Darren Sarll

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Former Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll has said he expects Huish Park to be a “tough opponent” when he returns for the first time in charge of Woking tomorrow.

The ex-Glovers’ boss, who quit for the Surrey side last March, has led his side to third place in the National League and his squad enjoyed week without a midweek fixture this week.

Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel, he said he expects the takeover by SU Glovers to provide “an extra energy” to the crowd tomorrow.

He said: “I have always found Huish Park as an opponent to be a tough place, I’m sure they will be buoyed by the takeover and there will be supporters that come back out that were not supporting. I am sure there will be an extra energy in the ground, that would be natural.

“It’s been a long time for those supporters, I experienced that for 18 months of my three years there, so I am sure there will be more there, but we don’t play against supporters, we play against the team.

“In terms of their roster, they have some really good individuals, some really good men that I respect highly and 11 men v 11 men on any given day is a battle. It will come down to those small moments and we will see which way they go.”

Sarll said his squad is “the worst we have been in terms of availability this season” with a number of players missing, including ex-Yeovil striker Rhys Browne, who is suspended following a red card against Bromley last month.

Last weekend, the Cardinals drew 1-1 at home to Wealdstone and have won just twice in their last eight games – although the won four on the bounce in the run before that.

Sarll is hoping a midweek off will be a boost for his side who saw ex-Glovers’ captain Luke Wilkinson go off at half-time against Wealdstone. The centre half returned from injury last month having been out since the end of February with a calf strain.

The manager said: “We need to use that extra energy and freshness to get a big win, but it will be very tough.

“We are probably the worst we have been in terms of availability this season, I think we may have had a couple of games where I could not fill the bench but probably had less players to select from in terms of the squad.

“But we have never used that as a reason to not win or perform or be at our motivated best, we have used that to galvanise to create a strong bond and we will have to have that really strong bond tomorrow.

“We will have to show better quality than we did last weekend (against Wealdstone).“

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

The YTFC Legends and South West Legends have learned who will be guiding them in the much looked forward to match to remember Adam Stansfield and those close to Yeovil who have sadly passed.

The Glovers, a team made up of the 2002-05 squads who led Yeovil from a Trophy win at Villa Park, out of Non League and through into League Two will be managed by, who else, but Gary Johnson.

Johnson had two stints in the Huish Park hot seat (the second one wasn’t exactly terrible either ? ) and will of course be assisted by Steve ‘Thommo’ Thompson.

In the away dug out will be none other than Darren Sarll.

Former Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll.
? Mike Kunz.

Sarll, who left for Woking in March, returns to Huish Park for the first time since his departure and will guide the South West Legends XI with a bit of help from Bath City Manager Jerry Gill, who may be donning his boots for a bit and playing too.

Sarll will be given a chance to say thanks to the fans after his sudden exit and conversely, the supporters will get chance to thank the man who guided the Glovers through a Non League Play Off campaign, and the behind closed doors era as well as being an immaculate leader during a time of immense sadness when tragedy fell over Huish Park after the passing of Lee Collins.

Tickets are available now for the Legends game on Saturday May 14th!

 

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

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.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Former Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll has been speaking exclusively to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins following his departure from Huish Park.

The full interview went out on the BBC Somerset Breakfast show (07:48am for anyone wanting to listen back), in it, he told Sheridan that the opportunity at Woking excites him, but that he’ll always have a connection to YTFC.

“We certainly had some hurdles to jump, Terry Skiverton always asked me about whether I’m going to write a book on the three years at Yeovil. 

“It would be very interesting, from the play-offs, the COVID situation – players staying at the ground for weeks on end before the play off game, and then obviously the worst of the lot, losing Lee Collins and dealing with that personally, but also kind of leading the club out of that situation, I don’t want to have to do that again.

“This year, being reenergised by a brilliant, young group, with a wonderful spirit with a big future ahead of them.”

“Every year was different in terms of coach, every year was different in terms of management of it, every year was different in terms of the challenges we had to face and overcome, but it’s all maths isn’t it? You just have to work out the problem and try and come to the solution.”

“You add resilience to your coaching style and to you keep moving.”

Sarll and Skiverton
Terry Skiverton & Darren Sarll.
Pic: Mike Kunz.

Sheridan pointed out that the reaction to Sarll’s departure was one of disappointment and the former gaffer admitted it wasn’t easy to make the move.

“I’ll always have a connection with the football club, more so because of Lee and those events, I had a wonderful time there, year one was fantastic in terms of the winning, some of the performances and the results, the people I’ve met over the three years have been absolutely great and I’ll keep in touch with them for life.

“It came to point where decisions had to be made and I was really excited by this option, this was an option of a journey, really trying to help a club maximise it’s professionalism on the pitch and off the pitch”

“My trade is football management, I’m not arrogant enough to think that management jobs are just going to come to me and fall in my lap wherever I am in the country”

“When I was made Yeovil manager, I moved to the South-West, took my children out of another school, put them in another school, and we will move back to our family home now and that process will happen again”

Looking ahead, Darren Sarll said he had full faith that interim manager Charlie Lee could help the Glovers get through to the end of the season in a positive vein of form.

Charlie Lee watches over the warm up ? Ben Barrett

“I recommended to Scott (Preistnall) that Charlie do it, the players absolutely love him, they’ve a huge amount of respect for him, he was a brilliant player, he’s a very, very good coach, and that’s something I am well qualified to say, he’s got a good eight or nine games and the team is in a bit of another winning run… he can’t lose, can he?”

 

 

Charlie’s first game in charge will be against Barnet, this coming Saturday.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil Town supporters groups have issued their thanks to former manager, Darren Sarll.

The Glovers Trust have issued a short statement giving their thanks to the work done by Darren Sarll since his appointment in June 2019.

Sarll joined fellow National League side Woking ending a three year stint at Huish Park.

The Trust said the following: “The Glovers Trust would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Darren Sarll for all he has done for our club since 2019. He has led our club through some incredibly difficult times, and we wish him all the best for the future.”

The Green and White Supporters Club also released their statement this afternoon.

“The Green & White Supporters’ Club would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Darren Sarll as he departs as Yeovil Town manager.

Since arriving just weeks after our relegation from the Football League, Darren has been shown a commitment, honesty and passion for our football club which has been appreciated by us all.

He has guided us through some of the most challenging times any of us can remember during his time at the club and the dignity with which he carried himself with has been outstanding.

We will miss his willingness to engage with supporters and wish him well with his future career, but our focus must now be on supporting our team.

Our club is now at a cross-roads both on and off the field and the importance of the decisions which will be taken in the days and weeks to come cannot be underestimated.

For supporters, we must get 100% behind Charlie Lee and the team to finish the job as strongly as we can.”

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News
Sarll chats to BT Sport

Yeovil Town have announce the departure of manager Darren Sarll as he takes up the hot seat at Woking.

As expected, a number of Yeovil players and those around the club took to social media to say thanks for his time at Huish Park.

Here are a selection, collated in one place.
This article will be updated throughout the day.

 

Midfielder Josh Staunton on Twitter

Goalkeeper Max Evans on Instagram


? Max_Evans12 on Instagram

Lawson D’ath, who was loyal to Darren Sarll, and vice versa following serious injury;

On loan Middlesbrough defender, Jack Robinson;

Media Officer Sam Collard on twitter;


BBC Somerset Commentator, Sheridan Robins;

 

Former Glovers Defender and BT Sport Co Commentator, Adam Virgo

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Darren Sarll

As Darren Sarll departs Huish Park to take up the First Team Manager’s job at Woking, we’ve crunched some numbers of his time at Yeovil.

1013 – The number of days Darren Sarll took charge at Huish Park.

His appointment on June 19th 2019, just a month before the season started, ushered in a new era following relegation from the Football League

114  The number of league matches Darren Sarll oversaw during his time at Yeovil

The early ending of the 2019/20 season prevented this from being higher, obviously, and doesn’t include any FA Cup, FA Trophy, Somerset Premier Cup games or the play-off fixture against Barnet.

45 – The number of league victories, during his tenure

Including a number of memorable post match celebrations with supporters and some wonderful results along the way (Ben drifts off back to Wrexham away…)

39.47% – Darren Sarll’s win ratio in league matches.

Which is broken down into; 45 wins, 25 draws and 44 defeats. This is the highest win percentage of a league manager since Gary Johnson’s first stint in charge.

153 – Number of league goals scored since the start of the 2019/20 season

It also means that for the first time since Steve Thompson’s reign after the departure of Gary Johnson in 2005, a permanent Glovers manager has a record including a positive league goal difference (+5, 148 goals conceded)

5 – Number of wins masterminded over Woking

… just saying, like.

There are far more moments we could look at beyond the stats and maybe we will over the next few days, but purely from a statistical point of view, the numbers add up to a very good spell as Yeovil Town manager.

By:
On:
In: Five Conclusions, Gloversblog, Latest Yeovil Town News
Darren Sarll. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Darren Sarll has stepped away as Yeovil Town’s manager to take up the vacant position at Woking. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions from today’s shock announcement and Darren Sarll’s time in charge.

He was the man we needed when we were on our knees following relegation. When he came in to club in the summer of 2019, he picked up a threadbare club that had whimpered out of League Two. He brought Carl Dickinson and Craig Alcock back in from the cold after his predecessor’s abysmal decision to exclude them. He reinvigorated Courtney Duffus and turned him from profligate to prolific. And he brought in experienced players we could only have dreamt of recruiting the season before. 

He hasn’t had a fair crack. With just one month to build his first squad, he managed to build a squad of senior, experienced pros who made us dream in that first season before COVID-19 curtailed football. He admitted the recruitment pre-Christmas second season was poor and the only bright sparks were the discovery of Tom Knowles and the loan signing of Josh Neufville. With Scott Priestnall’s attempt to sell the club’s most valuable assets prevented, and his subsequent disappearance, Sarll was left with a shoestring budget to build a squad which has run itself into the ground, in what is now, his final season.

Like us all, he had his faults. When we’ve been in-form, our performances have been electric and results have followed. But when the form drops off, it really seems to drop off. Our run of six without a win after Christmas in 2019 saw us slip down into the play off spots after our bright start had us dreaming of an immediate return to the Football League. It took us 12 matches to pick up a league win in 2020/21 as we struggled repeat the start of 2019/20. Autumn 2021 saw an incredible run which was abruptly ended by Torquay on Boxing Day and with just one win from the turn of the year until March 19th, it was a bad start to 2022. At times supporters have criticised his lack of Plan B during these runs and his unwillingness to try different tactics, although this season he was left with little room for manoeuvre with his small squad.

You can’t blame him for leaving. With just three months left on his contract and a family to look after, he can’t gamble on his future. The uncertainty that wilts the football club off the pitch has infiltrated the dressing room. Certainty and clarity has been provided by Woking and he’s seen an opportunity to grab with both hands, rather than wait for any new regime to make a decision.

He carried himself immeasurably in the wake of Lee Collins’ passing. Darren Sarll’s reign at Huish Park can be split into two. Since the tragic passing of our captain, Sarll was the face and the voice of the club. He carried a grieving club on his back and dragged a team of young men to finish a season in unfathomable trauma. Lee’s passing will forever be a part of Yeovil Town and the way Darren Sarll picked us up in the aftermath will be too. You would not have blamed him for wanting to have a break at the end of last season, but he went about building a third squad in the three years, that embraced the club and memory of Lee Collins as a driving force. For all his faults, the way he carried himself as the ambassador of our club in this tragedy was exceptional and I’ll forever be grateful that we had him when we did.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Darren Sarll has left Yeovil Town to take up the manager’s job at National League rivals Woking, ending nearly three years in charge at Huish Park.

The club confirmed the departure “with immediate effect” and confirmed assistant manager Charlie Lee will be in charge for “the forseeable future.”

Darren Sarll. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

It is understood senior players were told about the decision following the 2-0 home win over Southend United at the weekend and Woking confirmed his appointment with their own statement.

In a statement, the Glovers said: “Yeovil Town can confirm the departure of Darren Sarll with immediate effect. 

“Sarll, who has been at the helm since 2019, has accepted an offer from another National League side. 

“All at Yeovil Town would like to place on record our thanks to Sarll for all his efforts over his three seasons in charge. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours. 

“Charlie Lee will take interim charge of the football club for the foreseeable future.”

Woking Chief Executive John Katz said that the Cards’ board had received dozens of applications for the job and considered Sarll “a top candidate from the moment we reviewed his CV.”

He added: “We were extraordinarily impressed with his aggressive playing style, budget maximisation, and the table positions he has achieved in his time at Yeovil, including reaching the play-offs in his first season.”

In a statement, Sarll added: “I am very honoured and proud to be offered the Manager’s position at one of the last great Non-League institutions.

“For years Woking has found success at the very top of Non-League, and in tandem with John, Drew (Volpe, the Woking co-owner) and the Board, my ambition is to close that gap that exists right now within what is a very competitive division.

“After 20 years of working in this industry, I hope my experiences can accelerate the professional on-field growth of the football club. I am looking forward to meeting the players and staff and all of you – the supporters.”

Sarll is out of contract at the end of this season and last month he spoke openly about the uncertainty which the on-off takeover was causing.

It is now three-and-a-half months since chairman Scott Priestnall set a seven-day deadline to conclude a deal. However, then, as it is now, it appears no employees at the club have been given any kind of update.

Speaking about the impact on his players and himself last month, Sarll said: “As a father, as a husband, and all the other fathers and husbands in our squad, not having an idea of where you are going to be working in five months time can be unsettling and it can be beneficial to know.”

Sarll has been linked with other jobs during his time in charge having been among the favourites with at least one bookmaker for the job at League Two Carlisle United last October.

The former Stevenage manager was appointed at Huish Park on June 19, 2019 following our relegation out of the Football League and reached the National League play-offs in the first season, cut short due to COVID-19.

Last season, the Glovers finished 16th with the season rocked by the death of captain Lee Collins, and presently sit 12th after 35 matches including three back-to-back victories.

Woking have been without a manager since the start of March when they sacked Alan Dowson and are in 15th in the National League, five points behind Yeovil having played a game more.

Ironically, the Cards have lost three times against Sarll’s Yeovil, twice in the league and once in the FA Trophy.

By:
On:
In: Latest Yeovil Town News

Manager Darren Sarll said he never doubted his Yeovil Town team would regain their form after watching them make it three wins out of three with a 2-0 victory over Southend United at Huish Park.

Having picked up just one National League win in 2022, the Glovers have now got nine points from their last possible nine and the manager believes the experience will stand his young squad in good stead.

Darren Sarll. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, he said: “I don’t want to be boring and say ‘I told you so’, but they had to learn and young players have to go through tribulations and come out the other side.

“We never stopped working hard and there’s so many of them back in form. Tom (Knowles) has been breath-taking, Dale Gorman and Matt Worthington in midfield, absolutely brilliant.”

He added: “Player form comes and goes, you can normally estimate the level of a player by how many times they can put in an 8, 9, 10 (out of ten performance).

“But these are young players and they had to go through these periods and it looks like they have come out of that troublesome period where they were looking bewildered, fatigued, and now they are looking alive.

“It will be the same thing next year if it’s another young team, that team will have to go through another learning process.

“Hopefully you get to that point where they can go and do it week in and week out.”

There was particular praise for goal-scorers Reuben Reid and Tom Knowles and playmaker Lawson D’Ath, who played his first 90 minutes since last May.

Of Reid, who opened the scoring in the fourth minute with his second goal of the season, the boss said: “He looks like a new man. He will say it’s because I have not played him for so long, so I deserve some of the blame and I don’t mind that.

“He played wonderfully well, there was maybe 25 minutes at the end of the first half when we didn’t utilise him enough, so the message at half-time was we had to use him.

“His qualities are his receiving qualities and you have to use them and in the second half we did that so much better.”

The goal means Reid has a scoring record of a goal every 2.2 games in National League football (rising to two-and-a-half little more if you include cup appearances) having played 396 league minutes this season.

Knowles took his to seven goals, putting him level with the now departed Joe Quigley as the club’s top scorer, when he doubled the advantage after eight minutes.

Sarll said: “When players are in form, they just see the ball and themselves being confident. That is the first time I have seen Tom enjoying himself and expressing himself and I was so pleased because he works so hard.”

Lawson D’Ath. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

On D’Ath, he added: “There’s a quote in football ‘playing in the future’ that Lawson typifies. He is always anticipating the next moment and I’m not sure how many people see the defensive side of that.

“For such a frail man, he picks up so many regains and it’s a terrific example, I tell Sonny (Blu Lo-Everton) ‘he’s the one to watch’, the way he maximises his athleticism.

“In the second half when he started finding space behind the midfield, you know when the ball comes to him he has time because he plays in the future.”

The club used the fixture to mark almost a year since the death of former captain Lee Collins with the defender’s daughters, Amelia, Laila and Charley-Mae, mascots for the game.

Sarll added: “The way the team played, especially in the second half, was very Lee Collins-like, there were some nice patterns of play.

“But I think about him every day, we have pictures around the club to remind us of him every day and one thing I never want to allow is for him to be forgotten.”