It’s a proper match day, finally! We’re back with a Foot in the Opposition Camp on your Saturday morning and are delighted to welcome Robbie Stelling back to the Gloverscast to chat about today’s opponents, Hartlepool United.
Welcome back to life as a Yeovil Town fan. It’s been a long and sometimes stressful summer for us Glovers, however here our first preview of the season with Hartlepool United visiting Huish Park on the opening day.
Nice and simple this week, in competitive action both teams are equal, as it is the first game of the new season. However, let’s take a look at both teams fared in their final pre-season friendlies.
Yeovil Town
Last weekend’s pre-season friendly result against Somerset rivals Weston Super-Mare was one that wont live long in the memory. Yeovil rarely offered anything up front, which has been an issue since manager Mark Cooper joined the club, and seemingly ran out of ideas by the time the second half kicked off.
The Glovers were then made to pay after a silly challenge from defender Jake Wannell fouled former team-mate Louis Britton inside the box. The resulting penalty was calmly put away by Luke Coulson. Cooper clearly was not happy with the defeat, giving a talking to his team on the pitch after the final whistle.
Hartlepool United
The Poolies side did not fare much better in their last game of pre-season last weekend, losing 2-0 at National League North side South Shields, giving up two quick goals inside the first 20 minutes of the game. South Shields broke the deadlock inside 10 minutes as Paul Blackett converted. The second of Blackett’s goals came shortly after, who converted his own rebound.
Manager Simon Grayson fielded a side in an experimental 4-4-2 formation, different to the 3-5-2 they are likely to line up in against Yeovil with first-teamers Jay Benn, Reiss McNally, Besart Topalloj, Jamie Miley and Nathan Sheron all starting on the bench.
Safe to say both teams will be looking to improve on their performances last time out and hit the ground running in the National League Premier Division.
Yeovil Town – Brett McGavin
The Glovers come into the game, after a turbulent off season with a host of last years squad leaving for pastures new. One player who has stayed put is the beautifully bouffant Brett McGavin. The centre midfielder showed last term how critical he is to the team’s performances. Without any prolific strikers in the side, McGavin quickly became a source of goals for the Glovers, contributing seven and assisting three.
Outside of the wonderful goals he scored, the midfielder also brought a presence to the middle of the park, controlling the game and often being the linchpin for starting attacks.
Hartlepool – Tom Parkes
The veteran centre half is a stalwart at the lower end of the professional game, having played 339 games in League Two and 106 in the National League ( yes, I am claiming it as a professional league). Now at the ripe old age of 33 Parkes is at the tail end of his career, but still possess the quality to stop forwards from playing.
The former Bristol Rovers and Exeter City player had a brief one-month loan spell at Huish Park at the start of his career, he played twice between December 2010 and January 2011 – including a 4-2 FA Cup defeat for the Glovers against Hartlepool United.
He was confirmed as club captain this week and if the Glovers want to get on the score sheet on Saturday, they will have to get past Parkes first.
Simon Grayson will be a name familiar with almost all football league fans. Grayson started at Blackpool, before moving onto Leeds, Huddersfield and Sunderland to name a few.
For the older Yeovil fans, he is a man of great pain, as his Blackpool side defeated the Glovers at Wembley in the 2006/07 League One Playoff Final (it still hurts).
In his 20 years as a manager, Grayson has faced the Glovers 10 times and has not lost a single game. With eight wins and two draws. The most recent was over 10 years ago in the January of 2015, when his Preston North End side drew 1-1 with Yeovil at Deepdale.
The last time the two sides clashed back in December last year, Yeovil fell to a 2-1 defeat. A late goal from Gary Madine sealed the victory after Kofi Shaw had equalised. The first goal of the game came through an Emmanuel Dieseruwerve penalty.
Yeovil also had the pleasure of welcoming Pools to Huish Park for opening game of last season, when the visitors took home all three points thanks to a Jack Hunter goal.
There are a couple of old Yeovil boys in the Hartlepool team.
Adam Smith – Pools keeper Smith played the Glovers 50 times over the period of two seasons on loan in Somerset.
Tom Parkes – If you thought his name sounded familiar it’s because he also came to Huish Park on loan back in 2010/11. playing two games.
The referee for Saturday’s fixture will be Rob Massey-Ellis. Read all about him here in Ben’s write up.
Yeovil Town captain Jake Wannell has said it is an “honour” to be confirmed as club captain for the upcoming National League Premier Division campaign.
The defender will lead the Glovers out for the opening fixture when Hartlepool United make the 700-mile round trip to Somerset on Saturday.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday ahead of the game, he said: “It is an honour to captain this great club. I think at Rochdale away (the manager, Mark Cooper) pulled me to one side and said he was going to make me club captain…and we ended up losing 4-0 that day, so it was a hard day for me personally! But, on the whole, it is a great feeling to lead the boys out.”
Wannell is expected will start alongside central defensive partner Morgan Williams, who boss Cooper confirmed is expected to be fit despite fracturing his hand, and regular full-back Alex Whittle, who has also been declared fit by his manager after limping off with a groin problem in the 1-0 pre-season friendly defeat at Weston-super-Mare last weekend.
However, there will be some less familiar faces in defence in the shape of on loan Bristol Rovers’ goalkeeper Jed Ward and Birmingham City loanee full-back Byron Pendleton. The captain is confident the new recruits, who are among eight brought in by Yeovil in the summer, will not have a negative impact on the squad. Read manager Mark Cooper’s thoughts on the summer transfer activity – HERE.
He said: “(The summer takeover) has not really affected us as players in pre-season, it has obviously been challenging for the club and for Mark. The takeover happening (at the end of May) means we have a smaller squad which is not always ideal as a player but we will give it a good go and hopefully do well.
“(This division) is a bigger, quicker, stronger league than the ones I have previously played in but otherwise it is quite tactical and Hartlepool will be one of the bigger teams in the league so I expect it to be a roll our sleeves up kind of game and hopefully get the three points.
“(Hartlepool) have recruited well, but on previous experience they have always been a direct team, a big, strong, physical outfit, so it will be a challenge.
“Having a strong back three or four will obviously help. Last season I got a few sendings off, as did Morgs (Morgan Williams) got sent off and we had a few injuries which did not help. If you compare that to the season before that, I think our defence hardly changed. It is the core of the team and if we can keep that defensive unit together, hopefully we can build on it.“
Defender Morgan Williams will be fit for Yeovil Town’s opening National League Premier Division game of the season this weekend, according to Glovers’ boss Mark Cooper.
The centre half fractured his hand after a collision with a metal fence at the side of the pitch during the 1-0 pre-season friendly defeat at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday, and appeared in Monday’s open training session at Huish Park wearing a plaster cast.
Cooper said he had no doubts the former Coventry City player would be available to face Hartlepool United on Saturday and said that full-back Alex Whittle and midfielder Charlie Cooper would also be available.
He told BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah: “It is a really dangerous area (of the Woodspring Stadium) with a metal fence really close to the touchline which I think three players collided with on the day. Morgs collided with it and fractured on the top of his hand and he has had a soft cast put on, so he will be good to play, he is desperate to play, he will not let a small break in his hand stop him, he is a warrior, so he will want to be out there and we need him to be out there.”
Neither Whittle or Cooper, who both came off against Weston, featured in training on Monday, but Cooper said: “That was just precautionary, they both got knocks at Weston and we did not want to risk him, but they will both be out there training today which gives us a bit more depth.”
The defeat at Weston meant Yeovil finished pre-season with a record of played seven, won four, lost three, but the manager said he was happy with his squad which he has supplemented with eight summer signings – read more about these HERE.
Cooper said: “It is a small squad which is what we were after, a squad with as much quality as we could get, I still think we are a couple (of players) short, but we will go with what we have got. You never know where you are (after) pre-season, until you get punched on the nose in the first round, you never really know where you are. All the right intentions are there, we have worked hard and we are going to try and put a show on at home against a really tough opposition.”
Hartlepool finished their pre-season campaign with a defeat against National League North side South Shields at the weekend, but have won five and drawn one of their other six matches, including against XIs from Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Scottish giants Rangers.
They are a club in off-the-field turmoil with the club’s supporters in conflict with owner Raj Singh, who this week wrote to all National League clubs asking them not to admit former Sky Sports’ presenter Jeff Stelling, a lifelong Hartlepool fan who stepped down as club president in protest against Singh’s protracted sale of the club.
Cooper said he was not taking too much out of the North East side’s outing against South Shields – and invited the broadcaster to join him in the Huish Park dug-out at the weekend.
He said: “I would not put too much emphasis on the South Shields game, they played a different formation and rested some players. They have got a really experienced, terrific manager for this level in Simon Grayson. He has had real success as a manager, so he knows what he is doing and they will be a really tough, uncompromising team full of good, experienced players who know what they are doing. It is going to be really tough game and we are expecting nothing else.
“A lot of clubs are in (, I look from a distance and I think Jeff Stelling is going to be sat with me in the dug-out on Saturday! It just seems crazy there is so much stuff going on, but we look like we are settled for now and let’s hope there is a period of calmness and stability with our ownership and, after Saturday, that Hartlepool have that as well.”
Cooper also called on Glovers’ fans to get behind his side as they look to avoid the same result as last season when Hartlepool ran out 1-0 winners on the opening day at Huish Park.
He said: “We need the fans to make it a really difficult place to play for the opposition and hopefully they can get behind us from the first minute because it makes a hell of a difference at Huish Park. The supporters underestimate how much of a part they have to play in this project, they are such a big part because if they are at it, it gives the players such a lift. If they are not and there is a lot of apathy about, it becomes a lot easier for the opposition to play their stuff and make it difficult for us. I always say it, whatever (our supporters’) feelings are, get behind the players during the game and, if they are not happy afterwards, they are within their rights to boo and call us what they want.“
Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper said his summer recruitment has been intended to add goals and creativity to his squad.
The Glovers get their National League Premier Division campaign underway with a home game against Hartlepool United on Saturday as they look to better their scoring record of 51 goals in 46 league matches last season.
In the past week, the manager added striker Junior Morias and trialist midfielder Luke McCormick to the permanent ranks and brought in young Birmingham City striker Ben Wodskou on a season-long loan deal.
They followed the arrivals of permanent signings defender Kyle Ferguson, winger James Daly and striker Tahvon Campbell and loanees defender Byron Pendleton and goalkeeper Jed Ward.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday, Cooper said: “Because it was a protracted takeover which took some time (completing at the end of May), we did not know what we were doing until the middle of June which put us behind quite a long way so we had a late set-up in terms of recruitment, but we are there now and it has been a long summer.
“We spoke a lot about whether we scored enough goals or created enough chances (last season) compared to the year before and the answer was ‘probably not’, so we have tried to address that and stack the forward areas with players gives us the best chance and create more goals with the money we have available.”
Morias, 30, was the final addition announced on Tuesday following his release by League Two side at the end of last season. He arrives with a record of scoring 30 goals in 96 appearances at National League level and having played at League level with Peterborough United, Northampton Town and Notts County.
Last season he had two loan spells at this level at Dagenham & Redbridge (6 goals in 19 appearances) and Woking (2 goals in seven appearances).
Speaking about the striker, Cooper said: “We needed somebody with a decent goal-scoring record in the National League. He became available a couple of weeks ago, he has had some issues with his wife being pregnant, so he did not join (pre-season training) until this week. He has a history of scoring goals at the level and hopefully we can get him fit and give him those chances (to score), I am sure he will take plenty of them.”
Goalkeeper Ward, who has joined from League Two Bristol Rovers on a season long-loan, was brought in following the mutual decision to end Aidan Stone’s contract at Huish Park. The keeper, who joined in February, has subsequently signed for National League Premier Division newcomers Truro City.
Cooper said: “Aidan was a good professional and had been a good goalkeeper, but we felt we needed a fresh outlook on that, we needed someone who was going to make some saves and we had a chance to get Jed. Once we knew we had a chance, we had to go and do it. Pre-season is pre-season, it means nothing, but I have seen a general calmness to his play and his general demeanour and I think that is important for a goalkeeper. We will see how he goes at the start of the season, but I have been impressed so far.”
One of the new arrivals who has excited Glovers’ fans is former Birmingham Under-21s captain, Pendleton. The 18-year-old wing-back has impressed with his attacking player in the pre-season friendlies against Bristol Rovers and Weston-super-Mare.
The manager added: “When I spoke to the fans after the takeover, we said that our recruitment was going to be late and we wanted to use the money we had available to get as much quality in as we could and try and bulk the squad out with two or three loans. We had our eye on Byron and we were not convinced we would get him, I have a decent relationship with Birmingham and they asked if he could come down so we could have a look at him in one of the (pre-season friendly) games. So he came down and played really well (in the 2-1 defeat against Bristol Rovers) and we signed him as quick as we could on a season-long loan. He has got terrific pace, he is very good going forward, he is a young lad and he is going to make mistakes, but we just have to encourage him to get forward and get balls in the box which is his forte.”
The 2025/26 Enterprise National League campaign gets underway at Huish Park on Saturday and Yeovil vs. Hartlepool will be refereed by Rob Massey-Ellis.
Massey-Ellis is part of an officiating marriage with his wife, Sian also an official – now mainly in the VAR room, but formerly at international and Premier League level.
The Glovers don’t have a great record when Mr Massey-Ellis takes charge; four games, zero wins. But as an odd quirk, also zero losses.
Every time he’s managed our game, it’s ended in a draw!
That included two games last season, a 1-1 draw against Aldershot at Huish Park and a 1-1 draw away at Ebbsfleet.
He sent off ‘Fleet defender, Mustapha Olagunju on the hour, but the hosts held out to take a point.
He’s also in our system for a stalemate against Dover back in 2021, when Tom Knowles was KO’d by the goal mouth and he saw no reason to act.
James Hooper and Richard J Morris are his assistants, Ryan Saward is on dugout patrol.
Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Hartlepool United FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Massey-Ellis, Robert
Assistant Referee: Hooper, James
Assistant Referee: Morris, Richard J.
Fourth Official: Saward, Ryan
Yeovil Town will make their debut in the U19 National League Alliance League with a local derby against Dorchester Town.
The fixtures for Group E have been announced today and the Glovers will still take in plenty of travelling with games against sides in the South West, as well as fixtures further east with away games against Eastleigh (March 25th), Havant & Waterlooville (October 1st) also in the diary.
Those Eastleigh clashes could well represent the Glovers toughest task, they finished second in the equivalent division last year scoring 83 goals in 18 games, losing just twice.
Due to a bit of restructuring, and teams having multiple entries in multiple divisions, it’s hard to draw too many comparisons to last year.
Home games take place on a Wednesday with Glovers hosting opponents at the newly renamed Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust Centre and Alvington.
The standard kick off time for the league is 2pm, but this is flexible on agreement of both sides. – Please note, there is also an FA Youth Cup fixture to fit in somewhere in September, so there may be some movement in those early fixtures too.
We will endeavour to keep the below table updated as the details become available.
As with the coverage of the women’s side, if anyone does take in an Under 19s game as is willing to share details and imagery from the fixture, we at the Gloverscast will be incredibly grateful.
| Date | Opposition | Kick Off | H/A | Competition | Score | Location | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEPTEMBER | |||||||
| 03.09.2025 | Dorchester | 14:00 | A | National League U19 Alliance League | P-P | The Avenue Stadium | |
| 10.09.2025 | Eastleigh | 14:00 | H | National League U19 Alliance League | 6-1 | YTCST Centre at Alvington | Geraghty x3, Hughes, Thomas, Rodber |
| 17.09.2025 | Weston-super-Mare | 14:00 | A | National League U19 Alliance League | The Optima Stadium | ||
| 24.09.2025 | Basingstoke Town | 14:00 | H | National League U19 Alliance League | YTCST Centre at Alvington | ||
| OCTOBER | |||||||
| 01.10.2025 | Havant & Waterlooville | 14:00 | A | National League U19 Alliance League | Westleigh Park | ||
| 15.10.2025 | Winchester City | 14:00 | H | National League U19 Alliance League | YTCST Centre at Alvington | ||
| NOVEMBER | |||||||
| 12.11.2025 | Wimborne Town | 14:00 | H | National League U19 Alliance League | YTCST Centre at Alvington | ||
| DECEMBER | |||||||
| 03.12.2025 | Metropolitan Police | 14:00 | A | National League U19 Alliance League | Imber Court Sports Ground | ||
| JANUARY | |||||||
| 14.01.2026 | AFC Porchester | 14:00 | A | National League U19 Alliance League | Cranleigh Road | ||
| 21.01.2026 | Dorchester Town | 14:00 | H | National League U19 Alliance League | YTCST Centre at Alvington | ||
| FEBRUARY | |||||||
| 14.02.2026 | Weston-super-Mare | 14:00 | H | National League U19 Alliance League | YTCST Centre at Alvington | ||
| 11.02.2026 | Basingstoke Town | 14:00 | A | National League U19 Alliance League | Hampshire FA - Winklebury Football Complex | ||
| MARCH | |||||||
| 04.03.2026 | Winchester City | 14:00 | A | National League U19 Alliance League | Charters Community Stadium | ||
| 11.03.2026 | Havant & Waterlooville | 14:00 | H | National League U19 Alliance League | YTCST Centre at Alvington | ||
| 25.03.2026 | Eastleigh | 14:00 | A | National League U19 Alliance League | Stoneham Lane complex | ||
| APRIL | |||||||
| 22.04.2026 | AFC Portchester | 14:00 | H | National League U19 Alliance League | YTCST Centre at Alvington | ||
| 29.04.2026 | Metropolitan Police | 14:00 | H | National League U19 Alliance League | YTCST Centre at Alvington | ||
| MAY | |||||||
| 06.05.2026 | Wimborne Town | 14:00 | A | National League U19 Alliance League | Wimborne Town FC | ||
Yeovil Town’s home game against Woking on Saturday, 13th September will now kick off 12:30 with DAZN picking the game for live coverage.
This means the match will not be governed by any black out rules meaning it will be available to purchase for online streaming.
It is currently NOT listed for “enhanced coverage” on that day – Halifax vs Eastleigh gets that treatment at 5:30pm – suggesting it may not be anything additional on offer to the usual one-camera streaming service.
DAZN have declared their fixtures of interest up until the 25th of October and this game against Woking is the only YTFC game to be affected.
Experienced striker Junior Morias is the latest forward to join Yeovil Town’s frontline ahead of the start of the new season.
The 30-year-old, who was released by League Two Notts County at the end of last season, has signed a one-year contract and follows hot on the heels of the confirmation trialists midfielder Luke McCormick and on loan striker Ben Wodskou on Monday.
In a statement on Tuesday, Glovers’ boss Mark Cooper said: “Junior is a strong, aggressive striker who gives us a real presence up front. He’s got the experience and character we need, and we’re really pleased to add him to the group.”
Last season, Morias managed nine goals in 30 appearances across two loan spells at Dagenham & Redbridge and Woking whilst a Notts County player. The previous campaign saw him managed just two goals in 14 appearances for Notts when he was never really afforded a run of games in the side, starting just once in seven league appearances.
Yeovil Town women have been drawn away at Wells City in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round.
Wells are also the Glovers’ first League game of the new campaign too.
In an even odder, quirk, the FA release suggests that “All ties must be played on Sunday 7 September 2025. Kick-off 2.00pm, unless otherwise mutually agreed”…
Which means that Yeovil Women’s league game against… Wells City will have to be postponed.
Either way, on September 7th, Yeovil will play Wells away with either (or both) league points or a place in the 2nd Qualifying round on the line.
DATES OF ROUNDS
Second Round Qualifying – Sunday 21 September 2025
Third Round Qualifying – Sunday 5 October 2025
First Round Proper – Sunday 26 October 2025
Second Round Proper – Sunday 23 November 2025
Third Round Proper – Sunday 14 December 2025
Fourth Round Proper – Sunday 18 January 2026
Fifth Round Proper – Sunday 22 February 2026
Quarter Final – Sunday 5 April 2026
Semi Final – Sunday 10 May 2026
Final – Sunday 31 May 2026
PRIZE FUND PAYMENTS
Preliminary Round – Winner £600 Loser £150
First Round Qualifying – Winner £1,800 Loser £450
Second Round Qualifying – Winner£3,000 Loser £750
Third Round Qualifying – Winner £4,000 Loser £1,000
First Round Proper – Winner £6,000 Loser £1,500
Second Round Proper – Winner £8,000 Loser £2,000
Third Round Proper – Winner £35,000 Loser £9,000
Fourth Round Proper – Winner £54,000 Loser £13,000
Fifth Round Proper – Winner £80,000 Loser £20,000
Quarter Final – Winner £90,000 Loser £22,500
Semi Final – Winner £160,000 Loser £40,000
Final – Winner £430,000 Loser £108,000
