Gloversblog (Page 20)

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Gloversblog

The final day of the 2002/03 season was a day of celebration. The title was already well wrapped up, the records had already been smashed and the TV Cameras were in attendance to see Yeovil lift the Nationwide Conference Trophy and end a 106-year stay in Non League.

By clicking on the link below you will find the full CIderspace match report of that momentus day from Noddy Elms, there’s a most incredible Champagne-soaked photo gallery, the live Sky Sports footage of Kevin Gall’s goal (with thanks of course to Green and White Goals) and a picture of the Programme Cover.

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE

By:
On:
In: Gloversblog, Five Conclusions, Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil finished their home campaign with a whimper yesterday, losing 3-0 to Oldham. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions…

 

It started badly and didn’t get any better. If this was a ‘pressure off, express yourself’ kind of day, it really didn’t feel it. After just 8 minutes a cross into the box found Devarn Green who was given the freedom on the six yard box to give Oldham the lead. Oldham looked organised, drilled and a team that could do something in the National League next season.

We just couldn’t get any attacking rhythm. Passes were either too short, too hard, impossible to control and wildly misplaced. There was no cohesion and it was a performance that was symptomatic of a relegated team that just want the season to finish. There were flashes of play, pockets of neatness but Oldham’s keeper was only really troubled by crosses into the box.

Reo Griffiths. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

There won’t be fond memories of this season at Huish Park. In 23 games at home this season, supporters have seen 6 wins, 8 draws and 9 defeats and celebrated just 18 goals. Last season wasn’t much better, 7 wins, 7 draws and 8 defeats and 20 goals. There was more than 4000 at Huish yesterday, and they weren’t sent away with a great deal to look forward to next season. The manager described relegation as death by a thousand cuts but in the last 108 league matches at home, the town has seen just 36 wins. Now that’s a tough sell…

That will be the last Huish Park sees of some of these players. Given our destination its a safe bet that many if these players won’t be around next season. Grant Smith, the standout player who kept teams at bay for so long this season will surely see his sights higher. Matt Worthington, who despite our dreadful season, has kind of had a breakout season of his own. He won’t be short of suitors in the National League and after his years in green and white who can begrudge him that. Lawson D’Ath’s heartfelt message last night feels like a goodbye. There will be a huge loss of character in the changing room if you take those three out and there will need to be a huge rebuild. That is why…

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Someone needs to grab this club by the scruff of its neck and restore some pride. The owner has control of the destiny of Huish Park, facilitated by SSDC. He’s got what he wanted from before day one and has gone. SU Glovers, after ushering in a new era in March, weren’t at Huish Park yesterday. There has been discontent within the club about how SU have operated since there stewardship was announced more than 50 days ago. When Mark Cooper says it: ‘stirring the pot’. When Josh Staunton says it: ‘what a leader’. There is a universal truth at the club that the takeover has totally derailed the season. It’s difficult to comprehend just how badly the wheels have come off after such positivity. I know there are people still rooting for them and if it goes through everyone will be behind them, as wholesale change is inevitable. Right now though, I don’t see how this deal gets completed. Clearly, there is another plan underway and a search for an alternative trying to preserve the long term future of the club. After the debacle over the last couple of months, it’s difficult to have faith that the right person can be found when time is of the essence. From May, we’ll start paying the landlords for their ‘rescue package’ last Summer but the club feels anything but rescued. Administration is a massive risk but it would bring to light what’s been going on behind the scenes at the club over the past couple of seasons.

By:
On:
In: Gloversblog

So, we made it out of the division.

The supporters and staff deserve a statement today that clarifies the situation with the future of the ownership of the club, apologises for the way the club has operated this season and with those in role taking accountability for their actions or lack thereof.

There are no words that can make up for the total mismanagement of the club since the turn of the year. The open civil war between manager and stewards has been shameful and disrespectful to a club with over 125 years of history.

Josh Staunton should not be the man apologising to supporters. He is the epitome of leadership and the standard-bearer at Huish Park.

The ‘leaders’ at the club have treated supporters with contempt. Since the statement on 28th February before Altrincham and the subsequent press conferences, there has been no official communication regarding the takeover.

Our supporters groups have let us down too. Where are the Alliance meeting notes from the last 12 months? Where’s the evidence of supporters in a privileged position, holding club stakeholders to account. The Glovers Trust, which hasn’t shied away from trying to hold power to account previously, isn’t doing what it did before.

At Christmas, a decision was made to back SU Glovers as the preferred bidder. Evidently people think they’ve made a mistake and are now scrambling for a solution.

Two sliding doors moments have scuppered football experience from getting in the door and we now find ourselves at our lowest ebb since the middle of then ’90s.

We need clarity, today. Let the supporters know what the plan is, if there is a plan. There’s no doubt that administration will be on the cards if the deal collapses. Then what? Vultures will begin circling. It’s not inconceivable that we go the way of Bury or Macclesfield. How does the SSDC rescue deal look then?

Players, staff and supporters have a right to know what is happening.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Gloversblog

When Seb White (Editor at Large of MundialMag.com) asks you if you want some of his old files, more often than not you say yes. This time, he’s offered Gloverscast the PDF of the special commemorative magazine ‘Slope and Glory’ celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the 1948/49 FA Cup run, including the famous triumph over Sunderland.

If you’re on mobile tap the pdf and you’ll be able to scroll through. While you’re at it, give Seb’s YTFC episode of the brilliant ‘Giant’ podcast a listen.

 

By:
On:
In: Gloversblog, Five Conclusions, Latest Yeovil Town News

An abject first half followed by a stirring comeback and even two goals to see Yeovil Town take a point from a 2-2 draw at Solihull Moors should be enough to cheer up that miserable curmudgeon Coatesie – right? Well, it kind of did, here’s his conclusions from his day out in the Midlands…..

 

The first half was pathetic: Let’s do this chronologically and start with the biggest negative. Charlie Cooper spoke after the game about playing for personal pride and, on the basis of the performance in the first half, that was completely lacking from every single player in a Yeovil Town shirt. Yes, I know there’s some who are playing with injuries, yes, there are some who really do care, but the way a Solihull side with nothing left to play for carved us apart at will was embarrassing. If any player thinks that type of performance will make them appealing to a club at this level or above, I want some of whatever they’re having. The half-time whistle was met with complete apathy, it was a performance so weak it sucked even the anger out of those who remained on the terrace when it sounded. Those with any sense had departed to the bar long before.

What a difference three subs makes: The arrival of Zanda Siziba and Reo Griffiths changed the game. From the first minute of the second half, Siziba was a constant menace down the left side and, though he was not so in the thick of it, Griffiths’ quality inside the box created both goals. With the two of them on the pitch, we looked a different side. None of us know what exactly has (and has not) gone on with them and the manager and some of their team-mates have not exactly hidden their distaste for it, but they brought exactly what we were crying out for over those crucial fixtures against Gateshead, Aldershot and Dorking. If they’d been given the chance, would it have made a difference? Truth is we will never know, but given how well what we tried worked, I will say it seems a mistake not to have even given it a go.

Reo Griffiths and Zanda Siziba applaud supporters after the match.

It had to be those two, didn’t it? Whilst I was delighted with the performances from both Siziba and Griffith, their performances gave the petty, childlish side show which continues to play out an opportunity to raise its head again. It’s obvious to everyone these two players were recruited by the owners-in-waiting and even if he’s kept his promise to stay off Twitter so far, Matt Uggla could not resist posting on his Instagram. And, yes Wattsy, you did call it on the last podcast – keep your eyes on Vinted and Strava, folks! I don’t know what’s gone on, but I hate the fact the thousands of good people who support and work for this football club they love are being treated with such contempt by people who claim they love it as well. And, yes, I mean Matt Uggla. Yes, I mean Mark Cooper who can’t resist a petty comment. And, yes, I mean everyone involved in the embarrassing sh*tshow which our club has descended in to. You know who you are and you should be utterly ashamed of what you have ‘achieved’ with your antics. Will you be ashamed? I have my doubts, why not prove me wrong?

I can’t wait for it to be over. Tuesday night at Wrexham will (barring some kind of miracle) see our relegation confirmed and what a strange situation it will be for it to happen whilst our opponents put a foot in to the Football League. The optimist in me (believe it or not, there is one) says that we have to look to the Welsh side to see what can be possible with investment and people with a genuine plan (yes, spending millions of pounds does count as ‘a plan’) can achieve. Let’s not forget (as if we could be allowed to forget) that the ‘fairytale’ in the Hollywood hills of North Wales follows decades of mismanagement, more than a brush with extinction and plenty of suffering for their supporters. Do I sound bitter? Probably because I am. Whilst I do detest how it’s come about and the fairytale fantasy, I am also deeply jealous of what those in the home end at the Racecourse Ground have. We had something like that once and we could have it again…….couldn’t we?

I did enjoy myself. If you have got to this stage of this hissy fit, then kudos to you for that. I feel I owe it to our last conclude-r, Marcus Duncomb, to try and end on a positive because I did enjoy (the second half) of this game. We were all any Yeovil Town supporter wants us to be – committed, attacking, fearless and playing with some pride. We scored a good first goal and an absolutely sumptuous second – a lot to be said for just leathering it, eh? Hats off to Owen Bevan for that strike. Yes, it was too little too late as I’ve said, but I did enjoy it.

By:
On:
In: Gloversblog

For many people, the 2003 season represents so much, for plenty it’s the reason they are a Glovers fan today, for some it was the first football that wasn’t on the TV and for others, it was in their blood, in their family… forever destined to be part of their lives.

Abby Carter might fit into more than one of those categories, but as we saw first hand with her organisation of the Legends Game along side Kevin Gall, you cannot question what the 2003 squad means to her.

In this blog she tells us exactly why.

As we tumble through turmoil, heart break has been more common than cheer, 20 years ago feels like 200.

Some might say the joy we’ve felt makes the pain so much harder, but at least we have the memories!

Looking back fondly on days the club loved us as much as we loved them and Jon Goddard-Watts knew the power of investing for the local community has never felt so lost.
I wasn’t totally sure how to put those days into words, how do you describe the pride in the badge? The happy tears? The mutual united? The excitement of back-to-back open tour buses to Westlands Sports Club!? How do you explain that we achieved by unity to someone that wasn’t there?

A lot of the things that drove that success in those days, are gone, and whilst we could so easily get bogged down in the ‘where did it all go wrong’ question, there are a million potential excuses/reasons/musings.

Those were the days when every player had a song, everyone knew those songs, you loved your favourite players like you loved the club (never fall in love with Footballers).

We started that season at Dorchester town, the pitch was being re-laid and Gary took the team on a pre-season tour to Latvia.

In truth, I’m not sure 15-year-old Abby, from the parts of Dorset where you struggle to not replace the u in smurf with an e, even knew where Latvia was, but it certainly sounded a lot more exhilarating than Dorchester! Over the last 12 months Gary, Thommo and John Fry had signed a team of players that really had a point to prove, the ones that came close once, ex Premier League YTS’s or those struggling to get off the bench in Division 3, it was evident, we had a goal!

In the first month of the season Stanno broke his leg, so we needed a striker. By Christmas Kirk Jackson, whom we beat in the Trophy Final, was a Glover and he slotted into our united collection of local lads, Cockney accents, Northerners, 206cc drivers & ex bullsh*tters like he had lifted the trophy with us.

As we rolled into October we were back at the idyllic Huish Park, had spent a fair amount of the season top of the league, Tonks had left under a cloud of agent lambasting, Coatsie had built a Howard Forinton shrine, GJ had picked up a manager of the month, we walked in a Gavin Williams wonderland, the majority of us had yet to meet a real life internet hoodie and Badger, Hugh and co steered a strong relationship between club and fans through the iconic Ciderspace.

Christmas steamed by and we had lost 3 games as we entered the new year.

Carl Alford had gone, much to my personal heartbreak (never fall in love with Footballers).

We were playing silky, sexy, skilful, fast, mature football. Training and playing to standard beyond ‘little old Yeovil’.

There was a sense of friendly competition for a place in the squad. We owned the diamond formation with the ferocity of Colin Miles talking to Trevor Kettle. Macca and Gav could read each other’s minds, Colin, Roy and Locky commanded the back line, Skivo was the ultimate captain, Wealey was the safest hands, Steve Collis was steadfast, El-Kholti had hit colt like status, Thommo & Gilesy were super subs, Weasel and Johno were a pain in every teams ass, Lindy and Critts were constantly bringing pace, Jacko was banging the goals in and we played every game like Giant Killers.

The fundamental thing, those lads loved each other, and they loved the badge, they lived next door to each other, their partners were best friends, all inseparable, every home game Friday night the famous trips to Tambourinhos, they integrated into the town and it showed.

In February Gally arrived, and not because we didn’t already have enough terrible haircuts, he bought more pace and more skill.

By March we were 12 points clear and our fate was all but sealed. Telford Home took us within a point of Champions and when the day came it was at Donny away.

For the last 5 or 6 years we had our own mini bus group, Brian would drive us, coming up from Newton Abbott with his Grandsons and nephews, and meet mum, nan and I, Pat and her marvellous and much missed husband Tony, couple of my school friends Kim and Pete, with some members of their families including Adrian, the late and great Bern and Bid, their son Rick, our friend Pauline and to be honest anyone else that fancied jumping in.

We were a strange, dysfunctional football family, everyone was welcome and there weren’t many away games we didn’t travel to, meeting up at home games to between running the shop and the various other voluntary roles mum, nan and I did over the years.

We had won the game on April 11th before our 5:35pm kick off.

The celebration was deafening, and the players quickly cottoned on, we celebrated that day together.

They ran over as we filled Belle Vue before the team had changed for warm up. We were Champions, 108 years of non-league football was over.

I can still hear the drum bang and the chorus of “HEYYYYY GARY JOHNSOOONN”. We won that game 4-0 but the result was immaterial. We stopped at the services on the way home, dizzy on the day, throats horse, as the players’ coach pulled in, we again celebrated together, we took over those services as a travelling army, we won that season together, and the next 2 weeks the celebration didn’t end.

By the last day, Chester at home, records had been broken, unbeaten at home, 17 points clear, +64 goal difference, the team had scored over 100 goals, multiple players achieved teams of the year and Jacko had just missed out on Golden Boot.

Medals were collected, the trophy handed over, celebrations didn’t stop. We had done it, together and everyone really felt part of the journey.

A lot of the names I mention are sadly no longer with us, and all so missed.

In the summer Gally and pulled together a game in Stannos memory, whilst recognising the contribution of so many loved ones.

We raised over £17,000 for the Adam Stansfield Foundation but more importantly we tried to bring those days back, and for the first time in a long time the excitement and love filled Huish Park again, these days I find it harder and harder to visit HP and see how far we’ve fallen.

The truth is, it will never be the same, it wasn’t even close when we won at Wembley 10 years ago and to try and explain those days to people that weren’t there, all I can tell you is we had a 20 lion heart Staunton’s, loyal, determined, honest, passionate and they all went on to have exceptional careers.

I make up the 5th generation of Yeovil fans in my family, that win was a family win, this history is my history, YTFC is part of my identity and who I am.

My story is like so many others, Huish Park is the home of the majority of my childhood memories, leaving games at half time to go to birthday parties, my Hamsters & Guinea Pigs were named after players (Lee Harvey, Paul Wilson and Al-James Hannigan, if you wondered), Martock Watermans is still my favourite kit, selling programmes with ribbons in my hair, sitting with my great grandfather and listening to stories of the sloping pitch and the Sunderland win, my first job was at the club, Fred Lewis was like another grandfather to me.

Even as the crowds grew players and fans alike stayed friends, and as we climbed and started playing the big boys, with no more FA Trophy, a different entry stage to the FA Cup, working to meet new ground rules, excited to visit new grounds, we had a collection of players that will forever be cemented in our history and enjoyed the wonderful glorious magic of league football.

If 2003 means something to you, you’re than welcome to share your thoughts and images by emailing ben@gloverscast.co.uk or by sharing your thoughts on Social media – @Gloverscast.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Gloversblog

In the next installment of the Gloverscast’s trip down memory lane, we are able to bring you the full Ciderspace coverage of Yeovil Town’s incredible 4-0 demolition of Doncaster Rovers on the way to a most incredible Nationwide Conference Title.

By clicking on the link below, you’ll find a full match report from Jeremy Gear, the Man of the Match voting, a full gallery of post match celebrations, as well as not one, not two but THREE videos from Chris over at Green and White Goals on YouTube.

How does the song go..? “… we won the blummin’ Conference, in 2003″ we did, exactly 20 years ago today.

CLICK HERE

By:
On:
In: Gloversblog

Guest Blog by Jake Gallagher

If social media is any barometer there’s been a clear feeling within the fanbase that the club’s recruitment this season has been truly abysmal. And I agree. We all agree. Even the people doing the recruiting agree.

I wanted to understand how you can possibly get it so wrong, ask who is responsible and ultimately look at what the bones of the squad will look like next season.

Now if you include all the players who’ve been named in the matchday squad at least once – then the club has had forty-five (45) players on its books this season. Forty-fucking-five.

It’s a genuine shambles but I’ve tried to make sense of it. Here goes…

Yeovil Town Football Club signed thirty-six (36) players since the start of 2022/23. I’ve unpacked this into segments. It isn’t a perfect exercise but it’s enough to make conclusions thinking about these questions:

  1. Who Signed Them?
  2. How Many Have Been Successful?
  3. Where Are They Now?
  4. Will They Be Here Next Season?

Who Signed Them?

Believe it or not, eighteen (18) of the players were signed under Chris Hargreaves and eighteen (18) were signed under Mark Cooper. A perfect 50/50 split. Or is it?

It’s obviously more nuanced than that given the club has had a change of ownership or ‘stewardship’ since the beginning of March and a new recruitment process/mess has been in flight.

Therefore, the pie chart looks more like this with new owner Matt Uggla taking responsibility, as stated on social media, for six signings since SU Glovers’ arrival in town.

How Many Have Been Successful?

Very few is the short answer.

The chart below demonstrates that just four (out of 36), in my opinion of course, have been successful and remain playing for the club today.

Some that I’ve deemed successful aren’t at the club anymore. The likes of Alfie Pond, Sam Pearson and Jamie Andrews are all examples of good talent identification and go down as good signings despite the short impact they had. It’s just a shame we couldn’t keep hold of them.

These players are now playing at a higher level – you could argue if we were fortunate enough to hold on to them for the full campaign, we’d be the handful of points better off to be out of the relegation zone.

Overall though the recruitment has been bordering on incompetent. The process resembles a blubbering drunken lady walking out of Neo nightclub looking for a 2:00am barrel-scraping shag and turning up with Matt Grivosti. Just one single match scouting this player would’ve told you he’s not good enough for National League football. Certainly not right now anyway.

I’d suggest that just four signings can be deemed successful and for a couple of these you could accuse me of being kind. Owen Bevan, Charlie Cooper, Scott Pollock and Jordan Stevens are the names I have in the successful bucket. Bevan has bled green and white while Cooper is clearly good enough for this level – if you can ignore his persistent whinging at the referee which annoys me so greatly. Stevens and Pollock are similar types of players and are certainly ones for the future given their age.

So how then can you get it so wrong that just 11% of this season’s signings can be considered successful? That’s a hit-rate of just over 1 in 10!

I genuinely hand on heart believe that I, a person who works at football statistics website WhoScored.com, could’ve overseen recruitment at Yeovil Town and had a better strike rate than 1 in 10. I could’ve used Sports Interactive’s Football Manager game as my only scouting tool and had a healthier hit-rate.

Where Are They Now?

The revolving door at Huish Park is knackered but still we had new players joining into late March. I’m aware that’s not unusual – but needing to make six signings in March is surely not a sign of a settled squad.

Most won’t be here next season, of course, due to the nature of their deals while some were just not good enough for the level required.

Of the thirty-six signings made, fifteen played first team games and found themselves leaving via the A303 just weeks later. Gime Toure, Jake Scrimshaw and Louis Britton are examples of players were awarded permanent contracts and left by mutual consent after not making the grade.

We made two permanent signings that are currently out on loan. Ben Richards-Everton and Ollie Hulbert. You can file these under ‘didn’t work out’ I suppose.

Will They Be Here Next Season?

This is up for debate and in some cases will depend on relegation clauses and other information I don’t have access to.

The likes of Jordan Maguire-Drew, Zanda Siziba, Will Dawes, Alex Fisher, Malachi Linton, Charlie Cooper, Scott Pollock, Jordan Stevens and Jordan Young have been signed on contracts that should see them here next season. Whether they want to or not is another matter.

There are others such as Jamie Reckord who have an option for another year should the club and player wish to renew. Chiori Johnson has a contract up for renewal and could be given a new deal if the new management believe he’s at the required level. After Saturday’s needless and naïve second yellow card, I’d think twice about renewing.

On the ‘definitely won’t be here next season’ list are mostly loan players such as Miguel Freckleton and Will Buse and I’m going to confidently predict that Callum Harriott (too good for this level) and Ben Richards-Everton (fans haven’t warmed to him) won’t be playing for Yeovil Town come August despite being permanent members of the playing staff right now.

As it stands, we have twelve players on contract until at least 2024 and two with options to extend beyond the summer in Reckord and Hulbert. Any notions that we should ‘rip up the squad and start again’ are foolish. Clearly a reset is required but there are players at this club who should be here next season irrespective of what league we find ourselves in.

In among those twelve under contract are players who will be ready for football in the National League South and can develop as the club progresses. Players like Stevens, Pollock, Young, Linton. We need hang on to them – they are the young, exciting forward players we must get behind in 2023/24.

Conclusion

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that the recruitment has been embarrassing. It’s the main reason (though there are so many reasons) why we’re going down – we can all see it.

In true ‘An Inspector Calls’ fashion, absolutely everyone running the club is to blame. That’s everyone who dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s on the incoming transfers.

Chris Hargreaves’ summer signings of Jake Scrimshaw and Ben Richards-Everton didn’t give the team a solid start back in August and we’ve been playing catch up ever since. Mark Cooper’s early dealings bringing in Anthony Georgiou and Louis Britton were complete failures and left us short of quality. More recently our deadline day call to opt against bringing in Frank Nouble, a player who had all but been announced as a Yeovil Town player, showed a lack of joined up thinking between the management and new ownership.

All in all, our impending relegation has been compounded by the Uggla versus Cooper handbags that have been increasing in viciousness as each weekend passes with another L next to Yeovil Town’s form. The pair have continued to stoop to take swipes at each other, through the media usually, with a clear disagreement across the board including the abilities of our latest signings Reo Griffiths and Zanda Siziba.

It’s time for the people running the football club to put their egos away, put their big boy pants on and start showing some leadership without plastering their thoughts on social media. I believe we should part ways with Cooper sooner rather than later, he’s a bad egg whose obnoxiousness and goading behaviour is bleeding the fanbase of optimism in what should be an exciting time under new ownership. The only way is up from here.

By:
On:
In: Gloversblog, Five Conclusions, Latest Yeovil Town News

In keeping with the entire season (and probably the one before), rock bottom fell even lower for Yeovil Town with defeat at home to Dorking Wanderers putting another nail in the coffin of their National League status.

Marcus Duncomb was on co-commentary duties for BBC Radio Somerset at Huish Park on Easter Monday and here are his conclusions on what he saw….

Everything about that game summed what’s been wrong with us this season. We played some nice football, had more of the ball and were trying to do the right thing. But as soon as we got anywhere near the final third there was no-one in there making a lung-busting run or screaming for the ball. It’s as if we have no idea what to do when we get near the opposition goal. Then Chiori Johnson decided to get sent off by making a stupid and needless decision which ultimately doomed us. Self-capitulation seems to be a theme in Yeovil’s recent history. Finally Dorking rubbed salt into the wounds to win the game, showing us just what we were missing. A decent pot-shot from range was parried and first to react was Jason Prior who showed predatory striker’s instinct. Just what we’ve been missing. He was signed in February and has scored six in 11 to rocket Dorking towards safety…

We’re not achieving by unity and ultimately that has relegated us. Managers, players, owners and directors all come and go but they all occasionally manage to mention the club’s motto of ‘Achieve by Unity’. Never has it been so far from the truth. Alex Fisher hobbled out just before kick off to give a heartwarming message of thanks to the Huish Park faithful and he ended his speech with the club motto which roused the crowd. The match and the aftermath showed how little that phrase is being followed though. The problem isn’t wholly that we didn’t sign striker X who could have saved us (although it definitely could have helped). It’s that we’re in a farcical situation where our manager is telling fans through interviews that he plainly doesn’t agree with how the club has been run in the past few months. And then our not-yet-but-probably-soon-to-be owner bites back with a Twitter rampage (which later got deleted, but we’ve all got the screenshots), listing half the players in the National League and whose idea it was not to sign them or sign them. This petty civil war has completely derailed our season and once again Yeovil Town has been the master of its own downfall. We’re the laughing stock for rival fans and I don’t know how any player would want to be at this club in its current state. We may be a full-time club but we’re certainly not professional in any way.

If there was any hope, it is gone. I know we’ve been saying that every result since the Southend home defeat has doomed us, but this really does feel like the final nail in the coffin. I don’t know how I had any hope after the Gateshead mauling – but looking at the table it wasn’t impossible. Torquay, Gateshead and Dorking have shown that, no matter how down and out you look, you just need to pull together a string of three or four wins and it completely saves your season. That’s all it takes. Unfortunately for Yeovil fans, we have seen absolutely nothing to show that we can go on a run of victories. We’ve won one game in 16 and haven’t had back-to-back victories since Darren Sarll. The squad look completely dejected and disjointed and sadly it would be better for everyone’s sake for our inevitable fate to be sealed sooner rather than cruelly dragging it out like this.

This squad is a complete mish mash. It’s similar to the previous point but as I watched us limp to defeat against Dorking Wanderers, you could see a complete mix of players. You had three from the Darren Sarll era in Smith, Worthington and Staunton, who all happen to be our three top performers this season. There were four carrying on from Chris Hargreaves’ short and, let’s be honest, forgettable 17 games at the helm – Johnson, Reckord, Bevan and Linton. C. Cooper and Maguire-Drew were from Cooper’s early recruitment and then Pollock and Freckleton as the two from Uggla’s recruitment. Thanks to Matt’s handy Twitter thread, we know exactly which players were whose signings! There are four different people, all with completely different ideas, beliefs and styles who have assembled this squad. It’s no wonder it looks so disjointed on the pitch and that there’s an unsettled dressing room. When our club captain says it’s ridiculous that we’ve used so many players in a season, you know something has gone wrong. Yes, part of this is down to summer recruitment being off and ultimately failing, but the lack of alignment since then has not helped.

Alex Fisher is the nicest man in football. I had to try and find one positive, and believe me it wasn’t easy. But the Fish coming out beforehand really did lift the spirits of a nervy Huish Park before kick off. This was something entirely of his own accord and to be quite honest I’m really not sure he was in any fit state to be parading around the pitch. However, he did it because he cares and that’s been a lot of what’s been missing this season. Our number nine has come under a lot of stick this season, and much of it unnecessarily in my opinion. It’s not his fault that he’s been burdened with the pressure of scoring the goals to fire us to safety when he’s never really been that type of striker. He’s scored more goals this season than he had in his past three seasons combined. Whatever happens to us next season, Fisher is someone that you want around the club even if he’s injured until the new year. Thanks for caring, Alex.

By:
On:
In: Gloversblog, Latest Yeovil Town News

Can anyone really believe it has been 20 years since that incredible side blitzed the Nationwide Conference?

I can’t.

As part of our celebrations, we’ve put together images of the Programme covers that we could find… but as you can see below, it’s not a complete set and that’s where we need your help.

If you have any Programmes out there, collecting dust or in an old collection, can you take a snap of the cover and sent it to ben@gloverscast.co.uk and we can update the gallery below.

For now though, sit back and enjoy the covers and take note of how youthful all the lads look!

Now I feel old!