Prabhu: Sporting director incoming, player budget increasing

Yeovil Town owner Prabhu Srinivasan has revealed the club have appointed a new Sporting Director and agreed a playing budget increase for manager Billy Rowley.

In an update to supporters on Wednesday, the chairman said that the new appointment would be announced soon and described him as someone who “has operated at Football League level.“

The club will also continue to train at the SGS Wise Campus in South Gloucestershire next season having moved there last summer following the decision to leave the facility at Alvington.

The owner said: “Looking ahead, Billy will be backed with an increased playing budget, recruitment is already underway, and our commitment to developing local talent into the first team remains firm. First team training will remain based at SGS Wise Campus, which continues to provide excellent facilities that support both high-performance preparation and recruitment opportunities, giving players access to a professional environment that benefits their development and our long-term squad building.

“We are pleased to confirm that our new Sporting Director has joined the club, and we look forward to introducing them to you very soon. For a club with our ambitions, having someone in this role who has operated at Football League level – who understands what a joined up football structure looks like and what it takes to build one – is a significant step forward. Their remit is clear: to ensure that everything under our badge, from the first team to the academy, carries the same values, the same standards, and the same identity. That coherence is what separates clubs that grow sustainably from those that do not.“

The update comes ahead of the final fixture of the season at Huish Park against Solihull Moors on Saturday lunchtime and the owner said the arrival of Rowley and his assistant Darren Simpson in November had led to “a clear shift in standards, stability, and the feel of life around the club.”

He added: “That shift required some hard decisions. We parted ways with individuals whose attitudes did not match the vision and values we are building this club around, and we navigated a number of inherited situations and historical matters that needed careful handling. I am proud of how the group responded to all of it.“

Off-the-pitch, the club extended its exclusive rights to buy back Huish Park and surrounding land from Somerset Council until 2028. The owner had previously spoken of an ambition to complete the purchase by the end of the current season, but described it as part of the ownership’s “long-term plan.”

He said: “Reuniting Huish Park with the football club remains a clear priority, with discussions ongoing. We have secured an extension on the buyback rights for Huish Park until 2028. This is an important step in our long-term plan to reunite the stadium with the football club. This season we have upgraded the floodlights to EFL required standards, improving pitch drainage, and enhanced the 3G pitch and lighting for youth and women’s access.

“We are also raising the bar on the everyday presentation of the ground, because Huish Park should be somewhere everyone connected with this club is proud to walk into. Historic financial commitments, including Sport England repayments, continue to be managed carefully as part of building a sustainable future.“