Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 351)

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Barnet boss Dean Brennan is expecting to be without a number of players when they welcome Yeovil Town to The Hive tomorrow.

The manager was not giving away an names when he spoke ahead of the National League fixture, but he did speak (repeatedly) about his frustration at the capacity of the club’s treatment room.

He said described his players resilience to injury as “rubbish” which is something the Yeovil Town squad can relate too from last season.

Brennan said: “I can’t have this amount of players in the treatment room, it just can’t go on and we need to find a solution quickly.

“The recovery and where we are getting injuries is something we have to look at.

“In 11 years in management I have never known anything like this and, as a club, we need to change this.”

Despite this apparent issue, the Bees go in to the weekend off the back of decent run of three wins in their last five National League fixtures.

Their 2-1 win at Maidenhead United last weekend puts them eighth in the form table over the last six matches, with Yeovil in 11th having picked up nine points from a possible nine.

The wins including a 6-0 spanking of bottom club Dover and an impressive home win over high-flying Boreham Wood albeit they lost last time out on home soil going down 2-0 against Woking.

Prior to that run, the Bees had picked up just one win since the start of December with a run of eight defeats and four draws which began when Adi Yussuf’s early goal saw them go down 1-0 at Huish Park on December 11.

Barnet’s Ephron Mason-Clark is shown a red card at Huish Park in December.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Ephron Mason-Clark, who was red carded for a headbutt in the closing stages of that match, is a man in form.

He scored the winner in the 1-0 win over Boreham Wood and was outstanding against Maidenhead last weekend.

Adam Marriott, who missed the defeat at Huish Park to attend the birth of his child, was on the scoresheet last weekend and has six goals in his last ten outings.

He scored a late equaliser for King’s Lynn Town as they nicked a point off Yeovil on the opening day of the 2020-21 season.

FROM THE MANAGER

Bees’ boss Dean Brennan is still expecting a tough game from Yeovil Town even after the departure of his “good friend” Darren Sarll from the Huish Park hot-seat.

Speaking ahead of the game, he said: “They like to play a diamond and 4-4-2 in recent weeks.

“They have loads of pace and creativity in midfield, experience with (Luke) Wilkinson at the back who is a good organiser and Charlie Lee who has stepped in knows this level inside out.


“So we are still expecting a very tough game, they have good players and have done very well with everything that is going on in the background of their club this year.”

TEAM NEWS

Despite the best efforts of the interviewer for the Barnet YouTube channel, boss Dean Brennan was not giving away any details about which members of his squad he is expecting to be without.

But, as you can read above, the fact he will not be able to field the same time he did seven days ago is a cause of great annoyance.

Winger Ephron Mason-Clark and midfielder Sam Beard both appeared as substitutes for England C in their 4-0 defeat to their Wales counterparts in midweek.

A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS

The last connection between these two clubs that we can think of, former Glovers’ youth team product Mitch Brundle left the Bees by mutual consent in January.

The midfielder has linked up with Southern League side Farnborough so, as far as we can tell, there’s no-one in the either squad with a foot in both camps.

If we’re not allowed to have Jordan Barnett as a connection, then a few other players  who have a foot in both camps include:

  • Mitch Brundle – Yeovil Town (2012-13), Barnet (2021-22)
  • Scott Loach – Yeovil Town (2015), Barnet (2019-2021)
  • Ben Nugent – Yeovil Town (2014-15), Barnet (2020-21)
  • Sam Hoskins – Yeovil Town (2013-2015), Barnet – loan (2014)
  • Keanu Marsh-Brown – Yeovil Town (2012-13), Barnet (2013-15)
  • Iffy Allen – Barnet (2012-15), Yeovil Town (2015-16)
  • Dean Parrett – Yeovil Town (2012), Barnet (2020-21)
  • Bondz N’Gala – Yeovil Town (2011-12), Barnet(2014-16)
  • Izale McLeod – Barnet (2010-2012), Yeovil Town (2016)
  • Sam Cowler – Yeovil Town – loan (2012), Barnet (2012-13, 2014-15)
  • Giuliano Grazioli – Yeovil Town (1995), Barnet (2003-2008)

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Goalkeeper Grant Smith could be available for Yeovil Town‘s trip to Barnet this week having sat out the last three games through injury.

Grant Smith. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Caretaker manager Charlie Lee said the keeper had impressed in training this week and would be in contention for the match in North London.

On loan West Brom keeper Ted Cann has been between the post for the past three games – all of which have ended in wins for the Glovers.

Speaking on Friday ahead of the match, Lee said: “Grant is looking good, we will see how he is today, it’s good to have him firing. He’s nearly fully fit.”

Striker Adi Yussuf is back at the club having been missing for the past fortnight on international duty with Tanzania and the boss said he would be assessed in training today.

Central defender Max Hunt has had a slight set back as he makes his way back from an ankle injury which has kept him out since the end of January.

Charlie said: “Hunty has done well, he’s having a little problem with his quad. He’s not too far away, but not for tomorrow.”

The game will be Lee’s first in the hot seat following the departure of Darren Sarll to join National League rivals, Woking, but he has done his homework on Barnet, who Yeovil beat 1-0 in the reverse fixture in December.

Of the opponents, he said: “We have looked in to Barnet and we know they have good players. They have had an up and down season similar to us, but we have to do what we have been doing lately.

“We know what we are good at and we have to do that.“

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New Yeovil Town manager Charlie Lee has said he is “up for the challenge” having been thrust in to the first-team manager’s job by the departure of Darren Sarll this week.

He will take charge of the team for tomorrow’s visit to Barnet having led training all week and taken the team through remembering the first anniversary of the death of ex-skipper Lee Collins this week.

Charlie Lee. ? Mike Kunz

Speaking on Friday ahead of the trip, he said: “I’m up for the challenge, it’s a really good opportunity for me to have a go at picking the team and taking the training, it’s a great opportunity and one I am really looking forward too.

“It’s a great group of lads and they are really up for helping me, I will be leaning on the players a lot.

“We are just taking it game by game, I said to the players this week ‘this is where you learn to be winners’, if you want to win anything in your career, you have got to take every game as it comes, you can’t waste anything.

“Some people might think there’s nothing to play for – your playing for yourself, your family, contracts and the fans, who have been brilliant with this group of players all season.

“We owe the club and the fans to make sure we are ready for every game and we will be.”

The former combative midfielder added that he did not expect the team’s style to change from that adopted by Sarll and  said he would take the same approach to management as he did as a player.

Hesaid: “I expect players who are playing for me, for however long that is, to work hard and give everything every game and find that bit of quality when it’s needed.

“It has been going really well these last few games and I have been really happy where we are and now we have to not take our foot off the pedal. We have to keep going and be ready for Saturday.”

The new boss said the Glovers’ squad would need the backing of supporters as much as they are ever have done as they start life without Sarll.

He spoke about “everything that has been going on behind-the-scenes” which we interpret as meaning both the loss of Lee Collins but also the uncertainty around the ownership of the club.

Speaking this week, midfielder Josh Staunton admitted the lack of clarity was unsettling for the club’s young squad.

Lee said: “The fans have been unbelievable with me in all my time at the club and the hardest time we had was when they were not in the ground.

“That was heart-breaking because we had built up such a good relationship and we missed them this season.

“The best thing about this season is how well the fans and the players have connected with everything that is going on behind the scenes.

“I would be lying if I said we didn’t need them between now and the end of the season, we are going to need them as much as we ever have. If they keep turning up, we will keep playing as hard as we can.”

Lee admitted he had not been expecting to take up the managerial hot-seat so soon having returned as assistant manager in February.

However, he said he had been looking to get in to coaching ever since he left Huish Park as a player at the end of last season having already completed his coaching qualifications.

Asked whether he saw himself as a contender for the job, permanently he said: “That is something I am not thinking about, at the minute we have to take it game by game and we would be foolish to do anything else.

“I have no idea what the future holds for me in this role, but I know we have a game tomorrow and we have to prepare for it.

“You realise when you have been in the game more than 20 years, things like this happen. You never expect it to be you, but you have to be ready to embrace it when it does happen.”

Asked about Sarll, who quit Huish Park to take up the manager’s job at National League rivals Woking on Monday, Charlie added: “The Gaffer is a great man. What he did at Yeovil people realise but they might not know what he did for the club and players especially.

“The players especially owe him and Terry (Skiverton) and Craig (Wight) a great deal for what they have done in the last year of our lives.

“He will be successful wherever he goes. I will be in touch a lot and we wish him all the luck, that’s all I can say. He should be very proud of what he did in his time at Yeovil.”

 

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Josh Staunton has called on those involved in deciding the future of Yeovil Town to give its players clarity on their future.

The midfielder said the ongoing speculation around a potential takeover of the club is unsettling for the squad with every player except defender Morgan Williams out of contract come the end of the season.

He was talking on the ‘Football, Bloody Hell’ programme on 3 Valleys Radio – listen here – and said the players had heard nothing from owner Scott Priestnall or any of the groups bidding to buy the club.

Josh Staunton has been playing with a hernia injury in recent weeks.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Staunton has been playing through the pain barrier due to a hernia in recent weeks and admitted he is concerned he could be left looking for a new club whilst injury.

The 26-year-old said: “We are surrounded by uncertainty now and it is disappointing when you get to this stage of the season and you don’t know if you are wanted or unwanted.

“That is not just me, that is every player that is out of contract, we would like some sort of clarity of whether we need to look elsewhere or are going to be offered something.

“One of the benefits of having a younger team, that blind loyalty is there. If we had a group of older players who were more family-orientated, I think it would be a lot more toxic around the dressing room.

“Especially at this time of year when people are worrying about their futures.”

He was speaking with days after the departure of manager Darren Sarll, who joined National League rivals Woking on Monday after the club failed to discuss new terms with him with his contract up this summer.

Staunton said: “If anyone else was looking like they would be made redundant in any other job and they were offered a new job, no-one would begrudge them.

Darren Sarll, who took a job as Woking manager on Monday. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

“We are not in the position where we can take a year off and it won’t hurt our bank accounts, like Premier League footballers, we are normal people and we require jobs to live.

“The gaffer has two young kids, a wife and if someone gives you a secure contract, I would never begrudge him that security. That is what has cost Yeovil because he will be a massive loss to the club.”

He added that he was having a scan on his groin hernia this week to assess the damage and said his own team-mates had warned him about the situation he was in.

He said: “I had a long conversation with one of the boys at the weekend who was saying to me ‘you are putting yourself at risk, you don’t know if the club want you’ because I am playing with injury.

“I’m getting through until the end of the season and someone might not want to pay for my operation at the end of the season, so I could be trying to find a new club whilst I am requiring surgery.

“All these things, even if they do not directly affect you, they take your toll.”

We at the Gloverscast are sure we speak for every Yeovil Town fan when we say to Josh and the rest of the team – we want you at our club and we are sorry you are being put in this situation.

And, to those who are making these decisions, read what this young man is saying – both on his behalf and those of his team-mates – and think what your actions (or lack of them) are doing on a human level.

This is now about more than the ownership of a football club – do the decent thing and speak to these people about their futures.

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Yeovil Town‘s debt to Sport England has increased by a further £197,000, meaning the club is now almost £1m in the red.

The latest filing to the accounts of Yeovil Town Athletic & Football Club, the company which runs its football operations, and Yeovil Town Holdings, which owns the land surrounding its Huish Park stadium.

It showed that the club’s loans to Sport England rose from £801,538 to £998,538 due to a charge registered on March 26.

The latest increase in debt comes as the club filed its accounts for the 12 months up until June 31, 2021, when it owed ‘just’ £582,950.

The accounts show that, at the end of June, “the directors have reviewed likely future developments and remain of the opinion that the company still has adequate resources to meet its obligations and shareholders have agreed to continue to support the club financially where necessary.

“Therefore there is no reason to believe that the club will have to cease trading as a result of inadequate financial resources, or any other foreseeable event.

“As such the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements continuing to be adopted.”

Scott Priestnall, left, alongside now former Glovers’ manager, Darren Sarll. Priestnall and fellow director Glenn Collis are the only directors of the companies against which the club’s loans have been charged.

In other words – everything’s fine, nothing to worry about. Whether that situation remains nine months and two additional Sport England loans later, is another question.

This is the third loan which the companies behind the club, which list chairman Scott Priestnall and fellow director Glenn Collis as directors, have taken out against the club.

In case you needed a recap, this is the timeline:

  • 12 February 2021: Yeovil Football & Athletic Club Ltd (YF&AC) agree a loan of £689,538 from Sport England.
  • 17 March 2021: The loan is created as a legal charge on the club.
  • 31 August 2021: The club confirms it has borrowed an additional £112,000 from Sport England with a charge taken by Yeovil Town Holdings Limited (YTHL).
  • 12 October 2021: YTHL confirms it has satisfied the  £112,000 loan.
  • 13 October 2021: A new charge filed against YF&AC is registered which confirms it has taken on loan of up to £801,538.
  • 26 March 2022: New charges which appear on the accounts of both YF&AC and YTHL shows a further £197,000 loan has been taken out with Sport England, raising the debt to almost £1m.

You may recall it was the response to a Freedom of Information request by the Gloverscast published in June which confirmed the original loan amount, see – here.

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The Football Association has confirmed the Glovers spent £26,834 on intermediaries and agents between Feb 2nd 2021 and January 31st 2022.

This obviously covers all deals done during the summer and specifically references deals for; Grant Smith, Jordan Barnett, Mark Little, Dale Gorman and Adi Yussuf.

Elsewhere in the National League, $tockport County were the biggest spenders, topping £130,000 during that time with £80,000 of Wrexham’s Hollywood pounds also spent on agent fees.

Bath City were the cheapest side listed with just £580 listed.

This was a significant rise from the year ending February 1st 2021 with the Glovers forking out just £1,287 during that previous year.

Meanwhile in the year ending January 30th 2020 saw Yeovil fork out £19,837

The full list for 2022 is below.

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It’s been a year since we learned of the passing of our captain Lee Collins.

On this episode of the Gloverscast, we’ve spoken to Elliot Watts about the amazing ride he, and many others, are doing to raise money for Mind in Somerset in memory of Lee Collins.

We also caught up with Kevin Gall and Abby Carter about the upcoming Legends Game and what is means to them! Plus we’ve got an exclusive player announcement!

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Walsall 0 Yeovil Town 2 – Tuesday 21st March 2006

The second half of the 2005/06 season proved to be very tough, as Yeovil fought to avoid relegation in their first season at League One level after the loss of several key players during the transfer window, and others about to run out of contract in the summer.

The Glovers had appeared to turn a corner with an excellent 3-0 win at Chesterfield courtesy of a hat-trick from Arron Davies, being played up front as opposed to his usual wide position. However, a run of one win in ten games culminating in a very disappointing 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Bournemouth had seen Steve Thompson’s men drop down to 20th – from 10th in the middle of January – and relegation was looking like a distinct possibility.

On Tuesday 21st March came a vital game in hand, away at Walsall who were 19th, one place above Yeovil. Thommo opted for a 3-5-2 formation, with Lockwood, Guyett and Skiverton at the back, Amankwaah and Lindegaard as wingbacks and Nathan Jones on the bench. In midfield was Paul Terry in a holding role and Cohen just in front of him along with the on-loan Marc Wilson. Up front were Matt Harrold and Arron Davies who were, in the absence of Jevons our only realistic options although they did form a decent big man / little man partnership. Interestingly Wilson, on loan from Portsmouth, would only make one start for the Glovers, with the more attack-minded Craig Rocastle being preferred in the final run of games. Wilson joined Stoke from Portsmouth in 2010 and played six years in the Premier League.

In the Walsall side that day was future Yeovil loanee Kevin James, and their substitute goalkeeper would also go on to play for the Glovers, one Rene Gilmartin.

The game got off to a very bad start as in the early stages Amankwaah was scythed down by Walsall’s teenage winger Ishmel Demontagnac, had to be substituted shortly after and would miss the remainder of the season. He had been one of the stars at League One level for Yeovil, scoring their first goal at that level against Blackpool.

However, Yeovil took control and scored with an excellent team goal on 24 minutes, some superb work from Andy Lindegaard to get inside the area teed up Matt Harrold to score his 7th of the season. It was 2-0 not long after, as a mistake from defender Ian Roper let a Marc Wilson header bounce over his head and into the path of Arron Davies.

From this point the home fans in the 4,464 crowd really began to turn on the Walsall players and every single mistake, over-hit pass or poor finish was booed furiously by the Saddlers fans. They did create a couple of chances in the first half which were wasted, but the second half was all Yeovil and they could have scored several more, including capitalising on some catastrophic mistakes from the home side, in particular keeper Andy Oakes who almost let Davies in several times.

With the Glovers continuing to threaten, a miserable night got even worse for the Saddlers as Demontagnac picked up his second yellow for another foul on Harrold and was dismissed on 89 minutes. At the final whistle, the home side were booed off the pitch while Yeovil celebrated with the 200 or so travelling fans. Coming into the business end of the season, the two teams were heading in opposite directions – Yeovil were struggling with the loss of key players and significant injuries, especially in defence; the 1-0 defeat at Port Vale had seen them without Skiverton, Miles and Guyett in addition to the loss of Sodje in January. Despite this they were beginning to find some form and seemed to be showing the confidence since Chesterfield that they could stay up, and were playing well even when not winning. After the Walsall win, a 2-2 draw against Tranmere, a valiant 2-1 defeat at Bristol City and a comfortable 3-0 at home to Doncaster would push them closer to safety. Following two narrow defeats over Easter, the Glovers finished the season on a high with a thrilling 4-3 home win over Gillingham, a 2-1 win at play-off bound Huddersfield and a creditable draw against promoted Colchester on the last day. After a real rollercoaster of a season which had seen the departure of their long-term successful manager as well as two of the players who had been most key to their success since 2001/02 in Darren Way and Lee Johnson, Yeovil finally managed to pull themselves over the line and finish in a relatively comfortable-looking 15th on 56 points. Walsall went in the opposite direction, finishing bottom, five points adrift of safety.

At the end of the season, several more players were released or left at the end of their contracts, including Chris Weale, Phil Jevons, Colin Miles, Adam Lockwood, Kevin Amankwaah, Kevin Gall, Stephen Collis. Steve Thompson also stepped down, as Russell Slade was eventually appointed the new manager and Thommo reverted to being assistant once more.

Team that day: Stephen Collis, Adam Lockwood, Terry Skiverton, Scott Guyett, Kevin Amankwaah (sub. Nathan Jones 19), Andy Lindegaard, Paul Terry, Chris Cohen, Marc Wilson, Matt Harrold, Arron Davies (sub. Kevin Gall 90). Subs not used: Michael Jordan, Danny Webb, Phil Jevons.

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Picture courtesy of Len Copland. Go to Len’s website to find more YTFC pictures.

On the 18th of May, it will be 15 years since one of the most iconic nights in Yeovil Town’s history took place. Our famous 5-2 victory at The City Ground lives long in the memory of supporters and a goalscorer on the night, Lee Morris.

Speaking to the Gloverscast on the newest edition of the Glovers Past series, Morris talked fondly of his time at Huish Park and in great detail of that amazing night.

Despite the absence of the ‘leader of men’, Terry Skiverton, throughout the playoff campaign, Morris was always confident that the Glovers would overturn the 2-0 deficit.

He said: “We had big personalities all over the field, Mildy (Steve Mildenhall) was a big character in goal. Forbesy (Terrell Forbes) was a brilliant lad you’d do anything for. Jonesy (oh come on you know!) on one side, and Lindy, the local lad who was Mr Yeovil on the other. Chris in the the middle of the park and Davo came alive in them games.

“I think all over the pitch, you looked around and looked at everybody and thought, ‘yeah I believe he’s going to make something happen here’, I believe he’s gonna be strong and he’s gonna keep going.’

“We had enough personality out there that I certainly believed, all the way through, that someone could come up with something, you know.”

They sure came up with something in the end.

Listen to this brilliant chat with Lee about his short, but memorable time as a Glover below or on all major podcast providers.

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Adi Yussuf trains with Tanzania ? @TanFootball

Yeovil Town striker Adi Yussuf was an unused sub for Tanzania on Tuesday.

The frontman has been on international duty since last week picking up his fourth cap in the win over Central African Republic.

But, he was left twiddling his thumbs during the Taifa Stars 1-1 draw against Sudan on Tuesday.

Yussuf is expected to return to Somerset for the Glovers’ National League game at Barnet on Saturday.