David Coates (Page 32)

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That’s that then! As Yeovil Town made it 20 defeats – to surpass their total of draws by one – with a 1-0 defeat at Boreham Wood on the final day of the National League season.

Coatesie was among the 226 supporters in the away end trying desperately to avoid getting sun stroke on the terraces of Meadow Lane, here he desperately tries (and fails) to come up with an original conclusion.

 

Thank God that’s over. My overriding emotion at the final whistle was one of relief. Relief that for at least another three months I will not have to wait for the inevitable “moment we switched off” or hear my fellow supporters shouting “just f***ing shoot” as we enjoy possession and fail to have a meaningful effort on goal. Forget the off-the-pitch stuff (for now, see Conclusion #5), on-the-field this is one of the worst Yeovil Town teams I have seen in a long while and many supporters have told me they feel it is the worst they have ever seen. I’m not knocking the effort of some and the quality of others is undoubtedly there, there’s off-the-field issues which have played a part, but the stats don’t lie – those who have turned out for us this season have failed to deliver too many times. They have a relegation on their playing records now and (by and large) they deserve one.

Story of the season klaxon. It’s right up there with the ‘we know our problem is scoring’ and ‘things happening off the pitch aren’t helping’ in the list of Yeovil Town’s lines which are trotted out in every interview going – this performance was the story of our season. Concede a goal through failing to do the defensive basics, fail to turn up for a 45 minutes (the only question is whether it is the first or the second 45 minutes), and then spend the other 45 minutes dominating possession, huffing and puffing and failing to blow anyone’s house down. I lost count of the amount of times we got the ball, played it around and failed to test Nathan Ashmore in goal for Boreham Wood. When the club’s official Twitter account is talking about one of their own players and “fluffing their lines” to summarise Reo Griffiths’ 68th minute ‘chance’, it tells you everything. Though if it were a player with ‘less back story’ then perhaps the tweet would have been different.

Ollie Haste is some player. Let’s try and inject a positive in to these conclusions, Ollie Haste looks some player. He was obviously highly rated in our Under-18s set up and I seem to remember him looking a bit gangly, but a season on loan at Truro City has done him wonders. Against some very good centre forwards in Tyrone Marsh and Lee Ndlovu, he was brave in the tackle, powerful with his head and looked every inch the one who would throw himself in front of anything-type defender we have needed. I don’t think it’s true to say that him playing more would have changed anything this season, but I hope that we see a lot more of him next season. An honourable mention also to Benjani Junior, who it was great to see come off the bench for his first senior appearance.

Ollie Haste.

Do-do-dooooo, relegation party. Allow me to throw a few statistics at you.

Boreham Wood: 226
Wrexham: 217
Solihull Moors: 176
Aldershot Town: 526
Gateshead: 191
FC Halifax Town: 103

Those are the number of away supporters who attended our last half-a-dozen matches this season. At Meadow Park on Saturday there were inflatables being chucked around, singing, chanting ‘Yeovil til I die’ and even doing The Worm (Hi, Pete!). I’ve said it before and I will say it again, but this club has betrayed the unblinking loyalty of these people in recent years. I just hope they can begin to repay the huge debt they owe them – and soon!

Owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla (blue shirt) was joined on the terraces by Paul Sackey and Sky Andrew.

 

We’ve done our part (again), over to you. Which brings me neatly on to my final conclusion. Matt Uggla and Paul Sackey – accompanied by Reo Griffiths’ agent Sky Andrew – were in the away end until about a minute before the final whistle and telling people to “ask <INSERT NAME OTHER THAN THEIR OWN>” what was going on. Stuart Robins and Martyn Starnes turned up to glad hand people at the final whistle and were quick to say they couldn’t say anything about the cliff edge our club is at. No surprise whatsoever that Scott Priestnall (the biggest villain of this pantomime out of them all) was nowhere to be seen. The players have failed (honourable mentions, as standard) on the pitch, the supporters (see Conclusion #4) have played their part – and now it’s time to deliver. Enough of the ‘there’s something happening we can’t talk about’ and ‘if you only knew about….’, enough of the ‘it will be next week’, do something. In the same way the history books will reflect the failure of this squad this season, it is these people who will be judged by what happens next and history is unkind to losers. We’re judging you on what you do, time’s up – now do something.

Conclusion 5a. I promised him that if I got the chance, I would add in a conclusion which London Green, Mark Green, gives to me every match. That was sh*t. Mark, I could not agree more. Season over.

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Yeovil Town striker Jordan Young believes injuries to key players have cost the club in their fight against relegation from the National League this season.

The frontman, who has missed a number of games through injury since joining from Chippenham Town in January, played 77 minutes in the 1-0 final day defeat at Boreham Wood yesterday, but failed to find the net meaning he is still looking for his first goal for the club.

Just a few of those missing in Hertfordshire were defender Morgan Williams, midfielders Jordan Stevens, Jordan Maguire-Drew and Lawson D’Ath and striker Alex Fisher, all players who you would have had in your starting XI.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, he said: “After the (2-0 win at) Dagenham (at the end of January) I came in and I felt we were really in control and had a good squad, but injuries have played a massive part, we have missed some big players at some big times which is obviously not ideal.

“Obviously the new boys have come in and people need time to get used to everyone, that is probably the problem we have had.”

Yet again, the summary of the match was one of ‘a story of our season’, which Young summarised as: “We concede a bad goal which is probably a free-kick (for a foul on Scott Pollock in the build up) but we don’t mark in the box, concede and it’s a mountain to climb.

“We just struggle creating chances, and it’s not for the want of trying, everyone showed today what they are capable of. It’s such a difficult one to take.”

Having come up a division to arrive at Huish Park three months ago, the 23-year-old is now returning to National League South – including a trip to his old club ( “….Chip-pen-ham awaaaaaaaaaaaay…..”) – and believes there is enough in the Glovers’ squad to compete for a return next season – albeit with the usual caveats.

Young said: “I have come from that league and know what it is about and I think if we can sort things out, get a good squad together, stay full time, I think we will have no problems.

“I don’t think we are miles away, you can see today we are a good team at times and we just have to start afresh, come in for pre-season ready to go and have a good season next year.“

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Local businessman Martin Hellier has said he believes that Yeovil Town will go in to administration if the club’s on-off takeover is not completed soon.

The owner of Hellier Group, which has been sponsor of the Main Stand at Huish Park since last September, claimed he has been blocked in his bid to buy the majority shareholding of chairman Scott Priestnall despite having entered in to initial discussions at the end of last year.

In an interview with Three Valleys’ Radio presenter Adi Hopper, he confirmed his interest in buying the club and surrounding land owned by South Somerset District Council which he outlined in a message to fans earlier this week – see more here.

In the interview, Hellier said: “You cannot do (a deal) if the seller does not want to engage with you, and I say ‘seller’ on the assumption he wants to sell. You have to question why that person is stonewalling every effort for people to come in.

“Given the state of the state of the club’s finances, it is a bit like the homeless person you invited for Christmas dinner complaining that they didn’t get to carve the turkey!

“In this state, and it really is ‘put on your big boy pants’ time, in my opinion the club is going to go in to administration.

“All I can say with absolute certainty is that your owner will not enter any dialogue with myself, and if he is also not entertaining anyone else, it is a given (the the club will go in to administration).”

In the interview, he said claims a quarterly rent of £50,000 is due to SSDC next month and said he did not know how the club would meet the charges describing its financial situation as “reading like a Greek tragedy.” When Gloverscast has approached SSDC regarding the amount of rent which would be charged to the club and we were told: “These are matters for the owner to respond if he wishes.”

He revealed he had contacted SSDC around his interest in buying the land which Huish Park stands on together with surrounding ground which was sold to the authority in a deal worth £2.8m last May. However, he was told back in January the deal could only be completed if it was approved by Yeovil Town Holdings Limited, a company which has Priestnall as a majority shareholder.

Hellier added: “We have clearly stated we have no interest to build houses on that land for personal gain, it would be our intention to reunite the ownership of the surrounding lands and the stadium with the trading business of the football club.

“If there was any development of that land it would be directly for the benefit of the football club to bring in revenue streams which would help support it. It is time for people to act like the business people they claim to be to sit at the table and figure out.”

You can listen to the interview in full on Three Valleys Radio’s website – click here.

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Yeovil Town midfielder Charlie Cooper has said it has proved impossible to reunite the dressing room at Huish Park leading to the club’s relegation from the National League.

The 25-year-old, who joined his father, manager Mark, at the club in January following his release by Oldham Athletic last December, apologised to the club’s supporters for the team’s performance in a 3-0 defeat at home to his old club on Saturday.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, he was asked whether he thought all the club’s players were playing for pride after relegation was confirmed with a defeat at now-champions Wrexham in midweek.

He said: “It is a difficult group (to comment on). You have young lads in there, loan lads and with everything that has gone on, it is hard to pull the changing room together.

“The skipper (Josh Staunton) has done a great job of trying but when confidence is down you can see a few sticky situations today and we didn’t get going. The first goal put us on the back foot and it was just not good enough.

“A few weeks ago we felt like we were a strong group which was pulling in the right direction and even though we were not great, we were getting some results and I thought we were okay.

“It’s a weird one that has gone too far and it’s gone too far, it’s tough to pull a changing room like that together. If you were to go in there after games and even before games it is not a great place. I can’t wait for this season to finish, to be honest.”

Following the defeat inflicted by a brace from Oldham substitute striker Mike Fondop and an opener from Devarn Green, Cooper apologised to supporters in the Thatcher’s Gold Stand at Huish Park and repeated those apologises in his post-match comments.

He said: “It was not good enough and apologies to the fans who had to watch that. I know that is becoming a bit of a recurring message. I can tell you we did not set out to play like that, even though relegation had been confirmed we still wanted to start bright and give (the fans) something they could get behind. I said before about playing for personal pride, but as a whole it was not good enough.

“My shooting was horrendous today. We have got nothing to lose today and I think the build up play was fine but then when you get in that final third it is about going and expressing yourself but we didn’t see that.

“If I was a fan I would be raging, but they have to understand there is other stuff going on. They want the season to finish as well and as long as they are positive for next season, that is all they can do.”

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said he knows nothing more than he did this time last week about any group looking to take over as majority shareholder of the club.

Speaking ahead of today’s 3-0 home defeat to Oldham Athletic, the boss had said his future at the club depended on “which consortium” was taking over at Huish Park. But speaking after the match he appeared to clarify that he is only aware of SU Glovers as the buyer looking to take control from owner Scott Priestnall.

Asked about his pre-match comments by BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, Cooper said: “I said that because there is always different people trying to buy a football club, whatever club that is, I have not heard anything different to what I was told last week. So we are just drifting along, we will take the flack and take the blame but there needs to be somebody steering the ship in the right way. I will take the blame for the results, but we need some help.”

On the pitch, it was another dismal display as Oldham cruised to a 3-0 win which meant Yeovil have now lost 19 of their 45 National League games, picking up the same number of draws and just seven wins, the second lowest in the division after bottom club Maidstone United.

They fell behind after just eight minutes when Devarn Green struck. Asked about that goal, Cooper said: “An experienced player not defending properly, it is just a by-product of where we are, people switch off and don’t do their jobs properly. Everyone is frustrated and angry, there was no clarity of thought.

“The season could finish now and I would snap your hand off and try and get ready for next year. The last six weeks have been horrendous we know that, as a club, as a group, we need to regroup, re-recruit and come back ready to go for the start of next season.”

Cooper saw midfielder Matt Worthington limp off with what looked like a serious injury which could rule him out of the final match of the season at Boreham Wood next weekend.

Asked what needed to happen ahead of that game, the manager added: “On the playing side, that is down to the players and individual’s pride, they have to go out and again we have three or four who ran their socks off and made good decisions. That won’t change going in to that Boreham Wood game. For the club and the supporters it is more important that they get some idea of where their club is going.”

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Venue: Huish Park
Saturday, 22nd April, 3pm kick-off

Pitch: Slippy
Conditions: Dark clouds overhead which burst in the second half

Attendance: 4,016 (480 away supporters)

Scorers: Devarn Green 8 (0-1), Mike Fondop 74 (0-2), Mike Fondop 88 (0-3)

Bookings: 

Yeovil Town: Reo Griffiths 45, Charlie Cooper 78
Oldham Athletic: Liam Hogan 34, Nathan Sheron 45

Referee: Paul Johnson

Yeovil Town (4-4-2)

Substitutes: Max Hunt (for Jamie Reckord, 46), Zanda Siziba (for Reo Griffiths, 60), Young (for Matt Worthington, 64) Pollock (not used).

Oldham Athletic: Norman, Hogan, Sheron, Sutton, Reid (for Fondop, 58), Green, Kitching, Chapman (for Couto, 75), Yarney, Nuttall (for Sambou, 58), Gardner. Substitutes: Tollitt.


Match Report

Yeovil Town’s final home game of the National League season served up another dismal performance as they rolled over to gift mid-table Oldham Athletic a comfortable afternoon at Huish Park.

In front of a crowd of more than 4,000 supporters, an early goal from the visitors Devarn Green set the tone as an hopes of the players (with the usual honourable exceptions) playing for any kind of pride evaporated with a completely lacklustre performance.

In the second half, substitute Mike Fondop added two late goals to set the seal on a dismal day and a dismal season at Huish Park.

Here’s how it went down and kept dropping…..

 

First half

Yet again there was a changed starting XI named by manager Mark Cooper with first choice goalkeeper Grant Smith coming in place of Will Buse, who had appeared in the previous two matches, who had a heavily strapped hand ahead of the game.

You know what we’re going to say here, don’t you? The script was the same as almost every other one written from a Yeovil Town matchday this season and in the first minute a mistake by Miguel Freckleton gave Oldham a chance in the opening minute. Striker Joe Nuttall took up possession and fed Ellis Chapman, on loan from League Two Cheltenham Town, whose effort was deflected wide.

Six minutes later, the visitors were ahead. Try and act like you are shocked. A fantastic cross from the left hand side found Devarn GREEN on the back post and he fired home from close range. Good cross, good finish but non-existent defending from Yeovil. Captain Josh Staunton berated his team-mates, many of whom just trudged back to the halfway line. Same old, same old.

It took until 13 minutes for the first opportunity to fall the way of the Glovers. A mistake by Joseph Yarney gifted the ball to Matt Worthington whose effort was blocked by Yarney.

So we’ve had a slow start, a sloppy goal and very little going forward, what are we missing? Oh, a great save from Grant Smith. That came on 24 minutes when he made a smart stop to deny Oldham captain Liam Hogan, the ball looped up and Josh Staunton was there to clear it.

For the first half hour, there was no doubt which team was in charge of this. The visitors looked well-drilled, every player knew where their team-mates were and crucially they took their chance. For Yeovil, the passes were a yard short and there was no desire to make life easy for one another and there was zero going forward. Any kind of pride the home players were supposed to be playing for, it was sadly lacking.

To quote our very own Ian Perkins who was co-commentator for BBC Radio Somerset: “That’s why we are where we are and why we are going where we are going.”

Charlie Cooper had a couple of opportunities from free kicks. On 33 minutes, his ball across the box failed to find anyone in a green-and-white shirt and three minutes later after good play from Chiori Johnson saw Cooper attempt a shot – but it wasn’t on target. Sigh.

Cooper seemed to be on a mission to score against the club and on 43 minutes a good combination with Worthington presented him with an opportunity a fair way out. High, wide and not so handsome.

Going forward, the only piece of enthusiasm from Reo Griffiths, who appeared to be playing in behind Malachi Linton and Andrew Oluwabori, came when he squared up to an Oldham player and got his name taken by the referee.

 

Half time: Yeovil Town 0 Oldham Athletic 1

Second half

Max Hunt replaced Jamie Reckord at half-time with a flat back four being retained (something to cheer about, at least) as Freckleton moved across to the right and Chiori Johnson shifted across to the left.

On 49 minutes, Cooper conceded a free-kick and Oldham took it quickly, despite referee Paul Johnson not sounding his whistle, and Smith had to scramble back as the effort from Mark Shelton looped over him and came off the top of the bar. A couple of inches lower that was 2-0.

A chance opened up for Reo Griffiths soon after but the on loan Doncaster Rovers man tried the delicate side foot rather than just putting his laces through it. Add that one to Yeovil Town 2022/23 Bingo card – anyone got a line yet?

If you wanted a bit of a sign there was some passion in this side, there was a bit of a dust up on the touchline when visiting boss David Unsworth and Yeovil assistant Chris Todd. That led to the pair of them being yellow carded before shaking hands.

On the hour mark, Zanda Siziba replaced Reo Griffiths with Malachi Linton moving in to the middle of a front three along with Andrew Oluwabori. Then two minutes later Matt Worthington went down – never a good sign – and was replaced by Jordan Young. Worthy walked past the Thatcher’s Stand on his way round to the Yeovil technical area. If that is the last we see of him at Huish Park, what a shame.

On 74 minutes it was absolutely over. A ball over the top of Max Hunt sent substitute Bassala Sambou away and he ran towards Smith before cutting the ball back and setting up strike partner Mike FONDOP-TALUM who slotted in to an empty net. Some home supporters headed to the exits at that point and it’s hard to argue with them.

Smith made a good save to deny Sambou on 87 minutes before FONDOP completed the rout with his second and Oldham’s third. The big striker side-footed in the third. So, so easy.

From the first minute until the last minute, it was another dire performance from Yeovil. Big changes need to happen in every department of the club before a competitive ball is kicked at the start of next season.

Full time: Yeovil Town 0 Oldham Athletic 3

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Goalkeeper Grant Smith returns to the Yeovil Town starting line-up for the final home game of the season against Oldham Athletic (3pm kick-off).

We understand that his understudy Will Buse, who impressed despite conceding three goals at league leaders Wrexham on Tuesday night, is out with a broken finger.

The other changes see Chiori Johnson come in for the injured Owen Bevan, loanee Jack Clarke replaces Scott Pollock in midfield and striker Malachi Linton is in for Zanda Siziba.

Siziba and Pollock are among only four substitutes named on the bench alongside Max Hunt and Jordan Young.

 

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Yeovil Town director Stuart Robins has said he is “working on taking the necessary steps to put this football club on the correct path” – but is still unable to update supporters on the future direction of the club.

The shareholder, who owns a 20% stake in the club alongside majority shareholder Scott Priestnall, apologised to supporters for a disastrous season which has seen them relegation to the sixth tier of English football, National League South, for next season.

Writing the matchday programme ahead of today’s final home game of the season against Oldham Athletic, he said: “Looking forward, we are working on taking the necessary steps to put this football club on the correct path. As soon as I am able to, I will provide a detailed update on club matters. I appreciate you have all been extremely patient over the past few years, and once again, I thank you for that.”

The comments following years of uncertainty about the ownership at Huish Park with Priestnall not seen at the club for almost a year and owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla on a self-imposed ban on speaking since his outburst against manager Mark Cooper earlier this month – see here.

We are now almost two months since the “stewardship” of SU Glovers, a company led by Uggla and his mother, Julie-Anne, supported by former England rugby player Paul Sackey, was announced and, despite repeated promises to the contrary, it shows no sign of being resolved.

Since relegation was confirmed in the week, a deafening silence was only broken by a statement from club captain (and the only true leader in the building) Josh Staunton – read that in full here.

In his pre-match press conference, Cooper referred to the fact there may be more than one consortium in the running to take Priestnall’s 72% majority shareholding. You can read more about that – here.

In his notes, Robins added: “I’d like to open my notes with a thank you and an apology. This season has been difficult, we can’t look at it any other way, but despite that your support has remained; I thank each and every one of you all. After the game against Eastleigh, I would never have thought we’d be in the position we are now. I realise I am privileged to be a shareholder and director of the club I love, and I take my responsibility to you all very seriously but firstly I’m a fan, and like it does for all of you, this hurts me deeply. It is now my responsibility to help build Yeovil Town back to where we all want it to be. 

“I want to publicly thank and commend Mark Cooper, Josh Staunton and the rest of the Yeovil Town players & staff for their conduct on Tuesday evening. In a night that was bitterly disappointing, both Mark and Josh stood up and gave powerful interviews which truly highlighted the feeling around the club. I can assure you they care deeply and their sentiment is shared by me. We have to be better as a collective to start rebuilding in the National League South next season.“

You can read the director’s statement in full – here.

From us here at Gloverscast, we appreciate Stuart making an apology and hope that whatever he is “working on” will lead to a better future at the club.

However, it is those in control of the majority shareholding – be that Priestnall or Uggla – that needs to speak and give answers on the direction of the football club they claim to care for.

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said that his future at Huish Park depends on “which consortium” takes control of the club.

The boss was asked about his future ahead of the weekend’s final home match of the season against Oldham Athletic tomorrow and indicated there was more than one group in the running to take charge.

Up until this point it appeared that only one group, SU Glovers led by owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla, was in the running to take over a majority shareholding from current owner Scott Priestnall, but Cooper’s comments suggest at least one other party is involved.

Asked if he had any news on the deal, he said: “We have not heard anything. When you get told it is done or that it is going to get done in the next 24 hours or 48 hours and that does not happen for another few months, there is going to be huge frustration.

“I just feel sorry that the club from where it was (in the Championship ten years ago) it is such a shame. We need to start planning now to get back and the first part of that is trying to build a squad that can win a lot of games in National League South next year.”

Then, asked about whether he saw himself having a future at the club, Cooper added: “That remains to be seen. I have two years left on my contract, but contracts don’t mean a lot, do they? So that will depend on which consortium gets the football club I would think.”

Now you are probably thinking, what question was asked next to clarify the comment around a new potential buyer. We’re thinking it as well. The Gloverscast has not been invited to a Yeovil Town pre-match press conference for a number of months.