, combine that with his strength, lots of highlights show other players bouncing off him when jostling for the ball, and he could add steel to our back line. He has played a lot in the north since leaving The Saints but in interviews he said Southampton was his home and he may wish to live a bit nearer to home, I think he could be a solid squad player.

Cain Harries – Current Forest Green and ex-Woking and Aldershot player, Harries seems to have fallen out of favour, despite previously being almost ever-present and I think he could be a cheeky loan pickup with an eye for a contract at the end of the season if it suits both parties. Harries is the epitome of a modern ball-playing centre back, very comfortable stepping up into midfield and helping to dictate play from deep and at 29 he could be another experienced head to slot into the back line and bring a calm head in pressure situations.
Shadrach Ogie – Another ex-Aldershot player, albeit prior to when Jamie Hedges was there, who just got released by Gillingham. This is one of my shots in the dark in terms of prediction, but having been a bit on the fringes of the Gillingham team for a couple of seasons, he may be one who wishes to drop down to try and get more regular minutes. The two things that stand out about him are his aggressiveness, he always seems willing to step out and tackle players, and he often comes away with the ball, as well as his explosive speed, when allowed to run up the wing or support the midfield he tracks up and back lightning fast. He also has the added benefit of being versatile, having also played left back in a back 4 and left of a back 3, so could help out squad depth and cover for a couple of positions.

Right Wing back

A position really up for grabs with Josh Sims being let go and only really James Daly being able to play in this position, albeit one that no one would describe as his best position. Therefore this is an area of the pitch someone could stamp their authority on and help in implementing Billy Rowley’s tactical style.
Zico Asare – Currently at Harrogate, but would have been at Fulham at the same time as players like Jonathan Page, so may well have an existing relationship with Billy Rowley and possibly with James Daly, as they would’ve been teammates, so this one definitely could be a possibility. Despite only being in his mid-20s, he’s played over 100 games at National League and League Two level, so would be a more established player than some other suggestions in this article. Looking at Harrogate fan posts and highlights, the big thing that stands out about him is his pace and ability to recover ground and if we are going to play very high wing backs then I feel that this type of physical attribute could be massive.
Mitch Clark – This one’s a bit of a stab in the dark, as he’s mostly been based up north, but I think with his agency on twitter advertising him as being willing to step down, we could pick up an experienced and versatile player. Clark has played in both wing back positions and one thing that separates him from other options is his versatility to play on both flanks and both score and cross with both feet as he marauds down the wings, also seems to love a crunching slide tackle. With over 200 appearances at League One and Two level, including a promotion from League Two with Port Vale, he could be a great experienced head to bring into the dressing room.
Jacob Pinnington – Another Braintree player than we could look at snapping up following their relegation, described on multiple Braintree fan forums as their one bright spark, and often deployed as a high pushing wing back in a 3/5 at the back formation, much like Yeovil have played. JP is comfortable on the ball and a strong attacking threat, especially when whipping in crosses deep from the byline, his season unfortunately ended early due to injury, but he could be a serious young talent for Yeovil to snap up with an eye to potentially selling on later should his upward trajectory continue.

Left wing back

This position I feel is Ryan Jones’ and we would be recruiting for a backup/rotation option, so one where giving a younger player or a player stepping up a level a chance is our best option.
Elijah Morrison – He’s struggled to get consistent game time at Forest Green this season, but is massively rated by Bristol City fans, even if not by the manager, as 6 other players were played in the left back position this season without him being recalled. Has all the attributes you’d want from a wing back, runs his backside off, and doesn’t shy from a tackle or header. He may want to step up a level, but my hope is the lack of game time at FGR means other clubs won’t be sniffing around as much and we can snap up a talented local young player who improves our squad depth.
Jordan Norville-Williams

Jordan Norville-Williams – A player without direct links to our current recruitment team, but has played against Billy Rowley in the Surrey cup multiple times, so I’m sure he’s at least aware of him. His bombing runs up the wing played an integral part in Dorking’s impressive NLS season, he also can operate in both wing back and as the left of a back 3, so could provide solid cover for two positions in one, at 26 he’s at a great age to take up to the next level and see if he can shine.

Jordan Ragguette – Maidenhead had the best defensive unit in the National League South this season and JR is one that I think we should take a look at. He’s previously played for Salisbury, so he has links to the local area and if Ryan Jones is first choice next season, I think bringing in Raguette as a backup allows him to rotate and adjust into full time professional football and hopefully continue his decent record of goals and assists that he’s had so far.

Central Midfielder

This position has been a mess this year, despite seemingly recruiting only central midfielders for a short time, Page, Tobin, etc. we still had to massively rotate this position all the time, when arguably it’s one of the places where you benefit from stability, which hopefully 1 or 2 of these players can offer. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we see the likes of Page and Tobin as trialists in pre-season to be offered a chance to prove their fitness and potentially earn a contract, but I would like to offer some suggestions who I think represent a more immediate upgrade.
Lloyd Humphries

Lloyd Humphries – ex-Weston-Super-Mare midfielder who’s just been released by Eastleigh, Lloyd always impressed me when playing for the seagulls and was a player I thought he should’ve been looking at when he left for the Spitfires. A midfielder who mops up everything and never makes it look difficult, him mucking in and doing the dirty work would be the perfect compliment to players like McGavin. He’s never played further afield than Cardiff, so likely wants to stay in the area, at 28 he’s a good age and was almost ever-present for several seasons in Weston and his first season at Eastleigh, could be our Mr Reliable in the middle of the park.

Tyrese Francois – Released by Wigan, but was in the Fulham youth ranks for 10 years, so likely one that would’ve crossed Billy’s path at some point. He was highly rated enough to make a few appearances for Fulham and then after his release to be immediately snapped up by The Latics, however he only got around 20 games over 2 seasons, so at 25 he’s likely to want to drop down and play more regular football. As a player he’s small but very technical, equally comfortable sitting deep and shielding the defence before pinging passes further forward, but also willing to push up into a more box-to-box role where he can take a dish out quick passes, could be a lovely replacement for Mafico should he decide to go up a league into the EFL.
Korey Smith – A familiar face to those who’ve been around a while, but he’s changed a lot since he was a fresh faced Norwich loanee several years ago. Since leaving Norwich KS has captained Bristol City to a League One title and promotion in the same league with Derby a few years after that, to top that off he’s been a captain almost everywhere he’s been for the last 10 years and It’s this level of experience and leadership that I would want to bring to Yeovil. At 35 he’s hardly one for the future, but I think his style of play would compliment McGavin perfectly in our midfield, there is a question over his fitness, playing less than 30 games in each of his last two seasons, but I think bringing him in alongside a younger player he can rotate with, mentor and possibly offering him a coaching role as well and you’re looking at adding the sort of leadership and experience that we have been missing in recent seasons.

Attacking midfield

Another position where we arguably have our starters nailed down in Daly and McCormick, so potentially hard to recruit for. With this in mind I’ve again focused on younger players or up and comers who could be used off the bench or in rotation, but still offer enough to impact the team, Will Merry is also an unofficial number 4 for this list, but I felt it was boring to just suggest someone we’ve just had on loan.
Noah Coppin – He’s a name that’s been mentioned before and after another productive season in Salisbury, he’s made over 30 goal contributions in the last 2 seasons combined, I think he’s proven he’s ready to attempt to take the next step up. NC plays his best football in the pocket behind a striker and loves to drift inside and wide to pick up passes and link play, the exact sort of thing which could compliment a big lad up front and a wing back overlapping on the outside and his ability to burst forward at speed could mean he’s the lad to get on the end of crosses or pick up scraps to score.
Leo Pecover – He’s only just turned 18, but I’ve really rated this lad on loan at Weston-super-Mare from Bristol City, despite being so young he’s physically well developed and doesn’t get bullied by non-league defenders, which is often an issue when talented technical youth players step up to men’s football. His vision, passing range and ability to turn a player marking him tightly has won points for Weston this season on more than one occasion, so a loan where he can join a solid squad and impact games at the next level up seems like a sensible next step for him.
Lewys Twamley. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.


Lewys Twamley – I’m usually of the attitude to leave the memories alone when it comes to signing ex-players, but LT might’ve been the least Mark Cooper player we signed around that time, couple that with being played out of position and he predictably struggled. Having returned to Merthyr he’s managed 30 goal contributions, one every 135 minutes this season and I think giving him the option to tuck in behind a striker in a team encouraged to press and attack would play to his ability with his feet and passing vision, plus who doesn’t love a good redemption story?

Striker

Possibly the most important position to get right this season, what with Yeovil being one of the lower scoring teams in the whole division this season. Rowley’s tactics are good at making scoring opportunities, but ultimately we need someone capable of putting the ball in the net, which could be the difference between another bottom half finish and a play-off push. According to rumours we have already bid for Shaquille Gwengwe, which means he won’t feature here, although I do think he would be a solid addition should we pick him up.
Fletcher Holman – This is dependent on the lad wanting more game time than he’s had this season, having made mostly 30-45 minutes appearances from the bench, this could especially be the case if Swindon do reinforce their front line. Even with limited playing time, he still managed to bag 5 goals and 5 assists in just over 1,000 minutes of game time, almost 1 contribution every 100 minutes, which is an exciting stat for a fringe player. Profile-wise Holman is a classic quick number 9, always playing on the shoulder and looking to break beyond the last defender by taking the ball on the turn, but I also think his passing isn’t talked about enough, he’s frequently been willing to drift wide and whip in crosses that cause havoc in the opposition box and I think that could pay off massively for our number 10s, box-crashing midfielders and high wing backs.
Jonny Stuttle

Jonny Stuttle – Highly rated for his exploits in the Bournemouth youth team, scored 10 goals in 19 games in a loan spell for Farnborough in the NLS and had a short spell at Aldershot when Jamie Hedges was there. Unfortunately his rise was seriously derailed after he joined Walsall on loan this season and went down with an ACL injury which ended his season early. However, I would hope that Yeovil can capitalise on this and be the club where he gets his mojo back. Watching his highlights he consistently runs at and presses opposition defenders, has good footwork and is a confident finisher, the exact sort of striker who would massively benefit from the passing ability of McCormick and McGavin.

Kieran Wilson – Exeter have all but admitted that they have no cash to offer contracts, therefore this could present an opportunity to pick up a promising young striker for little to no cost, and that’s why I’d look at Wilson. He stands at almost 6’6”, so physically he’s massively imposing, but despite this the thing that stands out for me is his control of the ball and willingness to beat defenders, good touch for a big man is a cliche, but this lad definitely has that. He doesn’t appear to have any links to our current team, but with him having gone on loan to both Torquay and Truro this season, he could be tempted to take a step up into the National League full time whilst still staying reasonably local.
Will we see any of these players holding up the scarf? Unlikely, but it’s fun to speculate and I genuinely think that some of these players should be on our radar. Ultimately though I will say In Billy We Trust and I would ask for some Calmness from the fanbase and time being allowed for recruitment to be done properly. I believe we could be at a turning point in our fortunes for the first time in years, we as fans need to play our part and, as always, Achieve by Unity.

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Walton & Hersham have confirmed they have made a complaint against Yeovil Town boss Billy Rowley to the Football Association following “repeated approaches” towards is players.

The National League South new boys, who Rowley managed until his move to take up the Huish Park hot seat in November, have also confirmed the Glovers have made a formal approach for midfielder Mason Obeng, who has turned down a new contract with the Swans.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Southern League Premier South champions said: “The complaint also details concerns surrounding Mr Rowley’s attendance at the club’s end-of-season staff event, accompanied by Yeovil Town’s Head of Recruitment, where interactions with contracted Walton & Hersham players took place despite clear indications that their presence was not welcomed by club ownership.

“In addition, our complaint outlines concerns regarding inappropriate correspondence sent directly to club ownership, including the use of profane and threatening language, as well as further disparaging remarks allegedly made publicly about Walton & Hersham, its ownership and its officials.

“We believe Billy has made repeated attempts to influence contracted players regarding their futures, contributing to unnecessary instability within the club. This has been confirmed by Yeovil Town contacting us today, acknowledging that they’ve made a formal offer towards Mason Obeng after he rejected our offer.”

There has been no response from Yeovil Town yet, but Walton has said it has provided “a full account” Rowley’s actions and “has offered supporting evidence, including statements and material evidencing the conduct referenced in our complaint.”

The statement added: “While we had hoped these concerns would be addressed with the seriousness they warrant through the appropriate private channels, the lack of meaningful action or acknowledgement has left us with no alternative but to make our position public. The club remains fully prepared to provide further evidence to the relevant authorities should it be required.”

Obeng, 22, was named the Players’ Player of the Year at Walton following a season which saw him score 15 goals in his second campaign for the club. He arrived in the summer of 2024 having left Aldershot Town.

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Gloverscast Quiz #10

It's double figures as we introduce the tenth Gloverscast Fans' Quiz. With the season over, it's time to see whether you have been paying attention in the season which has just gone and test your green-and-white knowledge going back a little further. As ever, good luck to all giving it a go!

1 / 12

In his first season as a Yeovil Town player in the 2019-20 season, Rhys Murphy scored 20 goals in 33 appearances - but how many came from the penalty spot?

2 / 12

Rhys Murphy began his footballing career in the academy at which top flight club?

3 / 12

Against which club did Rhys Murphy score his first goal as a Yeovil Town player?

4 / 12

Which Yeovil Town player produced the highest xg (expected goals) in the 2025/26 season?

5 / 12

Who is the second highest points scorer in the Points Per Match statistics for the 2025/26 season?

6 / 12

Which Yeovil Town player has the highest Points Per Match in the 2025/26 season*?

* - the player must have played at least five games.

7 / 12

Who scored Yeovil Town’s first goal as a National League club on their return to non-League in the 2019/20 season?

8 / 12

Who scored Yeovil Town’s final goal as an EFL club in 2019?

9 / 12

Name the young striker plucked out of Yeovil Town’s youth set-up by QPR in May 2021 who was part of Lincoln City’s promotion-winning side this season.

10 / 12

Which local lad had to ask for time off from his job at Marks & Spencer to make his Yeovil Town debut in March 2000?

11 / 12

Who was Yeovil Town’s manager when we played our final fixture at their old Huish ground in the May 1990?

Huish

12 / 12

In 1981, Alan Skirton joined Yeovil Town as Commercial Manager and went on to spend more than two decades at the club. But which top flight team did he play for as a striker, making 145 appearances and scoring 53 games?

Your score is

The average score is 54%

0%

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Yeovil Town owner Prabhu Srinivasan has predicted a major turnover of players at Huish Park this summer saying that he expects manager Billy Rowley to begin with “almost a clean slate.”

The chairman said the club would release a list of the players it was seeking to retain “shortly” and said he will give the boss “a reasonably big budget” to rebuild for next season.

Following the conclusion of the National League Premier Division season, the Glovers have just six players under contract for next season – defenders Jake Wannell, Joy Mukena and Dan Ellison and forwards Luke McCormick, Ryan Jones and James Daly.

Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Jack Killah on Wednesday, the owner said: “The good thing is we almost have a clean slate. We’ll give you the retention list shortly, but it’s almost a clean slate and we want to make sure we augment Billy’s requirements on the pitch with a reasonably big budget.

Last week, he revealed the club had already appointed a Sporting Director for next season, describing the appointee as someone “has operated at Football League level.” The identity of the individual is still unknown.

The owner said his “intent” was still to secure promotion back to the Football League and added that the ownership group would focus its attentions on-the-field rather than making buying back Huish Park and surrounding land its top priority. Last September, owners Somerset Council confirmed that it had extended the ownership group’s exclusive rights to buy-back the land by two years.

On the potential buy-back, Prabhu said: “I think the council’s been very accommodating and been an open book with us. We have a buy-back till May 2028 and we want to get the stadium back as soon as we can, but again we’re just doing the balancing act of where the money goes first. Right now the money has to go into building a team for the pitch.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, I would say about 7 in terms of being priority in our mind, but we have to do the balancing act. The things we have done from an infrastructure perspective, we got the floodlights put up, which is EFL standard. We’re getting an entire drainage system set up right now as we speak, which will be EFL standard. We’re also doing a lot of refurb within the stadium to make sure that it’s EFL ready. Some stuff like locker rooms and restrooms, we need to make sure it’s EFL ready.

“We will do a lot of investments, but again we have to balance the act of giving more player budget for Billy versus what we need to do for the infrastructure. We will do that balancing act, but yes, we will make some investments in the stadium. The big one is the drainage system.”

The owner also spoke about the “clean up operation” that had taken place both on and off-the-pitch at Huish Park since his Inflection Holdings group completed its takeover from former owner, Martin Hellier, last May. He described the strain on the club’s financial position as “fairly high” following the takeover, adding he now saw “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Mark Cooper was sacked in August after the club picked up just four points from their opening five matches this season. Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Having sacked manager Mark Cooper at the end of August, the club saw the coming and rapid going of Danny Webb, the short-lived appointment of Richard Dryden before the appointment of current boss Billy Rowley in November.

Prabhu said: “I can just say it was Operation Clean Up. Everybody understands inheritance tax and we’ve had to pay a lot of inheritance tax for buying this club. There were many skeletons in the cupboard, so we had to do a lot of clean up. I think we started breathing easy from November when we got Billy on board, but before that there was a lot of stuff which we needed to clean up in the back end.

“We were just reacting to situations rather than being proactive. I’ve said this before, we just stayed away from what we needed to do fundamentally because we had to do a lot of clean up. Which most people don’t see on the pitch, there’s a lot of work which happened on the back end. There were past debts, we had to deal with the players we had, we had to deal with the managers we had before, and it was not easy.”

“We had to take some really hard calls and I’m glad we took them and I’m glad I went and saw Billy where he was manager before (at Walton & Hersham). I had to see him on the pitch what he did with the team, and that’s what clicked for all of us, and I’m glad he came on board in November.”

Rowley took over a side sat 17th in the National League Premier Division and finished the campaign one position better off, but the owner insisted he had seen improvements.

He added: “Just go stats,  goals per game has gone up by 20%, which is fabulous, and what I liked about Billy when I went and saw him in Walton was that he’s got a high tempo transition tactic – he creates an orchestra on the pitch. About 50-60% of the time the ball was in our possession, we were not chasing the opposing team and we also managed to get about circa 20% more goals per game. The other thing is he managed to get all the dribbles completed, 70% of the dribbles were completed, but before Billy  that was not the case. You can see on the pitch there’s a proper orchestra, where we lacked might have been in the defence, which is something we’ll try and fix for next season.“

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Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley is predicting a busy summer at Huish Park after seeing his playing budget increased by the club’s owners.

The Glovers’ owner Prabhu Srinivasan revealed this week that the club had also appointed a Sporting Director who is yet to be identified and, spoiler alert, his manager’s comments brought us no closer to finding it out.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah about his plans for the summer ahead of the final fixture of the National League Premier Division against Solihull Moors in a lunchtime kick off​ on Saturday, Rowley said: “In the last month or so, there has been the discussions with the owners. We weren’t fully sure we’d be safe (from relegation), so there was no point in planning for the long-term and medium-term, but now we’ve been given the all clear we can start really looking into the next sort of six to nine months and what that looks like. It’s busy time for us, I’ve got multiple Zoom calls this week with potential new signings and and players that I want to learn more about. I think the aim for us is to bring in some players have got a lot of ability, but just the right character and, and the right personalities to try and have a much better season than we did this season.

On the increase in his playing budget, he added: “When I stepped into this brilliant club, I was always aware of Prabhu’s ambitions and aspirations for this club. Sadly he’s not able to come over here too much because of where he lives in Dubai and issues with his visa and stuff, but whenever he is here, he fills me with a lot of confidence. I love sitting down with him and hearing about what he wants and what he wants from us as a management team and a staff. I’m very much looking forward to these next few months and if we get the right people in, the right players in, then we can stand here this time next year and have some, some really positive conversations.

“I had exactly the same experience two years ago (as manager at Walton & Hersham). I had three lads returning to my previous club and, and sat down with (assistant manager Darren Simpson) in multiple cafes in Surrey and planned a team. We built a team that finished in the play-offs the first season and have just won the league this season. So it’s something that I am passionate about, I would say it’s definitely one of my strengths and together with Darren we look forward to getting to work.”

Delano McCoy-Splatt is expected to miss out against Solihull Moors on Saturday | Photo by Gary Brown

Rowley will be without midfielder Delano McCoy-Splatt for the final fixture at the weekend after the AFC Wimbledon loanee dislocated is shoulder in last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at title-chasing York City, but he is expecting to have captain Jake Wannell and full-back Alex Whittle available to be named on the substitutes’ bench against Solihull.

The two sides are separated by just two points in the middle of the table with the visitors in 15th place having accrued 53 points from their 45 fixtures and the Glovers’ one place lower.

The Yeovil manager said: “I was thinking this the other day, it’s going to be our last game at Huish for the season on Saturday and every time I go there I genuinely love bumping into supporters. They’re there as early as three hours before the game, I love speaking to old supporters, new supporters about the present and the future and I always get a really good feeling from them. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, we’ve had some decent results, some poor ones, some okay performances, some bad ones. It’s been a learning experience for me, something that I’m very grateful for and I am pocketing every experience I’ve had and learning opportunity I’ve had. I know I am going to be better next season.

“I’m really glad that the game’s at Huish Park though because I feel like the energy from the crowd and it’s such a fantastic stadium. I was there two days ago just having some meetings and stuff and and every time you walk in there and you see the pitch in good condition, it gives you a buzz. So hopefully we can use some of that as motivation.”

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Yeovil Town owner Prabhu Srinivasan has revealed the club have appointed a new Sporting Director and agreed a playing budget increase for manager Billy Rowley.

In an update to supporters on Wednesday, the chairman said that the new appointment would be announced soon and described him as someone who “has operated at Football League level.“

The club will also continue to train at the SGS Wise Campus in South Gloucestershire next season having moved there last summer following the decision to leave the facility at Alvington.

The owner said: “Looking ahead, Billy will be backed with an increased playing budget, recruitment is already underway, and our commitment to developing local talent into the first team remains firm. First team training will remain based at SGS Wise Campus, which continues to provide excellent facilities that support both high-performance preparation and recruitment opportunities, giving players access to a professional environment that benefits their development and our long-term squad building.

“We are pleased to confirm that our new Sporting Director has joined the club, and we look forward to introducing them to you very soon. For a club with our ambitions, having someone in this role who has operated at Football League level – who understands what a joined up football structure looks like and what it takes to build one – is a significant step forward. Their remit is clear: to ensure that everything under our badge, from the first team to the academy, carries the same values, the same standards, and the same identity. That coherence is what separates clubs that grow sustainably from those that do not.“

Yeovil Town boss Billy Rowley will receive an increase in his playing budget next season, according to chairman Prabhu Srinivasan | Photo by Gary Brown

The update comes ahead of the final fixture of the season at Huish Park against Solihull Moors on Saturday lunchtime and the owner said the arrival of Rowley and his assistant Darren Simpson in November had led to “a clear shift in standards, stability, and the feel of life around the club.”

He added: “That shift required some hard decisions. We parted ways with individuals whose attitudes did not match the vision and values we are building this club around, and we navigated a number of inherited situations and historical matters that needed careful handling. I am proud of how the group responded to all of it.“

Off-the-pitch, the club extended its exclusive rights to buy back Huish Park and surrounding land from Somerset Council until 2028. The owner had previously spoken of an ambition to complete the purchase by the end of the current season, but described it as part of the ownership’s “long-term plan.”

He said: “Reuniting Huish Park with the football club remains a clear priority, with discussions ongoing. We have secured an extension on the buyback rights for Huish Park until 2028. This is an important step in our long-term plan to reunite the stadium with the football club. This season we have upgraded the floodlights to EFL required standards, improving pitch drainage, and enhanced the 3G pitch and lighting for youth and women’s access.

“We are also raising the bar on the everyday presentation of the ground, because Huish Park should be somewhere everyone connected with this club is proud to walk into. Historic financial commitments, including Sport England repayments, continue to be managed carefully as part of building a sustainable future.“

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Yeovil Town fans in the Thatcher’s End at Huish Park.

Episode #500 of the Gloverscast is coming up this Friday. We’re always honest with you, so the truth is we had something pretty cool lined up and, like Kyle Ferguson going down in a heap in a pre-match warm-up, it’s not going to happen in time to bring to you this week.

So, we want to hear from the people who really make the Gloverscast what it is – YOU!

That’s right, we want this episode to be you talking about your love of the club which brings us together and, you guessed it, we want your voice notes – keep them under 2 minutes long, if you can.

Don’t know how to send a voice note? Never fear, here’s some easy-to-follow instructions……

📱 Apple (iPhone)

  1. Open the Voice Memos app
  2. Tap the red record button and say your piece
  3. Tap stop, then tap the recording → Share
  4. Send it to us via email to gloverscast@gmail.com

🤖 Android

  1. Open the Voice Recorder app (or download one if needed)
  2. Hit record and give us your thoughts
  3. Save the recording
  4. Tap Share and send it to us via email to gloverscast@gmail.com

No idea what you would say? The options are endless, here’s a few ideas…..

  • How I started supporting Yeovil Town.
  • The game which made you fall in love with the Glovers.
  • The favourite or unusual place you have ever watched YTFC – we’ll accept watching on a stream in random places.
  • Your big hope for next season under Billy Rowley.
  • What you’d most like to see happen at Huish Park in the next 12 months – yes, a trampoline park IS realistic!

Let’s make Episode #500 about all the good things there are about being a supporter of this club – love, hope, ambition…..you can even throw a C-word (not THAT one!) in there.

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Yeovil Town lost their final away game of the season 3-0 to York City, who thought they had the league wrapped up at the LNER Community Stadium.

Here’s how things fared in North Yorkshire.

First half

Within the opening five minutes, York carved out two chances with Ollie Pearce going close and then Josh Stones stinging the palms of Jed Ward.

The front two harried the Yeovil back line throughout the opening 15 minutes with Stones a physical presence. He picked up a yellow card in the 18th minute for a over-zealous tackle on Dakarai Mafico.

Josh Stones on the turn inside the opening stages.

With 23 minutes played the inevitable happened as the visitors’ defence switched off from a quick throw in and Ollie PEARCE popped up with a header for his customary goal against Yeovil. Controversial though as replays appear to show there were two balls on the pitch just before the ball hit the net.

Ten minutes later, an error from Mafico almost gifted York a second as Malachi Fagan-Walcott tried to showboat inside the area, giving Yeovil the opportunity to clear.

There was a period as the game progressed we at least had a spell of pressure but, aside from a corner thanks to the efforts of James Daly, it did not lead to much. A hush fell around the LNER Community Stadium – which was pretty quiet as it was – as news of title rivals Rochdale taking the lead at Braintree Town filtered through.

But with two minutes remaining until half-time, they were back on their feet as Josh STONES doubled their lead. Unsurprisingly it was all about the power and persistence as he thumped home a second.

Half time: York City 2 Yeovil Town 0

Second half

If the task was not great enough, it got tougher as both Mafico and Delano McCoy-Splatt were withdrawn replaced by Harvey Greenslade and the lesser spotted Jonathon Page.
The first chance of the second half actually fell to Yeovil with Troy Perrett firing over the bar with two minutes gone.
But, with 52 minutes on the clock Jed Ward had the opportunity to show the television cameras what an excellent keeper he is. First making a great stop to push away an effort from Banks and then an even better one to keep out the rebound effort from Stones.
York defender Mark Kitching put an effort in to the side netting on the hour mark before Ward did well to deny another effort from Stones with his feet. Going the other way, Will Merry was against a bright spark down the left side. I like that his first instinct is to go forward whenever he gets the ball.
Will Merry on the attack
As the game pressed towards its conclusion, York brought on four substitutes with quality additions including Joe Grey and Greg Olley coming.
With two minutes of normal time, the previously silent (we’ll put it down to nerves) home support exploded in to life as news came from Braintree that they had pulled level against Rochdale. The title was coming to Yorkshire.
Two minutes in to second half stoppage Joe GREY curled home a third to add to the fervour inside the stadium.
The final whistle sounded with the home crowd waiting expectantly for the final whistle to sound a Braintree – only to hear that Rochdale had got a winner in the ninth minute of stoppage time. The title will be decided next Saturday when the two meet for a winner takes all tie.

Full time: York City 3 Yeovil Town 0

Match Details

Venue: LNER Community Stadium
Date: Saturday 18th April, 5.30pm kick-off

Competition: National League Premier Division

Scorers: Ollie Pearce 23 (0-1), Josh Stones 42 (0-2), Joe Grey 90+2 (0-3)

Pitch: Overall good despite the funny blue lines
Conditions: A beautiful Spring day

Attendance: 8219 (209 away supporters)

Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Dan Ellison 58
York City: Josh Stones 18, Hiram Boateng 76

Referee: Darren Drysdale

Yeovil Town

Substitutes: Jonathon Page (for Dakarai Mafico, 46), Harvey Greenslade (for Delano McCoy-Splatt, 46), Jaydon Biss (not used), Ollie Hughes (not used), Matt Gould (not used).

York City: Harrison Male, Ollie Banks, Hiram Boateng, Ben Brookes, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Alex Hunt, Zack Johnson, Jeff King, Mark Kitching, Ollie Pearce, Josh Stones.

Substitutes (not used): Daniel Batty, Ryan Fallowfield, Joe Grey, Callum Howe, Alex Newby, Greg Olley, George Sykes-Kenworthy.

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Cardiff City loan midfielder Dakarai Mafico returns to the Yeovil Town starting XI for today’s trip to title-chasing York City (5.30pm kick-off).
There is no place for Terrell Works with a hamstring worry keeping the Fulham loanee out of the squad.
There are just five players named on the Glovers’ substitutes bench for the fixture.

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Striker Harvey Greenslade is hoping he can finish the season with Yeovil Town well, but has admitted he will have to “see what happens” about his future at Huish Park.

The former Bristol Rovers frontman was the first signing of the summer of 2024 when he joined on a two-year deal following his release from the Memorial Ground and is one of a number of players who is out-of-contract this year.

He has managed just two goals in his 39 appearances this season, the same tally he managed last season, and his last goal came back at the end of August.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins ahead of Saturday’s trip to title-chasing York City, he admitted playing under four different managers – Mark Cooper, Richard Dryden, Danny Webb and now Billy Rowley – and not made it easy.

He said: “It’s been a bit hectic, I’ve not really had that before. I’m still young, so maybe I’ve not been as experienced as some of the other lads. With all the managers coming in, you want to play well for them, but they have all been really good to me. I wouldn’t say it has felt unstable, but we’ve all been a little bit in limbo at points, but now the ship’s a little bit steadied (under Rowley) and we want to make some progress and finish as high as we can. For me, I feel like I’ve played well at points and at times I could have been better, but I just want to do the best I can while I’m here for the last two weeks and see what happens going forward.”

Harvey Greenslade celebrates a goal.
Harvey Greenslade celebrates scoring his first goal of the season against Gateshead on Bank Holiday Monday. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The 22-year-old, who celebrated his birthday last week, has been asked to fill a number of different positions including at right wing-back in last weekend’s 0-0 draw at home to FC Halifax Town following a late injury to defender Kyle Ferguson in the pre-match warm-up.

Asked about his role, he said: “Whenever you’re called upon you’ve just got to give your all. Obviously, I’m a striker, but then I’ll be thrown in at right wing-back and you’ve got to do a job.  As long as I can help the team out, I’m not going to complain and I think people know that.

“It’s all about learning,  I just turned 22 and it’s all about getting more experience and helping the team while I’m here. I am just trying to improve as much as I can, taking on new things from some of the more experienced lads like Brett (McGavin) and Jake (Wannell). It’s just going to be a bit of a learning curve this season, but anything can help me improve then obviously I’ll take it on board.”

Yeovil have just two more fixtures remaining of the National League Premier Division season and travel to title-chasing York City on Saturday knowing their place in the division is already secured. The Minstermen could seal promotion to the Football League after more than two decades away if they win and second-placed Rochdale do not get maximum points at already relegated Braintree Town at the weekend.

Greenslade said: “I think these last two games for us are about expressing ourselves. Obviously, the lads have points to prove going forward, so we can put on a good show for the fans that are going to travel up and hopefully they get to see the net bulge and we can celebrate afterwards. I feel like one thing I’ll always do is give 100%. I think whether it’s to the gaffer, I want to show that I’m a professional player who can always give his all when I’m called upon and I’ll do my best.

“To me, it’s just another game we want to win. We could be playing Brackley and it would be the same kind of mindset. I feel like everyone’s going to be watching this game and looking at it and thinking “Okay, Yeovil drew to Rochdale a couple of months back and they could do the same to York.” Obviously it’ll be a tough test, they’re a top team with some good players. Some people might want it to go down to the last day, but if we can just go there and do our bit, get our three points and make our fans happy, then that’s what’s important to me.“