Gloversblog (Page 34)

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How I’ve missed that.

The sound of the turnstile as you push your way through the least covid-safe entranceway possible. The murmur of the crowd in anticipation of a match. The thud of a damp football being skidded along a slick surface. The echo of heavy rain driving on the metal roof. The joy of having a shared experience with people, actual people.

This season has been memorable. The disastrous start to the season, the owner attempting to sell the land, the covid breaks, injury after injury and the tragedy of Lee Collins. Last night was memorable for all of the right reasons. To be back at Huish Park, surrounded by familiar faces (a row further forward than normal) was the teaser of normality that many of us have craved.

The performance was good, I think? I mean, I enjoyed the game. I thought we played well and looked comfortable. But it didn’t really matter. The point was 1500 of us got to watch our team in a competitive match for the first time in 444 days.

Last night, I learned that a stream doesn’t do our players justice. The connection between a players genuine effort and drive is totally lost from behind a screen. Charlie Lee could have had that performance two weeks ago and it would have been fine. But to see it in person – his determination, his running, his quality – reminded me what being a supporter is all about.

Carl Dickinson, totally imperious last night, was winding up his winger incessantly. That was one of his final two matches at Huish Park and he absolutely revelled in it.

Josh Neufville got an applause like no other after his substitution. That was an outpouring of gratitude for being our standout performer since joining. He’s a highlight of our season and we’re only just able to give him the genuine appreciation he deserves.

The electricity of Knowles. Darren Sarll has been hyperbolic about Tom Knowles ability and he’s that player who starts to get the seats rumbling as he picks up the ball. He wants to make things happen and he’s going to be great to watch next season.

And the 4th minute. What a moment. If you listed a top ten moments at Huish Park that would have to be in it. The appreciation we’ve been yearning to show. To show each other what Lee Collins meant to us all. We’re still a club in grieving, but for the game to stop for applause across the pitch put a lump in my throat. Seeing Adam Smith wipe away the tears and Lee’s colleagues take a pause to feel that moment was something else.

It was an absolute pleasure to be back at Huish Park last night, supporting a team that’s been going it alone since March 2020. While we might have forgotten what that connection between players and supporters felt like through this torrid time, just a minute inside the stadium brought it all back again.

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On May 26, the measure which has stopped the sale and lease back of Huish Park from owner Scott Priestnall and South Somerset District Council (SSDC) comes to an end.

The pause (or moratorium to use the correct term) was brought about by the decision of the Glovers’ Trust to activate an Asset of Community Value (ACV) it holds on the land, which has given it six months to make a counter offer to that proposed by SSDC.

It activated this option about six months ago and in an email to members on May 10, the Trust said it was “serious talks with parties who are keen to form a consortium and put together a credible bid.”

That and a statement from the owner – see here – on February 24 is pretty much all we have heard from either party in recent months. However, with the clock ticking down to the end of the moratorium we can only assume things are happening in the background.

So, here’s a look at what we (think) we know….

THE SSDC DEAL

On November 24,  Scott Priestnall confirmed he had approached SSDC to “buy Huish Park freehold land including the stadium, as well as the long leasehold parcel of land to the east of the site.”

In this statement at the time, the owner laid out the reasons why he felt the deal was necessary “in order to avoid serious financial distress in the coming months”.

On December 3, the council’s Executive District Committee met to approve the deal to “purchase and lease back property owned by Yeovil Town FC” including the Huish Park stadium.

In its press release following the decision, the council confirmed the deal would extinguish a 999-year lease between the council and the club and replace it with a new 30-year lease for the stadium and the land around it.

The full terms of the deal have remained confidential, but the authority confirmed it would be renting the site back to the club for a profit “of around 7%” per year.

It added the deal would also secure “the release of restrictive covenants” on the land which prevent its development of land at Huish Park.

The council added it would not be becoming the owner or a shareholder of the club, but recognised the value of the club to the community.

GLOVERS TRUST – ASSET OF COMMUNITY VALUE

In 2016, the Glovers’ Trust took out an Asset of Community Value (ACV) on Huish Park which gives it the right to make a counter offer if anyone sought to buy the stadium and surrounding land.

On January 2, the Trust’s board confirmed it would activate this option  and had until May 26 to make an offer counter to that proposed by SSDC.

Importantly, as Scott Priestnall pointed out in his November statement, the ACV only dictates he must consider the bid and he is not under any obligation to accept it.

So, what has happened since activating the ACV? Well, we don’t actually know, but the Trust’s most recent statement suggests it has been having conversations with people interested in backing them to make a counter offer.

In their email to members on May 10, the Trust said:

“We would like to assure you that we are in serious talks with parties who are keen to form a consortium and put together a credible bid. These are early days in the discussions and we will update further in due course.”

If you do want to get in to the detail of the ACV, the Trust has published a document which attempts to make the mind-bogglingly complicated see simple – see here.

 

SO WHO IS INTERESTED?

Well, the only party interested in owning the club that we can talk about with any certainty is the current owner Scott Priestnall and his fellow director Glenn Collis.

As mentioned before, we have not heard much from the owner on this subject since his update statement on February 24 , however, Glenn Collis has been more vocal on his social media – albeit not on the subject of the land deal.

Although his posts did including this cryptic tweet a few days ago though….

https://twitter.com/GCollisYTFC/status/1392094022932566017?s=20

So, with SSDC making it clear it has no plans to become owner or even a shareholder, we’re all really guessing about who else might be interested and who the Glovers’ Trust could be speaking with.

Scott Priestnall has poured cold water on some speculation of entrepreneurs interested in a buy-out, and the only person who has made any positive noises about the club is former director Andy Rossiter,

The well-known supporter and local businessman was quite publicly part of a consortium which held talks with then-owners Norman Hayward and John Fry back in May 2019, when the club was sold to Scott Priestnall and his then-business partner Errol Pope.

There’s no suggestion that same consortium is ready to bid again, although on one of the virtual Q&As held by Scott Priestnall has said he “knows where Andy (Rossiter) is” which suggests the door may be open for the possibility – but doesn’t go as far as saying it.

COATESIE’S VIEW OF IT ALL

Hopefully that’s given you something of a summary of what I think we know, so the only thing left to give you is my opinion on what I would like to see come of it all.

Here we go…..

  • a  first team squad and management playing attractive, committed and (hopefully) winning football. We’re all Yeovil Town supporters not because we expect them to win every week, but because we want to see commitment every time the players step on to the pitch and excitement as many times as possible.
  • an off-the-pitch  set up that benefits its community first and foremost with facilities open to that community, and an on-the-pitch set up that recognises the importance of the community. That is the importance not only to generate players for the first team, but to give young people all the benefits we know the game brings.
  • a sustainable business model that washes it’s own face (as much as a lower league football club can) and is not a hostage to fortune.
  • a club that listens and that does not mean bowing to the whim of every fan – including loud mouths like me!
    If there’s a lesson we can learn from the  European Super League debacle, it’s that fans will only accept so much of being held to ransom by greedy, self-interested businessmen. Yes, I’m looking at you at you Mr Glazer, Kroenke, Henry, et al!
    There’s obviously a place for sound business minds in the modern game, we need that knowledge and investment to survive, not least at our level, but there’s limits that will be tolerated.

And that’s about it for my ‘demands’.

So, if Scott Priestnall and Glenn Collis, a consortium aligned to the Glovers’ Trust ACV, or anyone else out there interested in doing what is best for our club, our community and our supporters can deliver that, I’m confident you’ll find the support of almost all of us who call this club ours.

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As injuries mount at Huish Park and the end of this dreaded season is in sight, conspicuous by his absence from any matchday squad since 1st of December against Eastleigh is Gabby Rogers.

The midfielder went from scoring a 120th minute winner in the FA Cup (one of the highlights of our season) to persona non grata at Yeovil Town.

In the aftermath of our match against Aldershot in December, Darren Sarll spoke to the press and said the following about Rogers:

“Gabby Rogers has pretty much requested to be on the transfer list, because of his own reasons, which is fine. I only ever utilise players who are desperate to play, and if Gabby’s desperate to play for Yeovil then he’ll always be in contention. Unless you really commit; heart, soul, every emotion, you never get the best out of these people.”

Rogers retorted on Instagram: “Don’t believe everything you hear…”

Why would an academy product, who had his moment at Bromley and showed promising sparks of genuine ability, would suddenly decide he doesn’t want to play for Yeovil? Rumours have swirled on social media regarding a training ground incident that sparked Rogers’ omission from the squad.

Now, with five games left to go and Aldershot to play tonight we find ourselves in the position where we are scraping together a first eleven, with no idea who will fill the bench.

As discussed on the latest episode of the Gloverscast, we might have as few as ten fit, outfield players, with as many as 12 players unavailable for selection.

If ever there was an opportunity to put a situation to bed, for the sake of the football club, this is it. For the sake of a young player who has come through our academy and, more heartlessly, a potentially valuable asset for the club who could provide more money for the club’s coffers over the years.  That is, of course, if Rogers wants to don green and white again.

Whatever the situation, it’s one that many supporters would want to see resolved as our season fizzles into nothing.

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Over the last few days, there have been several hints about the future of Reuben Reid. Last week during the press conference ahead of the trip to Wealdstone, Darren Sarll said: “Reuben is a fantastic player for us now, for next season and for plenty of time to come.”  BBC Radio Somerset  alluded to the striker signing a new contract during commentary of the win last weekend. The noise is all very positive coming out of Huish Park regarding Reid, and the indications are that we are extending Reid’s stay at Huish Park.

Reid’s signing on the 5th of January caught many off guard. The experienced forward returned for his second spell ahead of our fixture against W*ymouth and was cited as ‘our top target this season’ by Scott Priestnall as we announced the departure of Courtney Duffus.

Since arriving, Reid has made 21 appearances for Yeovil, scoring three times, twice from the penalty spot. His influence, on the pitch, has been mixed. With Reid’s experience at higher levels, many expected more goals. While Reid was prolific at Plymouth Argyle and Exeter, those spells were a peak in his return in front of goal. On the Gloverscast, Ben regularly makes the point that he “won’t judge Reuben Reid on the number of goals he scores”, and this is fair. Reid’s strength is in bringing other forward players into the game. Rhys Murphy’s hottest period this season came when he was paired up with Reid. Those two seemed to strike up a good relationship together, but he seems to have gelled less well with other strikers.

Reid’s post-match interviews have also drawn attention. Some supporters are appreciative of his honesty. Following defeat at $tockport, he bemoaned the quality of the performance and described some of the play as “nearly football.”

He was also critical of his teammates after Yeovil let a 2-0 lead slip against Notts County. Although his performance on that evening was hardly a four out of seven. This mentality, and character, is a key part of a Darren Sarll dressing room.

Reid is, undoubtedly, a big influence in this dressing room. If he can bring young players along with him and help them grow develop – as Sarll has suggested he has with Quigley lately – then that’s ideal. However, I don’t think it’s unfair to to expect more from him on the pitch, if he’s going to publicly call out his teammates.

We received official confirmation of Joe Quigley’s new contract after his hat-trick against Solihull a week ago. We know Darren Sarll likes having a few strikers and based on Monday’s performance in the 3-0 home defeat to FC Halifax Town, Reid and Quigley have a long way to go to be an effective partnership.

The biggest question come out of the latest updates from Huish Park is, what of the future of Rhys Murphy?

Despite two unsettled seasons which have seen him spend long spells on the sidelines, Murphy’s been the striker we were crying out for during our descent down the Football League, and our most natural finisher since Paddy Madden.

His return of 30 goals in 60 appearances in green and white has been superb and will be very difficult to replace, should he leave. At 30-years-old, and with a couple of disrupted seasons, it would be hard to begrudge Murphy a move to a League club. If he gets a payday from another club in the National League, though, that would be a big disappointment.

It’s promising that we’re hearing noises about contract renewals, you can read the current status of the squad here. As you’ll see, we’ve got a long way to go yet.