Cooper: We have to get the club back on its feet

Manager Mark Cooper has said the club’s new owners have to get Yeovil Town “back on its feet” after a deal to “taken on the stewardship” of the club was completed.

Speaking after the 1-1 draw with Altrincham on the day a deal with SU Glovers, a company run by Matt Uggla and his mother, Julie Anne, was announced, the boss admitted that it would be difficult to bring in new players as the season reaches its business end.

Substitute Jordan Maguire-Drew converted a second half penalty to cancel out an early goal from James Jones for the in-form visitors, who had won four of their previous five minutes. The result lifted Yeovil out of the National League relegation zone on goal difference.

Asked about the priorities of the new owners, Cooper said: “First and foremost the most important thing is to get this club back on its feet and to give it a bit of love and care it deserves. It has been run down for a long time and then it is to recapture the enthusiasm of the fans because this place can be a fortress.

“As regards to players, at this stage of the season it is difficult for people to let you have really good players, because they would not be coming here at this stage of the season. If we are going to do that we have to be really picky or it is going to cost an awful lot of money.”

Asked whether he felt he had the support to strengthen his squad, he added: “I am confident in the boys we have in the squad would dig us out of whatever hole we need to get out of at the moment.

“Of course we are looking in case this happened and there will be a lot of similar clubs in our position looking to try and improve their squad with this many games to go. It is so difficult because who is going to let you have a really good player at this stage of the season?”

Cooper confirmed for England rugby union player Paul Sackey was involved in the new set up, adding: “He understands the foundation that needs to be set. It is no good signing loads of really good players if you can’t prepare them, get them fit, show them analysis and treat them when they are injured. We have to put that in place first and coming from a rugby background I know he will want to sort that out.”

He admitted that getting a physio would be a major priority in the coming days with player Will Dawes presently providing rub downs for the club’s injured players following the departure of previous physio Kai Hepworth at the end of last year.

Asked if he hoped to get that situation sorted, Cooper said: “It is not as easy as you think to come and be full-time in lower league football because they can earn a lot of money in private practice, but I am sure we will.”

The draw moved Yeovil out of the National League relegation places on goal difference with Dorking Wanderers and Torquay United both losing and the other members of the bottom for, Maidstone United and Scunthorpe United, holding each other to a 1-1 draw.

On the performance, Cooper said: “Our performance in the second half was really good, their keeper has made a couple of great saves. First half performance, low on confidence because we had lost the past three games and two of those games we had been brilliant and got nothing for it.

“There was no atmosphere in the stadium in the first half which was understandable with what has been going on but it makes it a really difficult place to play especially attacking the away end.

“It was a soft goal, a free header from a corner, but once we got in at half-time I thought we were really good in the second half, the commitment and effort was great and we had some goal mouth action.”

On goal-scorer Maguire-Drew, he added: “He’s not been in great form and there are reasons for that, but he’s a fantastic player and I never had any doubts he would score. Everyone needs confidence, but he will prove his worth to the football club, I am sure.“