David Coates (Page 5)

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Midfielder Brett McGavin has hailed the impact new manager Billy Rowley has had on the Yeovil Town squad since arriving at the club.

The 25-year-old made his comeback from almost two months out with injury to play a major role in the Glovers’ 2-1 home win over Boston United in the the boss’ first game in charge last weekend.

They travel to Hartlepool United this weekend looking to turn their first victory in eight matches in to a run.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday, McGavin said: “It has been a whirlwind, we knew very late about Billy coming in, but he has been a breath of fresh air for everyone. He did not have much time, so we just gave him that full energy and full commitment for 90 minutes. He gave us that freedom to go and play and I thought that, particularly in the second half against Boston, we were excellent.

“It is quite clear he wants a specific style and I feel as if I can fit in to that style. Lots of passes, lots of time on the ball which I enjoy. Whether I am scoring goals, creating goals or even just keeping the ball ticking over for this team, I am happy to do any of that.

“The second half against Boston should be us and I think will be us in the future. There is going to be bumps in the road because he is a new manager and we are an old manager’s team, so it is going to take time but I feel like there is a lot of positivity in the group and we feel we are going to be okay.”

Luke McCormick and Brett McGavin – McMidfield – Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

It was two goals from his midfield partner, Luke McCormick, which earned Yeovil victory last weekend and McGavin admitted the players were as relieved as supporters to pick up three points.

He confessed: “We needed three points desperately and you can see from the video which appeared on social media that we were over the moon. We felt that desperation for three points as much as the fans and we were delighted we could get them. Every footballer will tell you, training is always better after you get three points. Training has been lively and bubbly and that is credit to the staff.”

Asked about Hartlepool, he added: “They are a really tough, direct and strong team and they have been like that for a couple of seasons now, so if we want three points we are going have to be on top of our game. We will always try to impose our style and if I think we do that we can have a really good day.”

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Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley has set out a vision to build a side with young players at its core as he bids to move the Glovers up the table.

The boss, who joined from Southern League South side Walton & Hersham last month, said he was aligned with the club’s owner Prabhu Srinivasan in his “blueprint” for how he wants to build the club, mirroring the success he enjoyed at his former club.

The Glovers make the long journey to the North East to face Hartlepool United this weekend having picked up their first win in eight matches with a 2-1 home victory over Boston United in Rowley’s first game in charge last Saturday.

Asked by BBC Somerset reporter Jack Killah about his conversation with the owner, Rowley said: “He is a very passionate guy, very articulate and grips you when he talks and sells his vision very well. The club is steeped in history and he wants to keep it simple. He wants to build connections with the community through the players, he wants us to play with a clear style and recruit young and hungry players and that is everything I want to do as well as a football manager.

“I value young players whilst not discriminating against older lads but generally a younger lad will run a bit harder and they are hungry and enjoyable to work with. We had great success working with young players at Walton (& Hersham) where we had the youngest team in the league last season and most possession in the league. How (Prabhu and I) are aligned in our blueprint of what we are want to do is very close.”

According to Transfermarkt, Yeovil currently have the tenth youngest squad in the National League Premier Division with an average age of 25.3 years. FC Halifax Town are the youngest at 23.3 years and Brackley Town are the oldest at 28.

Their opponents at the weekend, Hartlepool United (26.4 years, if you’re wondering), are in good form having won four and drawn three of their last seven league games since they sacked Simon Grayson as manager in October, replacing him with interim boss, current squad member Nicky Featherstone. The midfielder was an unused substitute when they held the Glovers to a goalless draw on the opening day of the season at Huish Park.

Josh Sims misses out on a 50-50 ball to Hartlepool keeper Harvey Cartwright.
Josh Sims, who is a doubt for this weekend with an tendinitis, in action against Hartlepool on the opening day of this season. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Rowley said winger Josh Sims was the only injury doubt for the match suffering with tendinitis in his Achilles Tendon, but confirmed full-back Alex Whittle, who was not in the squad for the win over Boston, would be available having overcome illness.

On Hartlepool, the Glovers’ boss said: “They are a solid team, very good at what they do. When you go up North to those types of places it is going to be a real battle, I am not sure the pitch is in the greatest condition which may affect how we approach the game. It is going  to be an incredibly tough game for us, an enjoyable experience which I am excited about. We are going to have to be at our best.”

Asked what he hoped to learn about the National League, he added: “I have learnt a lot already, even in the 90 minutes (against Boston) last Saturday, I am watching a lot of games with Darren (Simpson, assistant manager) and Sam (Curry, the club analyst) and I am learning things about the players. You can see the intensity of the way teams do things in transition, attacking and pressing the ball quicker is obvious, so we may have to adapt. One thing I back myself in is being a quick learner, I have been adaptable in my career.”

Having added defenders Dan Ellison and Michee Efete in recent months, the Glovers’ squad is looking less lightweight than when they last faced Hartlepool back in August. Rowley has said he is still assessing the quality of his squad and whilst not ruling out the possibility of bringing in new faces, he appears in no rush to recruit.

He said: “I really like all the lads, they are all good players and we are definitely under-performing and in the last four or five training sessions I have been working with them, I am really excited to be working with them. I am really confident we can go and get some wins with this group, whether that means we do add one or two players in the next few weeks, we are open to that but it is not something we are chasing necessarily. Injuries happen and certain styles might not suit certain players, but it is not something we are screaming for at the moment.“

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Gloverscast Fans' Quiz #5

Welcome to the fifth Gloverscast Fans’ Quiz – where Yeovil nostalgia, eyebrow-raising trivia, and a little bit of chaos collide. We test your knowledge of cricket legend Ian Botham's time in green-and-white and have a section dedicated to the nicest man in football, fans' favourite, Alex Fisher. Whether you're here to flex your encyclopaedic YTFC memory or simply to enjoy some gloriously niche questions, settle in. Let the games begin… and may your guesses be luckier than some of our former trialists’ contracts.

1 / 12

Who was the club’s shirt sponsor when we played Arsenal in the FA Cup third round in 1993?

2 / 12

England and Somerset cricket legend Ian Botham played 12 times for the club in the mid-1980s, how many goals did he score in his 12 appearances?

3 / 12

Who was chairman when Yeovil Town made the move to Huish Park in 1990?

4 / 12

The 2019-20 season was cut short in March due to the outbreak of COVID-19, how many regular games (not including the play-off eliminator) did Yeovil Town play in the National League?

5 / 12

Yeovil Town clinched the National League South title with a 2-0 win against Truro City (in Gloucester!) on 11 April 2024. Who opened the scoring?

6 / 12

Ciaran McGuckin was Yeovil Town's third highest scorer last season with five goals, but which club he join us on loan for?

7 / 12

In March 2024, Yeovil Town set a National League South record attendance at their 3-0 home win over Torquay United. How many fans were inside Huish Park?

8 / 12

The 2022-23 season when Yeovil Town were relegated to National League South, we scored the fewest goals in our history - how many did we score?

9 / 12

How many Yeovil Town players scored a hat-trick in the 2023/24 season when we won the National League South title?

10 / 12

Alex Fisher's first spell as a Yeovil Town player began midway through the 2017-18 season, against which club did he make his debut?

11 / 12

Alex Fisher suffered a horrific leg break playing for Yeovil Town in April 2023, which club was he playing against that day?

12 / 12

In his final season as a Yeovil Town player in 2023/24, Alex Fisher came a National League South champion and went out on loan but to which club?

Your score is

The average score is 57%

0%

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Two goal hero Luke McCormick said he feels he can bring more goals to his game after moving in to a more natural position in Yeovil Town’s 2-1 home win over Boston United.

The former Bristol Rovers’ midfielder struck twice in the second half to end a run of eight games in all competitions without a win and earn new manager Billy Rowley a winning start to life in charge at Huish Park.

The 26-year-old, a summer signing following his release from the Memorial Stadium, was reunited in the McMidfield alongside Brett McGavin in midfield today and felt the combination can bring even more goals to his game. The brace takes him up to five for the season, moving him ahead of Junior Morias in the Glovers’ goal-scoring charts for the season so far.

He told BBC Somerset reporter Josh Perkins: “I think I score more, I have been playing in a double pivot which is not my best position, doing a lot more defensive work when naturally I am a box-to-box number eight. To have Brett back is huge and the players who have stepped in today when they have been on the sidelines a bit, that is credit to them and their professionalism. For me, it is nice to be a bit higher up the pitch.

“I said to James Daly in the car this morning, I said ‘I will score a tap in off a little ricochet’ today! I am trying to manifest that a bit and that was the first goal, and then the second one was just about staying calm and trusting my left side.”

Luke McCormick. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

Having put the Glovers 2-0 up with just 12 minutes of normal time remaining, Boston’s Dylan Hill set up a nervy finish when he pulled a goal back in the 84th minute. McCormick said the resilience his team-mates showed to hold on for the three points was evidence of the unity among the squad.

He said: “We needed a result, we want to start winning more games in general and especially at home and that is what we have done today, so we are all delighted. It means everything to the boys. A change can sometimes be a good or a bad thing, for the players it has been difficult, the people who have been involved have done a great job which people might not have seen but they did.

“To stick together as players like we did, especially to score twice and then concede late, to dig in and show some unity and togetherness is what we needed today.”

Rowley spoke highly of McCormick’s performance in his post-match comments and the midfielder was quick to return the compliment saying he hoped the new boss could help build something at Huish Park.

He said: “It has been really good, there has been a lot of information, but it has all been good, clear cut stuff and I think we have taken it on board. There are going to be times where we look a bit shaky or disorientated but two days on the training ground and we are trying to build something which is going to be positive moving forward, not just for now, it is a bit of a process. If we can win games and get back to the middle of the table, why can’t we be a little dark horse towards the latter stages of the season? I am just delighted today.“

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New Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley said a half-time change of tactics was behind him making a winning start to life at Huish Park with a 2-1 victory over Boston United today.

The Glovers’ boss introduced wing-back Michee Efete at the break as he shuffled his formation and the change paid off with midfielder Luke McCormick netting twice in the second half before the visitors’ Dylan Hill pulled one back after 84 minutes to set up a nervy finish.

It was a result which ended a run of eight games in all competitions without a win and McCormick’s strikes were the first in more than a month.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the game, Rowley said: “It was a very special day for me and Darren (Simpson, assistant manager), we have been together a while and worked really hard to get to this stage and I am just so happy we could put on a performance for the fans, even if it was not an amazing one, but a decent enough one. We scored two goals and got a win and I am just so pleased for the lads as well, the first few days of being here I have noticed they have got a lot of character and determination and I really want to help and keep winning some games.”

On the half-time switch, he added: “We were just trying to play behind them a bit more. I felt like they were giving us space behind, I did not think we used it well enough (in the first half), I felt like we needed to run a bit more and actually risk the ball a bit more. The boys were losing their feet on the pitch and the boys were trying to play in tight spaces around our box and it was just a bit loose and the execution was off, so we just tried to open up the game a little bit for them and make it a bit easier. Fergie (Kyle Ferguson) has hit a few balls in the channel, JD (James Daly) has started to run that channel a bit better and we started to get a bit more joy. The more you go long, the more likely you are to be stretched and get done on the counter attack, but sometimes you have to take those risks and the boys did it well.”

Billy Rowley salutes the Thatcher’s at the end of the match. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown.

The boss was full of praise for goal hero McCormick who took his total for the season to five and moved ahead of Junior Morias to the top of the Yeovil goal-scoring charts.

Rowley said: “What a player! The first thing I said to him after watching the first training session was that he is an unbelievable footballer. He can use both feet, he can run, he can use the ball in tight spaces, he can pass, he’s a great receiver and I think he can play in a few different roles and I think he has wanted to play higher up the pitch recently because he has that goal threat and I am just glad we could use him in that role. He took both his goals really well.”

But, McCormick was not the only player who the manager was impressed with, there was also praise for substitute Efete and returning midfielder Brett McGavin, who played 71 minutes in the win on his return from injury which has kept him out for almost two months.

The boss added: “I thought Brett was unbelievable, he is an unbelievable player. He has done a few things in training this week which have made me smile and he has done multiple today and he is a class act. I thought Mich (Michee Efete) changed the game for us when he came on, we did some bits in training on Thursday and Friday from wide right positions, he’s a great athlete and his delivery is really good, so we opened up probably another slot for him to play there. He was great as well.”

Having only been installed at manager on Tuesday, Rowley said pre-match that he and his assistant Darren Simpson had only had two days to work with the players. He now has a full week on the training pitch in south Gloucestershire ahead of next weekend’s long trip to Hartlepool United.

He said: “I am living out of a suitcase at the moment in the hotel, and I still have some things to plan and some staff to meet. I am looking forward to getting going now, I know the club, met some great people here today and every week I think I am going to feel more comfortable here and more familiar with the lads, so I am looking forward to it. I have always been keen to make the move and taking the sacrifices which come with professional football, I have lived in two or three different countries in my life, so I am used to it. In the next few weeks it is all about feeling settled and trying to produce some training and ideas for the boys to bring a lot of clarity to performances and get them playing well.“

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New Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley has said he wants to evaluate his squad of players before he looks at bringing new faces in to the squad at Huish Park.

The boss has made three changes to his starting XI for his first match in charge of the Glovers with striker Tahvon Campbell, midfielder Brett McGavin and defender Kyle Ferguson all brought in to face Boston United at Huish Park.

Junior Morias and Finn Cousin-Dawson, who started the goalless draw at Morecambe seven days ago, are both on the bench but there was no place for Alex Whittle or loanees Andrew Oluwabori or Leo Ramirez-Espain.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins before the game, Rowley said: “There was talk about getting new players in the building bit I always wanted to evaluate the boys I have here first and build a relationship with them first and then take it from there. I like lads to enjoy training, enjoy the games, that is how I work.

“We have been working a lot on our build-up work this week to secure build up better and find opportunities to get in the opposition’s final third with a bit more control and organisation. Hopefully we see that today. I might have overrun the boys a little, but I think the running and energy should be there for them.”

The 43-year-old was appointed as manager replacing Richard Dryden on Tuesday having left his former club Southern League South leaders Walton & Hersham on Monday and had two training sessions with his squad.

He said: “It has been a hectic week, but an enjoyable one. My first observation is they are a great group of lads, I only got on the training pitch with them on Thursday and Friday and they have worked so hard. It has been difficult to get through all the work we wanted to get through in the time we had, but we are pretty happy with what we have got here. Time will tell, but we are looking forward to 3pm now.”

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New Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley has made three changes from last weekend’s goalless draw at Morecambe as he takes on Boston United for the first time in the dug-out at Huish Park this afternoon (3pm kick-off).

Striker Tahvon Campbell, midfielder Brett McGavin and central defender Kyle Ferguson, who had been left out by previous boss Richard Dryden, all return with Junior Morias and Finn Cousin-Dawson dropping to the bench and Alex Whittle not named among the substitutes. Michee Efete, who has not featured since the 1-0 defeat at Scunthorpe earlier this month,  is on the bench.

There is also no place for loanees Andrew Oluwabori or Leo Ramirez-Espain among the substitutes.

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The Rowley revolution gets underway at Huish Park this weekend as Yeovil Town begin life under new manager Billy Rowley with a home match against Boston United.

FORM…

Yeovil Town

Yeovil ended their three game run of defeats and extended their run without a win to eight matches with an uninspiring goalless draw at Morecambe last weekend. The result proved to be manager (or was he interim manager afterall?) Richard Dryden’s final one in the dug-out as new manager Billy Rowley was appointed as the new boss on Tuesday.

One statistic which the new manager will be looking to change quickly is the Glovers’ run of four matches without a goal with their last coming with Tahvon Campbell’s 15th minute opener in the 1-1 draw at home to Carlisle United more than a month ago.

The clean sheet at Morecambe last weekend was also the first clean sheet since the 1-0 home win over Altrincham almost two months ago.

It’s been a while since we smiled. Picture courtesy of Gary Brown

Boston United

Boston United arrive in Somerset with the same number of points from the same number of National League Premier Division games as their hosts albeit one place above them in the table virtue of a one-goal superior goal difference.

It’s not been a vintage season for the Pilgrims under the guidance of ex-Bristol Rovers’ boss Graham Coughlan and they come in to this fixture without a win in their last four league matches having been heartbroken by a 90th minute winner from Carlisle United in last weekend’s televised late kick-off.

Away form has been kinder to Boston than at home with three wins and four draws in their ten games on the road this season and they will be looking to keep that up at Huish Park.

KEY PLAYERS…

Yeovil Town – Jed Ward

It probably underlines Yeovil Town’s current form, when an on loan goalkeeper who has conceded 13 goals in his last eight matches is your star man, but there is no question that number would have been higher if it was not for the form of the Bristol Rovers player.

Ward kept his first clean sheet in nearly two months in the stalemate at Morecambe last weekend and had to have his wits about him to ensure the Glovers came out with a point.

Jed Ward. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Boston United – Lennell John-Lewis

The veteran striker made the move to Boston following his departure from York City in the summer and is the club’s top scorer with five goals this season. His fifth game with an equaliser in what turned out to be a 2-1 home defeat to Carlisle United last weekend.

The 36-year-old brings raw power, experience and an eye for goal, but he has not been a guaranteed starter with six appearances off the bench and 13 starts since arriving in Lincolnshire. Ex-Yeovil loanee Jordy Hiwula, signed follow his departure from Morecambe in the summer, has been playing up front as well.

John-Lewis scored from the penalty spot when York ran out 1-0 winners at Huish Park in September 2022 and has four goals in his seven appearances against the Glovers. 

THE GAFFER…

Graham Coughlan will be a familiar face to Westcountry football fans from his time in charge at Bristol Rovers. The Irishman spent a year in charge at the Memorial Ground before moving to League Two Mansfield Town in December 2019 where he lasted less than 12 months.

He arrived at Boston in November 2024 following the decision to sack Ian Culverhouse and inspired the Pilgrims to a great escape having been 12 points adrift of safety in the National League Premier Division at one point last season. The boss described the performance of his team who put together a run of 11 wins in their final 18 matches  as “nothing short of a miracle.”

Boston fought to keep hold of him when they rejected an approach from National League rivals Hartlepool United in the summer.

LAST TIME WE MET…

Not many Yeovil fans will want to remember the last time Boston United visit Somerset as the Pilgrims ran out 3-0 winners in a miserable midweek match for the Glovers. Jimmy Knowles, Jacob Hazel and captain Zak Mills were on target for the visitors that night as they turned in a fine display on their way to a great escape from victory.

Boston celebrate their third at Huish Park last March.

The reverse fixture at the end of August 2024 was a completely different affair with Yeovil running out 3-1 winners courtesy of a brace from Brett McGavin, including a masterful free-kick, and a third from Jordan Young before Jake Wannell was sent off late in the game.

DON’T I KNOW YOU…

There are a few former Glovers in the visitors’ squad this weekend. Right back Marcel Lavinier arrived at Boston in October originally on a non-contract basis before impressing enough to earn a permanent deal, the ex-Forest Green Rovers’ man made eight appearances for Yeovil towards the end of last season.

You have to go back a little further in green-and-white history for the other names in the Pilgrims’ squad. Michael Kelly was on loan at Huish Park during the 2020-21 campaign whilst striker Jordy Hiwula promised much but delivered little when he spent time on loan from Manchester City back at the start of the 2014-15 campaign.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…

Harry Wager takes charge of the fixture, and as usual read Ben’s full article here.

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The appointment of manager Billy Rowley as Yeovil Town manager on Tuesday morning probably took a lot of fans not plugged in to the Huish Park rumour mill by surprise. Dave gives his thoughts on what at least appears to be a man with a plan.

What a difference 24 hours makes. On Monday morning we were all feeling down in the dumps after a drab goalless draw at Morecambe last weekend stretched our winless run to eight matches in all competitions.

Fast forward to Tuesday morning and the appointment of Billy Rowley as manager has lifted the mood at Huish Park. In a way he didn’t have to do anything except be himself – energetic, excited about the challenge he’s taken on, and with a clear vision for what he wants to do.

The echoes of Danny Webb’s first interviews as manager are unmistakable. The face may be different, but the vibes are undeniable and you only have to look through fans’ comments on social media or even this website to see it’s changed perceptions in a stroke.

Let’s give it 11 days though just because……well, you know? But seriously, if vibes are the only difference between Tuesday morning (before 10.25am) and now, that feels a darn sight better!

What do we know about the new man? Honestly, unless you have been paying close attention to the Southern League, not much. But, from what I can see, Rowley has built a reputation of practicing what he preaches – he’s built a good, young squad there and they are playing good, attacking, winning football. He leaves them two points clear at the top of the Southern League South with 40 goals in their opening 16 matches of the season.

The Rowley revolution begins this Saturday.

Yes, it is two steps below the National League Premier Division and, as he says himself in his first interview, he is “going to have to learn this league” and there’s no doubt he will make mistakes. But, this feels like a direction of travel which simply has not been there – except for maybe 11 days in September – for a long time. 

I hope he is given time – by supporters (yes, the Gloverscast included), by the ownership and by his players – because if it comes off, it could be exceptional. A gamble, undoubtedly, but it feels a lot better than it did 24 hours ago – and vibes will have to do for now.

The video update from the owner Prabhu Srinivasan posted just half-an-hour before the announcement of Rowley’s arrival was made was interesting as well. He spoke about how his family had been reactive rather than proactive since taking over in May, something he says they are not used to being. This does feel like a proactive move rather than a reactive one. 

One of Walton & Hersham’s co-owners posted about Rowley’s departure on social media

In their short time in charge, the owners have made mistakes as much as they have been hit by bad luck, but credit where it is due for a thoroughly ballsy move. The future of Richard Dryden, who I still believe to be a thoroughly decent bloke put in an unenviable situation, and Jerry Gill remains to be ironed out following the arrival of Darren Simpson, Rowley’s assistant as Walton & Hersham.

For us as supporters, we need to carry the optimism we are feeling in to this weekend’s home game with Boston United, a team who are level on points with us in the table. Every minute, hour and day between now and then will be learning curve for the new manager as he meets his players, and this Saturday will tell him even more about the group he’s taken charge of and the club he’s at – let’s do our part to make it as positive an experience as we can.

Welcome to Huish Park, Billy, give us a reason to dream and we’ll be with you every step of the way. Up the Glovers!

Former Yeovil captain Josh Staunton posted about the arrival of Billy Rowley on social media on Tuesday.