Gloversblog (Page 19)

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A glorious July afternoon in Devon saw Mark Cooper’s Yeovil Town run out 4-0 winners against Buckland Athletic. There was plenty of travelling support for the first pre season game of 2023/24 and a good sprinkling of optimism amongst supporters who saw Yeovil put on a goal scoring display. What a novelty! And before you say, ‘come on it’s Buckland’, we’ve had a miserable 12 months and to see us score four goals was lovely.

Ian was there, and here are his conclusions:

Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

We have a wealth of attacking options. How long has it been? With Jake Hyde, Malachi Linton, Jordan Stevens and Benjani Junior in the first half and a front five of Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble, Jordan Maguire-Drew, Jordan Young and Matt Worthington we are blessed with depth at the top end of the pitch. Four of those listed got on the score sheet yesterday and if an instant return to the National League is going to happen, they all need to chip in.

With those forward thinking players, the defensive midfielder role is key. Josh Owers did a decent job in the first half, but was receiving lots of advice from Mark Cooper throughout his 45. The second half saw Charlie Cooper take up that role in front of the defence. Buckland got more out of our defence in the first half, with Will Dawes and Ollie Haste on the left half of the back four. But Whittle, Wannell, Sendles-White and Matt Buse were resolute on the 2nd and barely gave Buckland a sniff.

Jake Wannell.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

I’ve teed this one up, but I was so relieved to see a back four. It felt more balanced, we appeared more comfortable with the ball and the team seemed more aware of eachothers positioning. This isn’t an anti-wingback crusade, I’m open to it with the right players, but we looked confident throughout.

That kit is lovely. We may as well get the ‘Best Dressed, award out the way. The anxiety around kits is real but this one is a belter. Some of the Errea ones that have been released already have been shockers but this one is League-winning, I’m sure.

Jake Hyde
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

It felt good to see a win. Yes, it was against Buckland. Yes, it’s only pre-season. Cynics will say it’s mainly a fitness exercise and I was amongst them. Last summer I was in that camp when we struggled to a draw against Taunton. When we put up a decent fight against Exeter and Plymouth without ever really laying a glove on them. We drew with Dorchester before scraping past Weston. It set the tone for a woeful season that none of us expected. We’ve started bright, we actually look like a team and we’ve scored some goals. That feels good.

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Pre season kicks off in less than 24 hours with Yeovil Town’s visit to Toolstation Western Premier Division side Buckland Athletic. As Summers go, this one has been one of excitement and a pleasant lack of turmoil. Martin Hellier has communicated with local media, businesses and supporters to an extent his predecessor didn’t – especially in the latter days of his reign. The refresh of Huish Park began in earnest on Day One the anticipation for that first trip to Huish Park is palpable.

On the pitch, we’ve been busy too. Mark Cooper has wasted no time in making changes to his squad in his first pre-season at the club. So far, 12 players have exited Huish Park, including Jamie Reckord, Lawson D’Ath and Max Hunt. The incomings have seen us fill the void at the top end of the pitch, and add some much needed experience. Rhys Murphy is no stranger to Glovers fans, and Jake Hyde and Frank Nouble add even more nous to the attack.

So, what shape are we in?

Goalkeepers

Goalkeepers
Will Buse
Lewis Williams
Will Buse. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

With Grant Smith’s departure – he’s subsequently signed for Bromley – and Max Evan’s release, Mark Cooper has had to sort out a couple of keepers. In Will Buse we’ve recruited familiarity. Local, knows the group, is more than equipped for the level and IF we build momentum and start climbing, he could be ours for the longterm. Backing him up is Lewis Williams. Signed from Tiverton, he’s worked with goalkeeper coach Phil Osborn before, looks physically ready and ticks that young, hungry, local box that Mark Cooper mentioned after signing Buse.

“It was key for me that I wanted to change the way we recruited. I wanted to try and have more local players which I class as areas such as Bristol, because we are out on a limb and there is no disguising that.”

Defenders

Defenders
Ollie Haste
Jamie Sendles-White
Josh Staunton
Jake Wannell
Alex Whittle
Morgan Williams

Defensively, in my view, there’s still more depth to add and I suspect we’ll have a look into the loan market to pad out the right side of defence. I got hung up on our formation last season, but it changed so frequently it was difficult not to. I think it’s all up for grabs again this season. The personnel is there to go with a back three (although we are in need of a right wing back) but there’s also back four there too. In Jamie Sendles-White and Jake Wannell we’ve got a couple of players who fall into the #knowsthelevel criteria, with Wannell also landing in the local part of Mark Cooper’s venn diagram.

Midfielders

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.
Midfielders
Charlie Cooper
Will Dawes
Jordan Maguire-Drew
Josh Owers
Scott Pollock
Jordan Stevens
Matt Worthington

The further we move up the pitch, the more questions there are about how we could line up. There is serious strength in depth in middle of the pitch, to the point that I think we will see departures.

Charlie Cooper and Matt Worthington is a National League pairing in centre midfield, and with Josh Owers commuting down the A37, we’ve added some real potential. You’ve also got Jordan Maguire-Drew, who the manager was itching to give a pre-season too come the end of 2022/23, Scott Pollock and Jordan Stevens who you’re going to have to fit in somewhere between the midfield and attack. It’s a nice problem to have, but we could have a loaded bench when we visit Hemel Hempstead on the opening day.

Attackers

Rhys Murphy in his first spell at Huish Park. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.
Attackers
Benjani Jr
Alex Fisher
Jake Hyde
Malachi Linton
Rhys Murphy
Frank Nouble
Jordan Young

That depth of attack looks as good as strong as we’ve had in years. There’s a bit of everything in there. The poacher in Rhys Murphy, the false 9 in Jordan Young, Jake Hyde’s experience, Frank Nouble (we finally got him!) so nearly dragged Torquay to safety. Sure, there are injury histories for Murphy and Hyde, and Alex Fisher is a long way off a return. But there’s youthful exuberance in Young and Malachi Linton. What they can glean from the experienced heads that have joined on this Summer is going to be invaluable.

Upon his signing, Murphy said: “I have some good memories here and it is such a big football club and the manager is a really good manager, so I am really looking forward to working with him. There are big plans for the club and everyone wants to be playing for a club which is ambitious and this club wants to be higher up the leagues. We want to be winning games and I want to be scoring goals.”

How will we line up on the 5th of August is anyones guess, but it’s safe to say we’re going to be a damn sight more experienced than we were 12 months ago, with a boatload of positivity to boot.

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Yeovil Town fans are set to take on over 5000 miles following the Glovers for the forthcoming 2023/24 season.

But this represents a significant drop from the National League campaign of last season where any supporter who made every away game would have topped 8000 miles on the road.

Yeovil may have lost away days to Gateshead, Scunthorpe and Halifax (to be honest, anywhere even remotely close to Gloverscast Ben and Dave… cheers lads) but there are some fairly long trips still in the schedule… just more east, rather than north.

Yeovil’s longest journey in the upcoming season is a 404 mile round trip to Dover Athletic, but some slightly closer games against Taunton, Weston Super-Mare and Bath have done wonders for the Glovers’ fans carbon footprint.

In comparison, only twice did Yeovil play within 100 miles of Huish Park last season (Eastleigh and Torquay), that number rises to eight this coming season.

If you are supporting Yeovil on the road this season, the grounds might be a bit smaller, the pints might be drunk in front of the terrace rather than behind closed doors, but let’s hope you’re watching some better football, some more goals… and maybe even a win or two.

(note: all mileage numbers are taken from Google Maps direct from Huish Park to the opposition ground – and I’ve included Truro as playing at Plymouth Parkway – the full list is below)
2022/232023/34
TeamMilesTeamMiles
Aldershot Town 105Aveley162
Altrincham210Bath City39
Barnet 130Braintree Town192
Boreham Wood141Chelmsford City180
Bromley147Chippenham Town61
Chesterfield 215Dartford157
Dagenham and Redbridge169Dover Athletic202
Dorking Wanderers 127Eastbourne Borough162
Eastleigh77Farnborough100
Gateshead345Hampton & Richmond Borough118
Halifax Town 255Havant & Waterlooville99
Maidenhead United113Hemel Hempstead Town139
Maidstone United163Maidstone United163
Notts County192Slough Town121
Oldham Athletic230St Albans City141
Scunthorpe United256Taunton Town25
Solihull Moors148Tonbridge Angels155
Southend United184Torquay United67
Torquay United67Truro City90
Wealdstone127Welling United162
Woking110Weston-super-Mare AFC39
Wrexham214Weymouth30
York City280Worthing127
Miles4005Miles2731
Round Trip Miles8010Round Trip Miles5462

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Did you know that Football’s fixture computers are all Weymouth fans?

Ok, well maybe not, but I’ve had a couple of minutes spare this summer, so have spent a bit of time crunching some numbers around the ‘Big Three’ dates in the football schedule and they don’t look great from a Glovers point of view.

I took the last 24 seasons, from the 1999/20 campaign and worked out if we were Home or Away on the opening day, the final day and on Boxing Day and how those fixtures faired for us.

Let’s start at the start, it seems only logical.

In 1999, the Glovers were away from home on the opening day, and lost 5-0 away at Scarborough… rubbish.

The fixture computer then gave us three home games in a row over the next three seasons, and whilst one of them wasn’t actually at Huish Park, but down the road at Dorchester as we did a little bit of ground sharing, we at least got to show off all our new shiny players to the fans first thing.

Then, just as we reached the promised land of the EFL, things turned sour, we all remember the magical opening away day at Rochdale in 2003, a wonderful scene as Kevin Gall announced to the world the Glovers were playing with the big boys now and weren’t going to be taken lightly,

But that match represented the first of FIVE consecutive opening day away games, and we didn’t win any of those subsequent four.

 

In fact, the next opening day win wouldn’t come until 2009 with a home win over Tranmere with the likes of Alex McCarthy, Steven Caulker and Ryan Mason in the side.

There’s no getting around it, our opening day form has been pretty naff, of the last 24 seasons, we’ve won six, drawn five and lost 13 games to raise the curtain on a league season.

What’s more, our last win on the opening day was way back in the 2016/17 season, when Otis Khan and Kevin Dawson scored against Notts County in a 2-0 win.

Since then, we’ve earned just one point on the opening day, that silly 2-2 draw vs King’s Lynn on the telly.

Right enough about the opening day, let’s move onto Boxing Day., that’ll be better, right?

Well, not really. Firstly, I only have 22 games to work from here as 2021/22 and 2010/11 saw the traditional Boxing Day game postponed… something about too many pigs in blankets or something.

But again, we’ve been Away far more times that Home the day after Old St Nick comes to town, 13 out of 22 occasions have seen us on the road.

Who can forget our 6-2 drubbing of Torquay in 2019/20? Well, that’s about as good as has got of late. The Gulls repaid the favour a year later (6-1) and rubbed salt into the wounds 12 months further down the line (3-0).

13 Losses from the last 22 Boxing Day games in total, just the five wins in there too.

Let’s fast forward to the final day, this has to be better, right?

 

Oh, for… sake, 24 games, 14 away! Who keeps scheduling us to make horrible trips to the likes of Nottingham Forest, Colchester… CARLISLE?

Three of the last four have been away from home too, now in fairness, I’ve counted the Dover game in the shortened season in 2019/20 here as a ‘final day away game’… but a quick look at where we were meant to end that season gives us… Notts County. AWAY. Of course.

So out of the last 70 “Key Dates” we’ve been at home on just 29 occasions and away on a whopping 41 occasions.

In fact, on no fewer than four different occasions, we were away on all three ‘Biggies’ 99/00, 06/07, 17/18 and last season where we got the joy of losing to Scunthorpe first, Boreham Wood last and got a point against fellow strugglers Torquay on Boxing Day.

Only once have we been at home on all three big dates, 2008/09 – but we didn’t win any of them either.

So what about this coming season, the fixtures will be out soon and obviously there’s a lot more local derbies, (oh to have the chance of getting Oldham away on the opening day…)  but there’s still the question of who do we get paired with on Boxing Day.

It’s usually been fairly obvious – Torquay have filled that spot. But with Truro coming into the league (playing in Plymouth) you’d think they’d get the back to back games against one another.

Dan Moss, Josh Staunton and Joe Quigley defend vs Weymouth
Credit: Weymouth Flickr

Bath and Chippenham are quite close, Weston Super-Mare and Taunton are both North and West of us and seem easy to pair off… which leaves us with… Our Fixture Computer Supporting Friends down on the South Coast.

So when those all important dates hit our diary, don’t expect us to have dates at Huish Park scheduled first, last or on Boxing Day.

Who do you think our three key games will be against?

I’m going for Tonbridge away on the first day, Dover away on the last… and a Christmas trip to the Bobby Lucas!

First DayFirst Day ResultBoxing Day Boxing Day ResultFinal DayFinal Day Result
1999/2000AwayLostAwayLostAwayDrawAway all three
2000/2001HomeWin AwayWinHomeLost
2001/2002HomeLostAwayLostHomeWin
2002/2003HomeDrawAwayLostHomeDraw
2003/2004AwayWin HomeLostAwayWin
2004/2005AwayLostHomeWinHomeWin
2005/2006AwayLostHomeDrawHomeDraw
2006/2007AwayDrawAwayLostAwayWinAway all three
2007/2008AwayLostHomeLostAwayLostLost All Three
2008/2009HomeDrawHomeDrawHomeLostHome all three
2009/2010HomeWin HomeWinAwayLost
2010/2011HomeWin N/AN/AAwayWin
2011/2012AwayLostHomeLostAwayLostLost All Three
2012/2013HomeDrawAwayLostAwayLost
2013/2014AwayWin AwayLostHomeLost
2014/2015HomeLostAwayLostAwayLostLost All Three
2015/2016AwayLostAwayLostHomeLostLost All Three
2016/2017HomeWin HomeDrawAwayLost
2017/2018AwayLostAwayWinAwayDrawAway all three
2018/2019AwayLostAwayLostHomeDraw
2019/2020AwayLostHomeWinAwayWin
2020/2021AwayDrawAwayLostHomeLost
2021/2022HomeLostN/AN/AAwayWin
2022/2023AwayLostAwayDrawAwayLostAway all three
2023/2024AwayLostHomeWinAwayWon
Total 24
Total Home101010
Total Away151315
Total Win668
Total Draws545
Total Losses141312

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It’s been a long, largely unhappy journey, but the reign of Scott Priestnall as owner and chairman of Yeovil Town is over.

There are undoubtedly things we don’t know, or more to the point have not been told, about the whole saga over the past three years, but there is no doubting the club is in a far worse state than when he arrived in 2019.

From a club admittedly on a decline having dropped out of the Football League, we have gone from one which had a relatively stable (in football club terms, at least) balance sheet to one which is a tenant in its own stadium with debts of seven figures and will play next season in regional football.

In short, the reign of Scott Priestnall is a stain on the history books of Yeovil Town and one which cannot be forgiven or forgotten.

But, looking forward, we now have a new chairman, a new owner and a new direction under Martin Hellier. His statement announcing the takeover is wonderfully theatrical and says absolutely everything a Yeovil Town supporter would want to hear about the future on and off the field.

The message to Mr Hellier is the same as it was to SU Glovers – actions, not words, will judge you.

Minutes after the announcement, we issued a poll on our Twitter asking people to give a simple ‘yes or no’ answer to the question – are you happy with the takeover by Martin Hellier?

At the time of writing this, 76% of the 324 people who have voted say they are happy with the takeover – but in the comments there are unquestionably doubts.

The truth is that Martin Hellier’s antics on social media and off it have done nothing to help his cause of winning over the trust of supporters.

There has been language not befitting of a businessman of his stature, there has been open warfare (and blocking) with anyone who disagrees with his opinion,  along with threats to pull out of his sponsorship of the Main Stand, numerous pauses and restarts of his Twitter, and enough ups and downs to need a large glass of red wine to keep up with it.

Just reading the statement he has issued, you get the sense of a love for the theatre of the situation, and, while passion is good, what we need is stability and a solid business head.

In short, if this is going to work out well, Martin Hellier the chairman needs to be VERY different to Martin Hellier the social media user.

We want the businessman who has built up a solid and successful business. We want the passion for the local community. We want the support for the team, the manager (who appears at this time to be Mark Cooper). We want a football club which we all can be proud of.

If we are to achieve by unity, there has to be a willingness to admit and accept wrongdoings in the past and move forward. The reality is, as with Scott Priestnall and Norman Hayward/John Fry before him, we as supporters will have to go along for the ride whatever happens – but if we can create a club where we are listened too, communicated with and one where we can trust those in charge, we will be in a better place.

So, over to you, Martin. If you do what you say you will do – and do it in the right way – you will have the support of us all.

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When he agreed a three-year deal to become sponsor of the Main Stand at Huish Park in September 2022, few Yeovil Town fans could have predicted what would happen next with local businessman Martin Hellier.

Certainly not a name that this author (Dave here, hi!) had heard of in connection with the club prior to this but his Hellier Group business was well-known in the South Somerset community.

When they took over, what we/I knew about the man himself came from his business’ website which describes itself as having “a diverse investment portfolio” as well as an “unwavering focus on shrewd investment strategies, impeccable standards, and shared work ethic”.

It reported then to be valued at £50m – which has now risen to £75m – with annual revenues of £15m. In summary, it’s a pretty solid business as far as this amateur accountant can tell.

The Hellier Group owns the Yeovil Court Hotel, the building which houses the Fitness Yeovil gym on the Lynx Trading Estate and a has been involved in developing a number of properties in to Air BnB lets in the town. Anyone who has passed the Yeovil Court Hotel on West Coker Road cannot have failed to notice a major re-development job going on there.

When they took over as “Main Stand and Conference Centre Sponsor” less than a year ago, Martin Hellier said: “We are committed to supporting the local community and our long term relationship with Yeovil Town Football club does just that. The club has a long and proud history and we are very excited to be part of what we believe will be an exciting future.”

Speaking at that time, director Stuart Robins added: “We are very proud that Hellier Group have chosen our club as one their key marketing partners.

“Hellier Group are an ideal partner for us as they look to further develop their portfolio of businesses in the Yeovil area and we are looking forward to being part of that. We appreciate the commitment Martin has made, and we aim to provide increased exposure for the Group as we try to climb the football pyramid.”

Since that date, Martin Hellier’s name has become very well known to any Yeovil Town supporter with the businessman being vocal on his social media posts giving his views on the club, its ownership, dealings with South Somerset District Council (now Somerset Council) – and voicing his personal opinions on supporters.

He calls it “passion“, others call it “unprofessional” and, for this author, it’s a bit of both, but as as result, Martin Hellier is a Marmite character (other yeast extract products are available) among supporters.

Now we wait to see what Martin Hellier the football club chairman is like compared to his social media personality.

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Well, the season has come to an end and the class of 2022/23 were relegated to National League South. Here’s our rankings of each player for this season.

As per usual Gloverscast rules, the ratings will be 1-7 with seven being the perfect score. We’ll try to combine their performances with their overall influence, and how the season went for them. We are marking them individually, based on our expectations of them, rather than comparing them with other members of the first team.

Grant Smith. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Grant Smith

Ian: What a season this man has had. Kept us alive in every match when it seemed impossible. Some of the saves he made were genuinely out of this world. It’ll be a miracle if we keep him, so I’ll say it now: we’ll miss you Grant. 6

21/22 review: I was taken aback by the signing of Grant Smith at the start of the season. Deemed surplus to requirements at Chesterfield after a decent spell there. He was a definite upgrade on Adam Smith, and pulled out some brilliant saves at important moments this season. However, he had an error in him. Boreham Wood, Dover, Maidenhead and the less said about Dagenham the better.  4

Ben: Best ‘keeper in the League, without him, we would have finished 25th. 6

21/22 Review: A calm and collected step up from namesake Adam last year, a wonderful shot stopper who is just consistently from being a very good EFL keeper. One of the main priorities on my ‘to keep’ wishlist for the new season. A vitally important player. 5

Dave: If it wasn’t for him, we could have been down by Christmas. There were fewer errors this season than the one before, but the saves he made repeatedly kept us alive. If only we could keep him. 6

21/22 Review: A permanent signing between the posts was a real must for me in the summer and Grant Smith has proven a real safe pair of hands. He’s definitely got an error in him and we have seen a few of them this season, but at this level that is to be expected. Solid if not spectacular, I’d definitely want to see him back next season. 4

Max Hunt

Ian: It’s been a difficult season for Max Hunt. Struggled in Chris Hargreaves back three, looked good in a pair when Mark Cooper came in before being taken out of the team again. 3

21/22 Review: A very good first full season for Max Hunt. Partnered with Wilkinson, Staunton, Barclay, Robinson and Williams this season and looked comfortable more often than he didn’t. Calm and confident on the ball. It will be important to take up the option (if we have it) or offer him a new contract.  5

Ben: A difficult season without any consistency around him, not suited to a back three but never got long enough in a duo, I still want more from him going forward 3

21/22 Review: Now we are cooking. I think we underestimate how young and inexperienced Max is, but he’s moulded himself into a player we absolutely have to have next season. Calm and assured at all times, I’d have gone higher but he hasn’t added the goals to his game. 4

Dave: He could have been a player we could have built a team around, I still believe he could be. Like so many, undone by a defensive system which didn’t work for anyone, chuck an injury in there and not a vintage one. 2

21/22 Review: If there was a defender I wanted us to keep, it is Max Hunt, so delighted to hear he’s still ours. Turned in some imperious performances and has obviously learnt a lot from playing alongside Wilko. A player we can build a team around. 4

 

Morgan Williams

Ian: His injury against Eastleigh now looks like it was hugely damaging. Whether he’s centre back, right back, left back, right wing back, left wing back or even centre midfield, Morgan Williams gives everything in a Yeovil Town shirt. As much as we’d like a team of Josh Stauntons, personally I’d take a team of Morgan Williams as well. 5

21/22 Review: What a season Morgan Williams has had. In his first full season in men’s football he’s played across the backline and at wingback. He’s stayed fit, had just seven bookings all season and has been the perfect example of a young player taking their opportunity. 6

Ben: Well, we certainly missed him towards the end, didn’t we? A versatile player who could well be vital next season, injury stops this being higher, but he’s a character we need to keep around 4

21/22 Review: Where did that come from!? He was searching YouTube for ‘how to play left back’ in the hotel before the Wrexham game, and ended up keeping two far more established left backs out the team. Future is bright for Williams if he carries on like that. 6

Dave: Boy how we missed him when he wasn’t there. Showed versatility again this season and when we were solid defensively he was a big part of it. Would very much want to see him back next season. 4

21/22 Review: Given he has played almost his entire campaign out of position, Williams has been more solid than I could have hoped. Struggles against pace and still has a lot to learn, but he’s made great strides this season. 5

Jamie Reckord

Ian: Started well and is actually our joint 2nd highest scorer (although that says more about us than him I think). Showed leadership and experience in some games but struggled with injury – like many – on the final stretch.  4

Ben: Out the traps brilliantly, but I was really hoping he’d stand out when the going got tough and I’m just not sure I saw enough of that, I’m certainly not against him staying, but I would really hope he would have more to offer next season 3

Dave: As one of those with experience, he didn’t show enough of it for me. Too often looked uninterested. 2

Chiori Johnson

Ian: In some matches he was our brightest player. Fitness and a dearth of right-sided players meant he didn’t start that many games. Showed fight when many other didn’t in my view.  4

Ben: In a defensive unit that didn’t have any kind of consistency, I think he showed enough to suggest there’s a player there, would love to see what he could do in a calm, organised system that didn’t chop and change a lot.  4

Dave: Showed enough to suggest he could be a good player, unfortunately it’s hard to argue he was one this season. One to keep if we can. 3

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Matt Worthington

Ian: When I look back my review from last season, I think it’s fair to say there’s been a hell of a jump from Worthy. From having to carry a centre of midfield under Hargreaves, to moving forward when Mark Cooper tightened things up, Worthy has made huge strides this season. He’s added a few goals and assists to his phenomenal running. If we lose him in the summer I won’t hold it against him. 6

21/22 Review: 29 starts for Matt Worthington this season. No goals and two reds against Kings Lynn Town. Last season I said I wanted more from Worthy and we didn’t see it. He’s a super-athlete who won’t stop running, but I don’t think he’s effective enough in the areas we should expect him to be. 3

Ben: How can a player have a breakthrough campaign so long into his stint as a Glover and in a team doing so poorly? Worthy is gold for a club like Yeovil, I loved seeing him get forward and try and add that extra bit to his game, one of the stars.

75% of the Earth is covered by Water, the other 25% by Matt Worthington. 6

21/22 Review: I like Matt Worthington. I wanted to see him be important, and he was. I feel like screaming at Bradley and Gorman… ‘that is what you were meant to be’. Our longest serving player and I think I’d love to see more of him and Staunton together in the middle. 5.

Dave: In a season where so many players let us down, you cannot say that about Worthy. He added a few goals to the non-stop running which he has become synonymous for in a green-and-white shirt. I can only hope we hold on to him this summer, but fear we will not. 5

21/22 Review: Worthington didn’t quite live up to the hype of being a real influence on the team, but he did more than enough to make me think I’d be sorry to lose him in the summer. He could certainly fill the boots of a player like Dale Gorman in the middle of the park. If he stays, I would like to see more goals from him although that one against W*ymouth in the Cup was beautiful. 4

Josh Staunton

Ian: What else can be said about Josh Staunton? The leader of the club during really dark days. Not to mention changing the National League contracts that were going to be imposed upon his colleagues across the country. 6

21/22 Review: The captain in waiting. Josh Staunton did it all for Yeovil Town this season. For him to top it off by managing the club through the final game of the season was madness. Build the squad in his image and mentality and we’ll do alright. 5

Ben: Captain, Leader, Legend. 6

21/22 Review: Just build the statue (Insert link to ‘Most Important Player since Skivo’ blog HERE). 6.

Dave: In the same way you can’t imagine the depths this season could have dropped to without Grant Smith, where would we be without Josh Staunton? Literally put his body on the line (again) but his true contribution was much more than that. 6

21/22 Review: What isn’t to love about this guy? Great player, dependable, a leader, and will literally put his body on the line for this club. If you’re in a war, you want Josh Staunton alongside you. The perfect player to become the first to re-sign, now give him the armband. 5

Lawson D’Ath

Ian: 25 appearances for Lawson D’Ath this season and another one disrupted by injuries. His character and influence was probably felt off the pitch more than on it this season. Another man who has given so much for the club. 3

21/22 Review: One of the feelgood stories of our season. His return to the pitch was much-needed and provided us with some quality in midfield. Relieved he came through the season unscathed, albeit in mostly nothing games. Would like to see him kick into full gear when something’s at stake. 4

Ben: What a shame we may never see Lawson in a Yeovil shirt again, will go down as a player who wore the shirt with pride and cared greatly. From a football perspective, it never quite clicked in a chaotic midfield area. 3

21/22 Review: Classy, classy midfielder. He’s become a little more defensive maybe, a little more of a quarter-back. Maybe that’s what injuries do to a player. Can play higher, will play higher. 4

Dave: Put his body on the line for us (again) but sadly it just didn’t work like so many. 3

21/22 Review: Can I just cut and paste last year’s review here? Such a player, so much quality, we just don’t see enough of it. I’d still love him to be with us next season, but have a feeling he won’t be. 3

 

Charlie Cooper

Ian: Came in and added some grit to our midfield. Good on the ball but needs a partner to help protect him. 4

Ben: The commander of calm, we needed Josh Staunton at central defender, we just needed Charlie Cooper in midfield to allow that to happen. I’m a fan 5

Dave: A calming influence in an otherwise erratic (often anonymous) midfield. If only we had had him longer. 4

Jordan Maguire-Drew

Ian: We thought we had a player. I think we still do, but clearly injury took its toll on JMD. Showed glimpses of what he’s about but will need to get fit and consistently produce next season if we’re going to come back at the first time of asking. 2

Ben: I don’t understand, how can a flash of sheer class and quality become so, meh..? Get this boy fit and firing and we’ve got a serious player, until then 3

Dave: Remember that little chip over the keeper on New Year’s Day? That and a great display in our only away win of the season at Dagenham was about it. Has so much class, didn’t show enough of it. 2

Will Dawes

Ian: I feel for Will Dawes. Coming from where he came from and for reasons many will understand if they can read between the lines. Didn’t expect him to be the next Tom Knowles as Hargreaves did, but maybe he can make an impact next season. 3

Ben: It’s not his fault he came from Stratford, his loan spells showed that maybe his level was NLS and that might be handy – everyone I’ve spoken to about him, says he’s the nicest lad and wants desperately to do well, i’m not against him getting that chance. 2

Dave: His transfer is still worthy of regulatory review, but can’t hold that against him. Who knows next season he may be the business. 2

Scott Pollock in action for Yeovil Town. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Scott Pollock

Ian: A genuine shame we (SU Glovers) signed an exciting player like Scott injured. I think there was hope he’d be able to carry us out of trouble but struggle to get fit enough, quickly enough. If he stays, he can be a big part of our squad next season. 3

Ben: There’s something there, alright. I don’t know if we’ve seen it yet, certainly not it’s full potential, but I saw a player on the final day who wasn’t going to end the season 90 minutes early. I think I’ll grow to like him in time, this season though, through no real fault of his own… 3

Dave: I liked what flashes I saw of him, he’s definitely got some quality and came too late in the season to really do much with it. His record at our level (as we now must call it) is decent, so could be a big asset next season. 2

Jordan Stevens

Ian: What I saw of him, I really liked. A nippy, speed merchant who we definitely didn’t see enough of. A shame he did his hamstring when everyone else did, I think we might have had a different end to the season had he stayed fit. I’ll give him a 4 because it wasn’t his fault he got injured.

Ben: If we are judging him on just the very short amount of time we actually saw him, this might be a REALLY high score, but you can’t get a high score sat in the stands. 2 (with potential to easily more than double that next season)

Dave: Looked good from what I saw but didn’t see enough of it. Is there an echo in here? Injury cost him and cost us. 3

 

Callum Harriott

Ian: Was he even real? One of our ‘top’ signings who was brought in to help us climb out of trouble. Ah. 2

Ben: Urm… dunno, the fact he scored a goal means I’ll bump this to a three, but yeah… I don’t really know. 3

Dave: Scored at Aldershot, but not really there. 1

Zanda Siziba

Ian: A controversial one, who we didn’t see very much of. Brought into a club in crisis which was hardly his fault and the subsequent charade around his signing must have been a burden. A decent goal at Solihull, too. 3

Ben: Got a LOT of attention for reasons probably beyond his control, showed little flashes at Gateshead and Boreham Wood towards the end of the season, can he be moulded into a player at the level below, I’m not sure.  3

Dave: There is class there, but if he was one of those who created the dressing room rift which ultimately sunk us, shame on those who created it for putting him in that situation. 3

Jordan Young

Ian: Was so close to making something happen. Struggled towards the end of the season when he was probably rushed back in our fight for survival. Should be comfortable in NLS. 3

Ben: Grew into the season, wen’t from a rabbit in the full time head lights to someone I was quite excited about when he got on the ball, tough to ask so much of him at times, but I think there’s a decent enough little player to be coached out of him. 3

Dave: Another nearly man and a striker without a goal in 19 games isn’t going to rank too high. Add him to the ‘one for next season’ list. 2

Alex Fisher is Yeovil’s top scorer this season with four goals. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Alex Fisher

Ian: Signed by Chris Hargreaves to be the focal point of our attack, didn’t score anywhere near enough goals, even if he did score a couple of beauts. Had he not picked up his injury against Southend, we may have looked a bit less hopeless up front in those final few games.  2

Ben: A character, a leader, but not enough of a goal scorer, that injury will define his season and that’s really sad, absolutely has a part to play for the club going forward 3

Dave: He was never going to be one to score us a hatful of goals and the fact he was our joint top scorer tells its own tale. I’d still have him over Reuben Reid. 2

Malachi Linton

Ian: I honestly though Mal would bring the goals. Felt like the penalty miss at Wealdstone had a real impact. I’d love for him to stay and be that striker who has a stormer in National League South and helps us get promoted full of confidence. He’ll always have the Glovie winning strike against Wrexham.  2

Ben: I banged the Malachi Linton drum more that some this past season, I think he could be very dangerous in a confident front line, has there been too much damage to that confidence? I’m not sure, but hope not, a good egg. 3

Dave: Clearly a player with talent and his goals against Wrexham and Gateshead showed it, but in and out of the side and when he was in he too often did not do enough. I feel like I am saying this a lot, but he could do something next season. 2

The Loanees

Owen Bevan heads away. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Owen Bevan

Ian: File him under the ’Loanees we’ll keep an eye on’. A baller, albeit with the mistakes young players make. Clearly a character, given the circumstances he played in this season. 5

Ben: I think he’s going to the top, I think there’s a regular Premier League defender in there, some point saving performances far beyond his age and experience 5

Dave: He’s young, he made mistakes but he looked absolute class for someone of his age. Coming to us must have been such a challenge, but it will have given him some scars which will help his career. 5

Sam Perry

Ian: Struggled in Chris Hargreaves exposed midfield after a particularly difficult debut at Scunthorpe. 2

Ben: Oh yeah, I forgot about him, a bit flimsy, built like a skinny quaver, undoubted quality, but struggled to make an impact when the going got ugly in midfield. 2

Dave: Guh. 1

Edwin Agbaje

Ian: A beast of a fullback. Ended up playing everywhere in our injury crisis. 4

Ben: Very good winger, actually helped bring out the better performances of Oluwabori and others on the right, bright future, get well soon. 4

Dave: Ipswich Town’s Academy of the Season and one who will undoubtedly be a good player at EFL level. Did well for us while he was with us. 3

Jamie Andrews

Ian: Cooper’s first signing and added so much balance to our midfield. Perhaps we needed him plus Charlie Cooper for a solid midfield pairing. 4

Ben: I think we ended up missing him more than we think, there’s a very good football brain as much as anything there, incredible showing in the 0-0 away at Notts County. 4

Dave: He’ll be on everyone’s “he played for Yeovil” list in a few years time. Undoubtedly an EFL midfielder in there. 4

Ryan Law

Ian: Looked decent technically, but I felt he struggled when the proverbial hit the fan, understandably. 2

Ben: Meh, I couldn’t tell you his best position, I don’t think the inconsistencies around him helped, but… meh. 2

Dave: Glimpses of a player, but not enough. 2

Miguel Freckleton

Ian: Sorry Miguel, probably us more than you but it just didn’t work. 1

Ben: Harsh, maybe on him to be thrown into that environment, copy and paste from Ryan Law 2

Dave: Brought in at a difficult time, never looked comfortable. Can’t blame him really. 1

Sam Pearson

Ian: Probably one of our brightest sparks in the first half of the season, looked like he could make thinks happen before the weird fatigue departure. 3

Ben: Every time I saw him, he looked class without any end product, but the way it all ended was strange  2

Dave: There was something there, scored at Dorking but then got tired. 1

Ewan Clarke

Ian: File Ewan in the ‘Bristol City doing us a favour’ drawer. 2

Ben: A bit like one or two others, there’s a player in there, but we didn’t get it out of him, he’ll benefit from the loan more than Yeovil will 2

Dave: A Chris Hargreaves signing is all I can say. 3

Reo Griffiths

Ian: A can of Rio would have been more effective. We’ll never know what went on, but obviously got caught in the politics of the situation. 1

Ben: Who the heck knows what has gone on there, he’s got a nice touch on him, but we needed a hero, we got… Reo 1

Dave: Never really got a chance for reasons which are all too obvious. Wasn’t his fault…..was it? We’ll probably never know. 1

Jack Clarke

Ian: I had high hopes for Jack Clarke when he returned. Had done good things at Chesterfield, injury clearly scuppered him here and was rushed back into it at the end of the season. 2

Ben: Nope. 1

Dave: A shit Jack Grealish the first time, a shit Jack Grealish the second. 1

Andrew Oluwabori equalises for Yeovil – image courtesy of Mike Kunz

Andrew Oluwabori

Ian: Bright, positive, got you up off of your seat, only to put it it over the bar. Get the end product right and he could do well. 3

Ben: A youtube scout’s dream, in between the 18 yard boxes, this guy probably gets a 5 or a 6, in the areas it matters, he gets a 1 or a 2, so I’ll split the difference 3

Dave: So much potential, no little end product. Could, woulda, shoulda. 2

Will Buse

Ian: Had a great game against us for Taunton then pushed Grant Smith to the limit this season. A nice couple of performances at the end of the season. 4

Ben: Had to wait for his chance, but put in a really assured performance or two towards the end, including with a broken hand at Wrexham, I think with Grant Smith surely outward bound, he could be an option for the number 1 shirt next season 4

Dave: I saw him play two games, he conceded five goals. I’d still have him back next season if (as expected) Grant Smith goes. 2

The Ones Who Left

Charlie Wakefield

Ian: Oh Charlie. Started the season at right wing back, and finished it Woking’s play off squad. Didn’t appear to get many chances or take them when he was given them. As excited as I was to keep him, perhaps his heart wasn’t in staying. 2

21/22 Review: The Star Man on the right (and through the middle) was probably our signing of the summer. His crucial goal against Stevenage was my moment of the season. I don’t remember us having a player with such a will (and the ability) to get to the byline since Kevin Dawson. With a loads of games under his belt this season, it would be great to keep him and see him press on. 5

Ben: When does a negative looking score go down as not being entirely a player’s fault? Right here. He’s not a right winger, he lost his compadre Tom Knowles… I so wish we could have found somewhere for him. It’s not you, Charlie, it’s someone else. 2

21/22 Review: I don’t think I can underplay how pleasantly surprised I’ve been by Charlie. He puts people on the edge of their seat, people lean forward in the terrace because something feels like it’s going to happen. That’s something very few at Huish Park have done over the past decade. Top talent. 5

Dave: What could have been. From the ridiculous decision to play him at wing back on the opening day of the season, it was clear Chris Hargreaves did not have a clue how to get the best out of him. By the time Mark Cooper arrived, he’d checked out. 2

21/22 Review: When he arrived having been released by Bromley with his injury record, I expected little or nothing from Charlie Wakefield. He proved my judgement wrong in spades. A revelation and, as the song goes, “a silky winger, he’s just what we need”. Really enjoyed watching him in green and white. 5

Gime Toure

Ian: Mercurial. Translation: Sometimes good, mostly bad. 1

Ben: One goal, one red card, one out of seven. 1

Dave: Coulda, woulda, shoulda. 1

Ollie Hulbert

Ian: If you’re building a squad of experience and want to bring a youngster on the journey, Ollie is probably the guy. We were not that club this season. 2

Ben: Actually thought he looked ok at Oldham when he came on, scored a couple goals out on loan, won’t be here next season. 2

Dave: Poor lad played in Chris Hargreaves’ final two matches. 1

Ben Richards-Everton

Ian:  An experienced giant who looked the absolute part. It just did not work out in green and white, or claret and blue for that matter. 2

Ben: I think there might be a good defender in there, as all the physical attributes to be one, hasn’t transferred that to the pitch for us. 2

Dave: Didn’t work out did it? 1

Oh, I forgot about them…

Not much to be said for Matty Grivosti, Anthony Georgiou, Alfie Pond (a class above), Finley Craske, Josh Owers (see Bristol City file), Seb Palmer Houlden (see Bristol City file), Louis Britton, Callum Rowe and Jake Scrimshaw.

Obviously, these ratings are subjective. Let us know your thoughts below…

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Chris Sweet and Jimmy Healey aboard the Glovers’ open top bus

Former Sports Editor of the Western Gazette Chris Sweet followed the Glovers up and down the land, through the highs and the lows, he was in one of the best seats in the house for Yeovil’s finest hour. 
In our latest Gloversblog, he tells us what YTFC in 2013 means to him.

What does the 2013 team mean to you? How often do you sit back and watch the highlights over and over again? Let us know, share your pictures and let’s enjoy the ten-year anniversary of the Glovers’ most memorable success.

I’m going to open with a potentially unpopular opinion – reaching Wembley in 2013 will live longer in the memory than actually winning there.

That’s not to downplay an utterly iconic 90 minutes from Yeovil Town’s history. But once we were there, the pressure and expectation was arguably much less. It was about completing the job, not letting the epic defeat of Sheffield United be in vain and to beat (again) a team we’d already walloped six past that season.

But before expanding my argument on why blunting the Blades was better than swatting the Bees, some self-indulgent context.

The Western Gazette Play Off Special Cover Pic @Sweeter1984

What may surprise those who thought I was a mouthpiece of the club, someone who never asked the right questions and didn’t know what I was on about, is that first and foremost I was – and am – a fan. I caught the bug when my old man and I first went to Huish Park in 1992 and, essentially, I pursued sports journalism with the aim of covering the club. I’d be lying if I said that the personal digs didn’t hit home. Yes, I should have thicker skin, but everyone’s human. I left journalism for good reason and it took a good number of years to want to watch Yeovil again, let alone write about them. And you try filling eight pages a week with “no comment” responses to those questions I supposedly didn’t ask…

Those that know me best will testify that, whilst intrinsically curmudgeonly, I’m deeply passionate about the Glovers. It’s beyond gutting (and the scope of this blog) to see where the club is today, but at the other end of the scale is 2013 – being front and centre to see Little Old Yeovil silence a, quite frankly, arrogant former Premier League club to prompt the most euphoric sporting celebrations of my life.

As University of Sheffield alumni who often went to Bramall Lane, a trip to South Yorkshire for a night of pie and Henderson’s was always going to be one to relish (yep, I made that pun). But that particular Friday night was much tougher to endure than a skinful on Division Street before ending at the Leadmill.

Play Off Semi-Final Souvenir Special from the Western Gazette

Yeovil’s nerves were clear, but we applied ourselves. 1-0 to the hosts was arguably fair, but the fliers left under windscreen wipers advertising bus travel from S1 to Wembley was far from it. There was still the return leg of a double-header where expectation, dangerously, was only on one team. And they weren’t going to be the ones in green and white.

I can remember arriving at Huish Park on that blisteringly hot Monday thinking whatever happened, it had been a bonkersly brilliant season. I’d no doubt once more slate Harry Maguire (whatever did he go on to achieve…?) for having the turning circle of a cruise liner, Jim Healey would make a comment about my lack of hair, and I’d probably sign off with a pint or four with the Tupman family and Mrs Sam Foley in the Tupman’s box, as had been the routine for the campaign.

What wasn’t in the plan was: ending the afternoon on the pitch; hugging Ed Upson and rubbing his forehead; a certain Merthyr-based Welsh winger soaking my notepad in black sambuca; necking Cheddar Valley with the squad’s two Northeasterners; a centre half (for the first and not last time)  unprompted calling me every name under the sun; and then struggling to stay on my feet (along with two key first teamers) after Angelo Balanta had bought Modellos’ stock of fizz and promptly sprayed it everywhere. 

Chris celebrates the semi-final win over Sheffield United
Pic: @Sweeter1984 / Len Copeland

The celebrations were utterly euphoric and whilst I appreciate hindsight is everything, I look back wondering why we were surprised. Yeovil followed the script to the letter – Kevin Dawson’s exquisite finish epitomised the eff-you attitude the squad had, and of course this was the day Ed was going to score his first Glovers’ headed goal.

That entire squad was built around beating adversity. Many have gone on to bigger and better, but each of them had a point to prove. Not only was that their defining commonality, it epitomised that turnaround against a Sheffield United that expected to just turn up to reach Wembley. They were part of the community, and they celebrated with the community.

I rocked up at work on Tuesday with a beast of a hangover and no voice, yet still floating thanks not just to the after-effects of a brilliant celebration but sure that I’d experienced something I’d likely never repeat with the Glovers. 

It made Wembley an experience to truly enjoy with, what I felt, a bizarre lessening of pressure. Ok, Tony Pounder will argue otherwise – he had to keep me calm for pretty much all of the second half in the press box – but although the job still had to be done, we’d overcome the odds versus Sheff U and the confidence gained was phenomenal.

The Wembley Win Souvenir Special Cover from the Western Gazette

Don’t get me wrong, celebrating reaching the Championship was an experience like no other – I’ll never herd hungover cats and arrange a bus tour again, I’ll never hear Angelo cracking champagne before I see him again and I don’t think that centre half will swear at me again.

But, whilst I’m sure I’ll see Jim with his tie around his head in the future, the outpouring of emotion after reaching that final will be unrivalled when it comes to the Glovers. This is the night and the memories I always go back to when reminiscing with the likes of Jim and Ben Tupman.

Both horseracing fans, I often speak to Kev Dawson. I’m usually with a good friend who’s a Sheff Utd fan. And I never miss the chance to remind him of that goal. And why not? The arrogant swines deserved it.

The squad that beat the Blades are Glovers’ legends. They not only allowed us to dream, they allowed us to believe. And forever I’ll be grateful.

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As part of the 2012/13 Anniversary Celebrations, the Gloverscast is pleased to be able to bring you the full collection of home match day programme covers from the 2012/13 season.

We want to extend a huge thank you to Jon Hopper for helping to bring these images to you.

How many of these games do you remember, how many of these souvenir editions do you have stashed away in the attic still, each one a memory of a step on the road to glory… which of course, all led to Wembley.

 

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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.