Latest Yeovil Town News (Page 469)

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Summer signing midfielder Charlie Wakefield has been named in place of Alex Bradley in the only starting XI change for today’s pre-season friendly with Forest Green Rovers.

The former Chelsea youngster appeared as a second half substitute at Stratford Town seven days ago.

Three unnamed trialists are on the bench for the Glovers after appearances from forward Deshane Dalling, midfielder Richard Afrane-Kesey and defenders Robin Dempsey and Harlain Mbayo last weekend – see here.

There is still no sign of Morgan Williams, the central defender who arrived on a permanent deal in the summer after two loan spells at the club from Coventry City. He was watching from the stands at Stratford.

AWOL midfielder Albi Skendi is a more unsurprising absentee after boss Darren Sarll confirmed the Albanian was in the United States and had not returned for pre-season training.

 

Yeovil Town: Smith, Little, Wilkinson, Hunt, Barnett, Staunton, Wakefield, Gorman, Knowles, Quigley, Reid. Substitutes: Evans, Worthington, Bradley, Simper, Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C.

Forest Green: McGee, Wilson, Bernard, Stevenson, Aitchison, Allen, Matt, Moore-Taylor, Hendry, Godwin-Malife, Diallo. Substitutes: Thomas, Sweeney, Stevens, Evans, Young, Covil, March, Hallett, Baxter.

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The sound of Yeovil Town supporters chanting his name is a memory which still lives with former Glovers’ goalkeeper Josh Wagenaar more than a decade after leaving Huish Park.

The Canadian played 28 times in the 2008–09 season which began under Russell Slade and ended under the stewardship of Terry Skiverton and his assistant Nathan Jones.

The spell at Huish Park was actually the most games Wagenaar, now 36 and living in the United States, played in a career which spanned eight years and saw him capped for his

Josh Wagenaar who played 28 times in the 2008-09 League One season for Yeovil Town.

country.

He told the Gloverscast: “The fans were great, I will always remember them singing ‘Ooooh-ahhhhh Wagenaar!”, that will live long in my memory. To have my chanted by football fans was a dream come true.
“I still have all my jerseys. As far as playing goes in professional teams, I made some of my closest friends whilst I was there.
“Nathan Jones, Terry Skiverton, Andy Welsh, just great guys and always had time for me. I have nothing but good things to say about Yeovil.”

Wagenaar did also recall some slightly less kind chants from Leeds United supporters after he conceded four in a midweek defeat at Elland Road in March 2009.

He chuckles: “I still remember the Leeds fans behind me singing “3-0 and your keeper’s shite!” – so that felt good!”

But, the gloveman does have positive memories of his performances including pulling of great saves in the 1-0 win at Southend United and the draw at Millwall around Christmas 2008.

Loanee Asmir Begovic, who arrived from Portsmouth as a 19-year-old in the summer of 2008, kept Wagenaar out of the side for much of the first two months of that season.

Josh recalls he had been first choice ahead of Begovic for Canada at youth level, including in the CONCACAF Men’s Pre-Olympic Tournament in 2008 where their country finished third.

Begovic was born in Bosnia before his family moved to Edmonton, Canada when he was 10 years old and played for his adopted country at youth level before choosing to play for the country of his birth at senior level.

Asked about his memories of the now-Everton goalkeeper, who has commanded more than £15m in transfer fees, Wagenaar told the Gloverscast: “It was awesome to have Asmir there at Yeovil , we ate lunch a bunch at the Pizza Hut downtown together, get the nice salad bar there.
“His girlfriend at the time, who is now his wife, would come up and visit him from Portsmouth and it was fun to reminisce about Canada and what we missed about our home and native land.
“I don’t know where Asmir would consider to be his home country, but I think a lot of his growing up was in Canada even though he decided not to play for us.”

He adds: “Asmir was always a good goalkeeper, he always had good fundamentals but you just never know that people that get the opportunity and take it.
“He was a good pro, he was committed, so it was surprising but I was not thinking he was going to be a Premier League goalkeeper in the future.”

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Yeovil Town Under 18s are starting to ramp up preparations ahead of the new season.

It was confirmed recently that the Young Glovers are entering a new division this season and will take on new opponents in the South West Counties league.

Training will commence in “early August” and two friendly fixtures have now been confirmed.

vs Paulton Rovers on Saturday 7th August
vs Priority Football Academy on Wednesday 18th August

At the time of writing, no kick off times, venues or ticketing details have been confirmed, stay across the YTFC Academy Social Media for more details and we here at the Gloverscast will endeavour to keep you up to date as well.

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Darren Sarll has told Yeovil Town supporters to expect a different style from the “young, hungry” squad he has put together for the upcoming National League season.

The manager was speaking as his new-look Glovers prepare for their opening pre-season friendly at Huish Park against Forest Green Rovers on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

It will be an opportunity for new signings goalkeeper Grant Smith, defenders Mark Little and Jordan Barnett and  midfielders Dale Gorman and Charlie Wakefield to make their first appearances in front of the home supporters.

Morgan Williams, who had two spells on loan at the club before joining permanently this summer, could appear after sitting out last weekend’s opening friendly at Stratford Town.

Darren Sarll
Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz,.

Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel, Sarll said: “We have tried to put together a young, hungry squad with good experience.

“(Josh) Staunton at 25 is a experienced footballer with over 200 games now, (Dale) Gorman is an experienced footballer, so experience is not just defined chronologically.

“They are very competitive this group in a different way (to last season’s side) and it has been a really encouraging three and a half weeks and their commitment to the cause and the new way has been incredible.
“We are going to have to be different, you are not going to see the same product because there are different ingredients and we are going to come out the other end in a completely different style.
“So everyone has got to be open minded, but I am guessing as long as we are winning  everyone will go home happy on a Saturday

We will have to wait and see whether any of the trialists who appeared in the 1-0 win at Stratford last weekend appear again against Forest Green.

Defenders Harlain Mbayo and striker Deshane Dalling are understood to have still been training last week, but we will wait and see whether defender Robin Dempsey and Richard Afrane-Kesey get another chance to impress.

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Yeovil Town supporters have taken to social media to send their best wishes to former player and backroom staff member Stuart Housley who is in hospital.

The 72-year-old played nearly 400 times for the club in two spells between 1969 and 1980 before returning  as youth team manager and then in various backroom roles under a succession of managers.

He was a major part of the club’s most successful period which saw them win the the FA Trophy, promotion to the Football League  in Gary Johnson’s first spell at Huish Park and then promotion to the Championship under Johnson again in 2013.

In 2016, he spoke publicly to the Yeovil Press about his battle with leukaemia.

Everyone here at the Gloverscast send our best wishes to Stuart and his family and friends and hopes for a speedy recovery.

 

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Yeovil Town chairman Scott Priestnall has said he expects supporters to see a “more inviting and entertaining” Huish Park stadium when they return for the new National League season.

In an update on the eve of the club’s first home pre-season friendly against League Two side Forest Green Rovers, the chairman confirmed the club was planning to have “a new bar area” behind the Thatcher’s Gold Terrace.

He also said the club was overhauling its matchday hospitality with a refresh of executive boxes and three-course meals with table service offering “good quality food and service” overlooking the pitch would be available.

In an update alongside manager Darren Sarll on the club’s YouTube channel, the chairman said: “All the promises we made in the first year that we were not able to implement in the last part of the first year or in the second year, we are now going to try and implement.

“With new bars and different areas people can go to, de-boarding the boardroom and trying to make it more fan-orientated and making it an exciting place to come.

“That has to be done off the pitch as well as on it because we want people to enjoy their experience again.

“A lot of changes are coming in bit by bit, but as we see the season start you will see a very different Huish Park, more inviting and more entertaining.”

Priestnall also said the club was “ahead of schedule” in terms of season ticket sales as he updated supporters on the situation regarding the potential sale of the club’s stadium in a deal with South Somerset District Council.

He said: “There’s been some negativity around (season ticket sales), but supporters that want to see this club succeed are doing their talking by buying season tickets.”

Darren Sarll added: “I am not surprised we are ahead of season tickets, the true quality of our club always steps forward in spite of anything else.

“We unified and united under some difficult circumstances last year on and off the pitch.”

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Yeovil Town chairman Scott Priestnall has said the club is talking to “interested parties including development firms” about the future of the land at its Huish Park stadium.

In a wide-ranging statement published on the club’s website, he also confirmed that the deal agreed with South Somerset District Council for the sale and lease back of land had not been completed.

However, he added that the deal “remains a viable option.”

He said: “When it comes to the sale of the club’s land, the club remains considering our options, with the football club and the wider communities best interest paramount in our decision making.

“As was reported last year, the football club struck a deal with South Somerset District Council, however this deal has not been completed but remains a viable option.

“The club continue to talk to interested parties, including development partners, who would be willing to work closely with the club to help fulfil our vision and give this club an exciting future.”

Chairman Scott Priestnall, left, with manager Darren Sarll talking to the club’s YouTube channel.

In an interview alongside manager Darren Sarll on the club’s YouTube channel, the chairman confirmed he was still the owner of the club and said that he had received less enquiries to sell than “in a normal season.”

The owner, who has been in charge since the summer of 2019 when he bought the club from John Fry and Norman Hayward, added that he was committed looking at “what is right for all parties”  adding that he had not been “rushed in to signing a deal yet.”

Priestnall added: “We are in discussions with a couple of people at the moment and hopefully I will be able to update on progress.

“The immediate concern is making sure we are competitive and structured operationally and we can have fans back in the stadium in a safe environment.

“We have to be competitive on the pitch and have the resources to be competitive, so that has been a focus for the last couple of months.”

The statements reiterate the comments made by the chairman when he took to social media to answer questions from supporters at the end of June, when he said he had been “approached by a group to buy the club.”

At the end of 2020, South Somerset District Council agreed a deal to buy Huish Park and surrounding land and lease it back to the club.

However, the deal did not proceed after the Glovers’ Trust activated an Asset of Community Value (ACV) which it held giving it a six-month period to raise the cash to make a counter offer to Priestnall.

That period expired this summer  with the Trust failing to get sufficient funding to make an offer.

Speaking at the end of that period, South Somerset District Council confirmed that “talks remain open” about its sale and lease back offer.

For more background on the moratorium period on the sale of Huish Park triggered by the ACV, read our blog on the subject – here.

 

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Absent midfielder Albi Skendi remains under contract with Yeovil Town despite not featuring in the club’s pre-season preparations.

Manager Darren Sarll confirmed the player is still in the United States where he has “family connections” but said he remains the Glovers’ player for a further year.

Talking to the club’s YouTube channel alongside Chairman Scott Priestnall, the manager said: “He decided to not come back.

“I have nothing against Albi, he has made the decision for the benefit of his life, but like any player that does this, I just concentrate on the ones that want to give their all to the football club.

“There is no end date to that, we will just take it week by week, I am more interested in our new players and what they will bring.”

In a statement from Priestnall, the club confirmed the player was “absent” from training but was still a contracted player.


He said: “To avoid conjecture and rumour, we can confirm that Albi Skendi is currently absent from Yeovil Town training.

“However, Skendi does remain under contract with the football club.”

The 27-year-old signed from Stratford Town in the summer of 2019 and was a regular for Sarll in the past two campaigns.

Prior to arriving in England, the versatile Albanian had played in the United States where he played for Los Angeles Wolfs and Marymount California University.

At the start of July, he appeared on a post from the Instagram account of Genesta FC, a club playing in the Santa Monica Adult League in Los Angeles, California, where it appears he has played before.

When he was not seen back in pre-season training at Huish Park and did not appear at the club’s opening pre-season friendly at his old club Stratford, speculation about his future at the club grew.

 

 

 

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Yeovil Town have their first home match of pre-season tomorrow against Forest Green Rovers.

The match will see the Glovers don their brand new kit for the first time, with the match kicking off a 3pm.

Tickets are available the below prices:

Adults: £8
Young Person (16-23 years), Senior (65+ years) and Armed Forces personnel: £4
Under-16s – FREE – tickets must be allocated via ticketing website – here.

The Club have informed us that the “tea bars will be open alongside the bar inside the ground, which anybody with a ticket can access.”

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Josh Wagenaar who played 28 times in the 2008-09 League One season for Yeovil Town.

Former Yeovil Town goalkeeper Josh Wagenaar has said the team supported manager Russell Slade after his controversial sacking in 2009.

The Canadian goalkeeper spoke to the Gloverscast as the latest interviewee in our series of chats and articles with former players.

Wagenaar had played every minute of a four-man winning run under Slade which culminated in his sacking which was announced midway through a 3-1 win at Peterborough United in February 2009.

Recalling that time, the keeper said: “Everyone got along well, we were all in Slade’s corner, everyone liked him. I think the club has to do what it feels necessary to get results and that is what we decided. I don’t know I saw his sacking coming, perhaps if I had a bit more experience in the game at that point maybe I would have. I was just like ‘that’s what happens’, we had won a number of games before he was relieved of his job.

“I enjoyed playing for Russell and Thommo (assistant Steve Thompson), they were great coaches and a lot of fun. Their door was always open and they were very easy to talk with, but I also felt like they ran a tight ship as well.”

Slade went on to take over as manager at then-League One rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and masterminded a 5-0 win over his old employers a month later – in a game Wagenaar was sent-off with seven minutes remaining.

That led to the return of Chris Weale to Huish Park, and the homegrown stopper kept his place until the 85th minute of a final day defeat at home to Colchester United that season – when Wealey had famously scored a last-gasp equaliser against Hereford United to secure survival.

Wagenaar replaced him for those final five minutes of the final match, but that was the last he would play for Yeovil.

He recalls: “That was really the last time I played for Yeovil because then Wealey came in and I never got my spot back. Yeovil offered me to come back the next year, but it was basically the same contract I had been on the year before and I felt like I deserved a little more.”

He adds: “When I look back at my career, I wish I had been a little bit more professional in my approach but I was a young kid living in another country. I honestly just cared about myself and not a whole lot else, so I was mentally checked out a month before the season event ended. I was looking to move on somewhere else and get home. I was most likely ready for a break and see my family.”

Former Yeovil Town goalkeeper Josh Wagenaar, now a financial advisor and a good guy to speak to about your retirement savings.

Having left Huish Park in the summer of 2009, Wagenaar joined Scottish Premier League side Falkirk following a trial, but did not play a single minute as the club was relegated in 2009-10.

He returned home to Canada and drew a close to his professional career having suffered with arthritis of the back for a number of years.

He says: “For a few years I was able to keep that at bay with different drugs and that summer after Scotland I could not get my body to react, it just hurt to do anything. Eventually I found a medicine which gives me real quality of life, I get to play with my three kids and work out with my wife. I can’t train the way I used too but I don’t need too. I’m still coaching the goalkeepers at the university here as a way to stay connected.”

Now living in Louisiana in the United States, the 36-year-old is working as a financial advisor and helping people plan for their retirement.