Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 298)

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Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper has suggested he is ready to make changes after seeing his side go down 4-1 at Bromley on Saturday.

The Glovers conceded four goals for the first time since the end of the 2020-21 campaign as their defensive solidity abandoned them whilst their inability to convert chances continued spurning numerous glorious opportunities.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the match, Cooper said his players had given him an opportunity to ring the changes as they travel to promotion-chasing Barnet on Tuesday night.

He said: “It has certainly given me a chance to make decisions. I have just said to the players (in the dressing room) that they keep giving me an opportunity to change things at half-time, and I didn’t today because we were creating chances.

“But if I was a player I wouldn’t want to keep giving the manager the chance to take people off at half time, that was a possibility again today, we have to starting shaking things up.”

The Glovers’ boss described his side’s start as “horrendous” as they went behind to a bizarre deflected goal awarded to Ravens’ Louis Dennisafter just nine minutes before gifting on-loan Millwall defender Besart Topalloj a second after 32 minutes.

But, their poor form in front of goal which leaves them comfortably the division’s lowest scorers with 21 goals in 25 matches continued with Jordan Maguire-Drew and Andrew Oluwabori both missing glorious opportunities before the break. 

In the second half, Cooper threw on new signing Jordan Young and joint top-scorer Malachi Linton in a bid to get goals only to end up conceding a third to Dennis just after the hour.

He said: “The whole last ten days (in training) have been about being on the front foot and being really aggressive getting after the opposition and pressing high. 

“We were 2-0 down before we know it through two horrendous goals, we have three clear one-on-ones in the first half to seriously change the game, we don’t take them.

“In the second half we gamble, I gamble to try and get back in it and we have chances, we concede the third goal as we leave ourselves a bit short at the back.

“We score (through Andrew Oluwabori) and then we have a brilliant chance, Jamie Reckord has a brilliant chance to make it 3-2 with 15 minutes to go, we don’t score, they go down the other end and score.

“The start was horrendous, that’s nothing like we worked on, so we have some big decisions to make in terms of which way we’re going to go forward.“

Of his second half substitutions, he added: “I was just trying to get forwards on the pitch to try and get us back in the game, one midfield player and the rest were forwards, we were 3-0 down, we’ve just to try and see if we can get a goal back, make it interesting, we did then we had a brilliant chance to make it 3-2 but we didn’t take it.

“I don’t like publicly criticising players but when you have opportunities like that, you have to score, that’s what you’re in the team for.“

The game was Maguire-Drew’s final of a one-month loan from League Two Grimsby Town and Cooper said that a permanent deal for the forward was “more or less done.” He added: “Hopefully we can announce that early in the week.“

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New signings midfielder Charlie Cooper and forward Jordan Young are named on the bench for Yeovil Town’s visit to Bromley (3pm kick-off).

In the starting XI, Alex Fisher returns to the line-up after being among the substitutes for the New Year’s Day win over Torquay United.

He is supported by loanees Jordan Maguire-Drew and Andrew Oluwabori.

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Charlie Cooper has become Yeovil Town’s newest signing after completing a successful trial period at Huish Park.

He’s signed an 18-month contract at the club andr has more than 150 appearances in the National League. He recently left Oldham Athletic.

Charlie, who is the son of the manager, Mark Cooper said “I’m delighted to be here. I’ve been here for about a month, training with the lads. It’s been good to come in and show what I can do. I know a couple of the lads already from playing with and against them. I feel comfortable and now I’m looking forward to getting involved in the action.”

A Birmingham City academy graduate, he has played in the Football League for both Forest Green & Newport County. His time in the National League has been spent with York City, Boreham Wood, FC Halifax Town, Woking, Wealdstone alongside Oldham and Forest Green.

Cooper was an unused substitute when the Glovers visited Boundary Park in October.

Welcome to Somerset Charlie. The last time the manager’s son played in midfield we did alright.

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Yeovil Town Under-18s’ home match against Swindon Supermarine has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Alvington.

The South West Counties Youth League fixture was postponed on Friday afternoon with heavy rain predicted in Somerset overnight and in to tomorrow morning.

The home matches for the age group teams representing Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust have also fallen foul to the weather.

The Under-11s had been due to face Juventus Devon while the Under-13s and Under-15s were scheduled to play their counterparts from South Somerset Regional Talent Centre.

 

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It’s a packed one one today.

We’re talking about the SSDC pscyhodrama and welcome John Oakes from the Glovers Trust for an update. Ian’s spoken with Yeovil Town Women’s FC CEO Ian Maskell about the new club and we talk Bromley and answer your GCQs.

Thank you for your continued support of the Gloverscast. Remember to add Gloverscast.co.uk to your favourites and check the website daily for the latest news and views from Huish Park.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Leave us a review and share the pod with a pal.

We’d love to welcome some local businesses into the Gloverscast family through advertising. If you’re a business that would like to speak to a dedicated audience of more than 1000 monthly listeners, please get in touch. Find out more about advertising with us here.

If you have an idea for the website, want to contribute or just want to send us a message, feel free to email ian@gloverscast.co.uk.

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Frontman Jordan Young has signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Yeovil Town having arrived from National League South side Chippenham Town.

The 23-year-old started his career in the youth set-up at Swindon Town when current Glovers’ boss Mark Cooper was in charge at the County Ground, and has scored five times for Chippenham already this season.

Just hours before the frontman – described as “a versatile forward who is able to play across the forward line” by the club’s announcement – Cooper had said he was hoping in bring in new players “in all positions” ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bromley.

Speaking to ytfc.net, he said: “It’s an absolute privilege to be here. I’ve had a bit of interest in me, I spoke to the Gaffer and it went from there.

“Yeovil are a massive club and when the Gaffer spoke to me, I knew it was the right thing to do.

“I can’t wait until Saturday, whether I make my debut or not, I’m really looking forward to it.”

The photographs accompanying his arrival notice suggest he has already trained with his team-mates, and the statement adds that his participation at the weekend is “subject to FA and National League clearance.“

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Mark Cooper is hoping to bring in new signings having seen four players depart Yeovil Town since their New Year’s Day victory over Torquay United.

The Glovers’ manager admitted the talk about a takeover at Huish Park was making it difficult for him to plug gaps left by the departures of loan midfielders Jamie Andrews and Ewan Clark and strikers Louis Britton and Jake Scrimshaw.

Asked whether he hoped to have new recruits before the weekend’s trip to Bromley, he said: “I hope so. We are in the midst of a takeover, so it is difficult to get things done. It’s easier to send people back than it is to sign people at the moment, but we’d love to get a couple in before the weekend.

“I have been led to believe we are on the same budget and if I can make room in that budget, then I can manoeuvre and bring players in as long as we are within the budget that was set at the start of the season.”

Jamie Andrews. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

On New Year’s Eve, club chairman Scott Priestnall issued a statement confirming he had entered an “exclusivity agreement” with an unnamed group about taking his majority shareholding in the club.

There has been no further comment since then and Cooper was keen not to count his chickens, saying: “It will only look good when it is finally announced that everything has gone through and we can start to get excited about it, but until then you are always cautious about what could happen.

“It‘s not made any difference to us, we are still working as we were before there was any talk of a takeover.”

Asked if he expected to get a boost to his playing budget in the event of a deal, he added: “If there is a takeover, naturally you would hope people come in and want to invest in to the team.”

The boss hinted that Lawson D’Ath may be set for a return to the starting line-up following the departure of Jamie Andrews, who had impressed on loan.

D’Ath has started just once since Cooper’s arrival at the end of October, but appeared for the second half of the 2-0 home win over Torquay a little under a fortnight ago.

Cooper said: “Jamie came in when I came in and Lawson (D’Ath) was injured, so we needed a midfield player.

“He is a young player, still learning his trade, and he started every game he was here but I have to look at the players who are on contract.

“Lawson has been really patient and he deserves a chance to play, so I didn’t want Jamie to be sat here and not playing and West Brom wanted him back to have a look at how he had progressed.”

He added the same was true with the exit of teenager Ewan Clark, who returned to Bristol City, and former Robins’ striker Louis Britton, who departed less than two months after signing on non-contract terms.

Cooper said: “We have two centre forwards in Malachi (Linton) and Alex Fisher who are both on two-year contracts and Louis was on a non-contract, so I wanted him to come in and add competition which he did but we can’t have lots of centre forwards sat around not playing.

“I’m convinced at some point he’ll go somewhere and score goals, I think he’s gone to Chorley in Conference North, so good luck to him.”

With the match at Bromley being played on an artificial surface, Cooper said the team had been training on the 3G pitch outside Huish Park in preparation.

He said the lengthy gap since the New Year’s Day win had enabled him to work on improving his side’s control of the ball, admitting they had been second best to Torquay for long periods of their last outing.

The boss is under no illusion his side are still comfortably the lowest scorers in the National League with 20 goals in their 24 matches, but still have the third best defensive record conceding just 22 goals.

He said: “We talk about being more of a threat going forwards, but if you do that you have the threat that you undo some of the good work you have done defensively.

“At some point we have to score more goals because if you keep relying on defending, eventually one day your luck will run out and there will be a deflected shot and something will happen and you’ll concede a goal.

“We need to certainly have more control of the game, but whoever have played so far has been defensively outstanding and we need that to continue.”

He added he had “a relatively clean bill of health” going in to the weekend’s match at Bromley, who has been rearranged after the previous fixture on December 4 was abandoned after just 11 minutes following a medical incident in the crowd.

Tragically, Bromley later confirmed season ticket holder Keith Hore died having been taken ill at the match.

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The Glovers Trust has called for clarity from Yeovil Town and South Somerset District Council about the future of the club and land around its Huish Park home.

In a statement issued to members on Wednesday night, the Trust has called on the club to end nearly three months of delay to hold a fans’ meeting and called on council representatives to be in attendance to answer questions.

It follows a confirmation by Councillor John Clark, Portfolio Holder of Economic Development at SSDC, that the buy-back option on the land around Huish Park lies with Yeovil Town Holdings Limited, the business controlled by chairman Scott Priestnall.

The Trust said: “We call on the club ownership to stop hiding behind the quoted ‘period of exclusivity’ with a preferred investor and to schedule as a matter of great urgency the Fans’ Forum that was promised, by the current owner, on 14th October 2022, some 89 days ago.

“The Glovers Trust fully understands that certain questions may not be able to be answered at the event but this should not be used as an excuse to hide from fan scrutiny across other areas.”

Councillor John Clark, ortfolio Holder of Economic Development at South Somerset District Council.

It was October 14th that Priestnall said “we will be setting up a meeting next month for supporters to have their voice heard and raise questions” but then on New Year’s Eve 2022 he confirmed the club had an “exclusivity agreement” in place with an unnamed group which was seeking to become majority shareholder of the club.

At that point, the chairman said: “These ongoing discussions continue to delay an announcement for the supporters meeting but a time and date will be confirmed as we approach a conclusion.”

The Trust’s statement also calls on SSDC to attend any forum – if/when it ever happens – to discuss its plans to develop Huish Park and surrounding land which it bought for £2.8m in May.

The Trust adds: “We call on SSDC to commit to attend the Fans’ Forum, once scheduled. Those who conceived and agreed the deal to purchase the land from YTFC are best placed to answer fans’ questions.

“We appreciate that the Fans’ Forum is not a Glovers Trust event and for us to invite others to an event we are not running could be seen as overstepping. We have therefore today sought a meeting with SSDC to raise further questions. We will provide a further update to our members in due course.

“Our football club is more than just land. It is more than companies registered, and accounts filed. Our club is our fans and our history. Our club is our town, and our county.”

More eagled-eye readers of this website will note this we were told that it was Yeovil Town Holdings which had the exclusive buy-back option for the land at Huish Park by Robert Orrett, Commercial Property, Land and Development Manager at SSDC, back in August – see here.

Speaking then, he said: “It is correct that Yeovil Town Holdings Limited has a four-year period during which they can buy back the whole of the YTFC freeholds that have been purchased by SSDC. In broad terms, that would reverse the purchase.

“Beyond that, there are continuing arrangements that are linked to the structure that enables consented non-core land to be sold off by SSDC, with the non-core lease surrendered, and the sale proceeds to be used to repay the capital SSDC has put in.

“These are following the approach summarised in the report and continue in the longer term. If the land sale price for the non-core land is high enough, then the rent for the core land that is left, reduces to a peppercorn and essentially the club can buy the core land back for £1.”

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A business controlled by Yeovil Town chairman Scott Priestnall has exclusive rights to buy back land surrounding Huish Park from South Somerset District Council, the authority has confirmed.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the council confirmed that Yeovil Town Holdings Limited has the option to buy-back the land which it acquired for £2.8m in May.

It follows days of pressure on social media led by Martin Hellier, the local businessman who has publicly stated his desire to buy the club.

The Gloverscast has also been in regular contact with the council regarding different aspects of the deal.

The statement said: “The proposal gives YTFC the option to buy-back the land the club occupies in the future when its financial outlook has improved.

“For full clarity, the option to buy-back is with Yeovil Town Holdings, the organisation that formally held ownership of Huish Park and its associated land.”

Yeovil Town Holdings Limited is the company set up by former owners Norman Hayward and John Fry in 2010 when they separated the ownership of Huish Park and the land around.

It was bought by Priestnall when he completed his takeover of the club in 2019, together with Yeovil Football & Athletic Club (YF&AC) which runs the club’s football operations and previously owned the land upon which Huish Park stands. However, as with YTFC Holdings, YF&AC owns nothing since all the assets of both companies were sold to the council in May.

YF&AC is also the business which club director Stuart Robins has a 20% shareholding in, and the one which Simul Sports, the group fronted by former Cardiff City director Julian Jenkins, was negotiating with Priestnall to buy up until it ended its bid earlier this year.

It has not been made public which company an unnamed “preferred party” in exclusive talks with Priestnall and the club is seeking to acquire – but only by buying YTFC Holdings would the owner be in control of the destiny of ni the land around Huish Park stadium.

Priestnall has been YTFC Holdings’ only director since the resignation of Glenn Collis last summer. There are a number of minority shareholders who hold a stake in the company, but the chairman holds a controlling share.

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Striker Ollie Hulbert has returned to Yeovil Town after his loan spell at Plymouth Parkway expired, the club has confirmed.

The teenager signed for the Southern League Premier Division side at the end of November and speaking at the time Parkway boss Lee Hobbs suggested that the former Bristol Rovers youngster was looking to move in January.

In its round-up of the progress of the club’s on loan players published on Monday, YTFC.net said: “Hulbert has now returned to Huish Park following the expiry of his loan.” On Sunday, we published our own regular Loan Watch series which you can read – here.

Prior to his departure, Hulbert had made three appearances off the bench for the Glovers with his last appearance coming off the bench after 72 minutes in the 1-1 draw at Maidstone United on October 29.

He was an unused substitute on a number of occasions under manager Mark Cooper and his return will now see him challenge for a starting position – or perhaps move on, as predicted by Lee Hobbs.

Either way, welcome back to Somerset, Ollie – however long you are with us!