Gary Johnson

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Yeovil Town face a short trip to Devon on Tuesday night as they face Torquay United down on the English Riviera. The fixture will see the two pre-season title favourites go head to head for the first time this season, with Town sitting top of the National League South currently seven points ahead of the Devonshire side.

After another successful weekend in the FA Cup, it’s back to league action for the Glovers who will want to make it 12 consecutive wins against former boss Gary Johnson.

Gary Johnson during his first spell at Yeovil

The Gulls will be hoping the impressive home form they have shown this season will continue and secure them the three against their West Country Rivals.

Yeovil Town News

Over the last 11 games, the Glovers have been the in-form team not only in the league but the country and even Europe with only The New Saints Víkingur and Bayer Leverkusen able to match Towns winning record. This form can be attributed to several key factors, the main one being the attacking line. With 28 goals scored in the league alone this season, which makes Town the division’s top goal scorers. The defense has been solid too, only conceding 16 (the fifth-best in the league).

The Somerset side’s key man for the game is talismanic striker Rhys Murphy, who has bagged eight goals in thirteen games since re-signing for the side. The 33-year-old has always enjoyed facing his former team, scoring many important goals including the last-minute winner on a wet New Year’s Day in 2020.

Another one of Town’s important figures is midfielder Matty Worthington. Almost an unsung hero outside of the Huish Park faithful, Worthington’s emergence as a goalscoring midfielder under Mark Cooper has been impressive.

Yeovil Town celebrate Matt Worthington’s opening goal.
Picture courtesy of Debs Curtis.

Speaking of Cooper, he has never been beaten by Gary Johnson in the six times the pair have faced each other, with the Yorkshireman winning three and drawing three.

Other than Sendles-White, the Glovers have no players missing.

Torquay United Team News

The Devonshire side’s form this season has been very sporadic, with the majority of their wins coming at home, having not lost at Plainmoor in the league since a 0-3 defeat to Worthing in August. However, Gulls fans have not been happy in recent weeks even calling for boss Gary Johnson to be sacked after only winning one from five through October.

Torquay did though pick up all three points against Bath City in their last game, thanks to a goal from former Glover Shaun Donnellan.

Ex-Yeovil player Shaun Donnellan. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

United’s key man is a striker, in the form of Bradley Ash. The 27-year-old has found the net four times so far this season in the absence of Aaron Jarvis.

Two former Glovers players to watch out for are centre-back Shaun Donnellan and midfielder Kevin Dawson.

Aaron Jarvis misses out through injury.

 

 

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Yeovil Town Badge on huish park

Yeovil Town return to league action this weekend in a top end of the table clash, as they face Aveley at Huish Park.

High flying Town have been in good form, going unbeaten in the month of September after a somewhat difficult start to the season. The Glovers will be looking to take their winning streak to six in all competitions, with a win over the visitors.

The Millers, promoted from the Isthmian League Premier Division in last May’s play-offs, have enjoyed a great start to life in the National League North. Since winning promotion, they won six of their first eight matches including beating Gary Johnson’s Torquay United on home soil (Gloverscast rules prevent us from saying what kind of surface Aveley play on – but rubber crumb may be more prevalent than soil!) and winning 1-0 away at Maidstone United.

Of the three teams relegated out of the National League Premier, only the Glovers remain – can the new boys make it 3/3 on Saturady?

Yeovil Town FC News

Boss Mark Cooper is expecting a tough game against a team who he suspects will be up for it after making the FA Cup fourth qualifying round with a 2-1 win at local rivals Hornchurch in a midweek third qualifying round replay on Tuesday night.

He said: “They’ve had great start… we’re expecting a tough game, they’ll try to play on the front foot.

“They had a good win in extra time midweek to get through [in the FA Cup] and play Barnet in the next round.”

However the Glovers’ boss wants his side to “keep the home run going” and to give the home faithful “another performance to cheer about.”

Cooper doesn’t feel the extra minutes played in midweek will mean much. He said: “They would have been training anyway. I think when they turn up here, see the stadium, the pitch and the crowd, it will give them a lift.”

Mark Cooper speaks to the media.

Striker Frank Nouble spoke about the teams desire to keep their current purple patch going. He said: “We are on a run of five games in row we have won. We want to keep that going.

“It’s just another game for us to showcase what we can do. But keep winning is the most important thing for us.”

The Glovers have no players suspended with Matt Worthington expected to return and striker Jake Hyde available after missing the FA Cup win over Didcot Town last weekend.

Cooper was not giving anything away in his pre-match presser on Thursday, but said his squad have “some bumps and bruises.”

He was without defender Jamie Sendles-White and midfielder Jordan Stevens through injury against Didcot and revealed after the match that Michael Smith and Charlie Cooper had been injury doubts.

Aveley FC

The man to watch for The Millers is midfielder Siju Odelusi who has scored five goals in the league from midfield this season. Former Southend United striker Matt Rush is another player to keep a close eye on. Rush has been in good form recently scoring the winner in midweek win at Hornchurch

There are no suspensions for the visitors, but club Media Manager Joe Stackable told us that captain Harry Gibbs took “a few knocks” in the first match against his former side, Hornchurch, seven days ago. Whether that makes him a doubt for the match at Huish Park or not remains to be seen.

He said: “We’ve had pretty much the same team since the start of the season with a few changes here and there, but it doesn’t matter if you start or do not feature, you are a part of the club.

“For us the game starts on the coach, there’s going to be a lot of games of Monopoly being played, Uno and whatever!”

If you are looking for a bit of hope going in to this game, after their 1-0 win at Maidstone at the start of September, Aveley have lost 2-0 at Slough Town and draw 1-1 at home to Braintree Town in their last two National League South matches.

Around those they had two games to see off King’s Lynn Town in the FA Cup second qualifying round, before dispatching Hornchurch on Tuesday night after drawing the first match 2-2 last weekend.

You can hear our chat with Joe on our new Saturday morning feature ‘In the opposition camp’ which you can find wherever you get your podcasts.

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The FA have confirmed a charge for former Yeovil manager Gary Johnson after the Torquay boss saw red after the Gulls’ Boxing Day clash with the Glovers.

According to the monthly charges, Johnson has been charged with;

Breach of FA Rule E3.1:

1. It is alleged that upon completion of the fixture, Mr. Johnson’s language and/or behaviour was improper and/or insulting and/or abusive towards a Match Official.

2. It is alleged that following his dismissal his behaviour was improper.

The Club have until 6:00pm on Wednesday 4 January 2023 to provide a response.

Johnson was present in the dugout for the return fixture on New Year’s Day, but could face a slap on the wrist and a view from the stands of a future Torquay game as a result.

In other semi- relevant YTFC discipline news, the FA have confirmed that the red card issued to Barnet’s Nicke Kabamba on Boxing Day has been downgraded from a three match ban to just one, which means he will now be available for the Bees when Yeovil head to the Hive on January 17th.

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Yeovil Town manager Chris Hargreaves and his Torquay United counterpart Gary Johnson are looking forward to facing each other in the National League next season.

The pair are legends at their respective clubs with Hargreaves having been part of the Torquay side which won promotion back to the Football League in 2009, whilst Johnson guided Yeovil out of non-League and in to League One in his first spell as manager before returning to take us to the Championship.

Gary Johnson signing autographs for Yeovil fans on his return to Huish Park for the Legends match.

Speaking to Torbay Weekly, Johnson said: “I’m pleased that Chris has got the job there – I’m sure in his mind he always wanted to get back into it. He’s missed it, but he’s young enough to give it a right go.

“He’s got a bit of work to do there, but when you take over a club, it’s not a bad thing when you’ve almost got to start from scratch.

“There will be a professional rivalry between me and Chris, but there’ll always be a rivalry between the two clubs and everyone enjoys that.”

Hargreaves returned the compliment saying he was “really looking forward” to a return to his old stomping ground with his new club.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to it. I respect Gary for the fantastic job he did here, and for the way he’s turned things round at Plainmoor, but you’ve got to do things your own way.

“Both clubs need to be in the Football League. I played for Plymouth and Torquay, coached at Exeter, managed at Plainmoor and now I’m here, so I want all those old West Country rivalries back, and I’m sure the fans do.

“One thing’s for sure, I’m too long in the tooth, as Gary is, for anything to get personal next season, and that’s a good thing.”

Over the past three seasons since the Glovers dropped out of the League, the two clubs are level after six matches with Darren Sarll’s men getting the better of Johnson’s Gulls twice in 2019-20, each side winning their home match the following campaign, and then Torquay winning home and away last season.

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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!

 

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Gabby Rogers in action for Yeovil Town.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Ex-Glover Gabby Rogers has signed on the dotted line at Torquay United after impressing on trial.

Rogers scored against Torquay for Tiverton last week, before scoring an impressive goal for Torquay on Saturday.

Speaking about the return to his boyhood club Rogers told the club’s official website: “It’s wonderful, it’s great to be back. Obviously I started out here when I was eleven, and was here four or five years until they had to shut the academy down, so it’s great to be back and I just want to get as many games in as possible, and see what happens from there.”

He joins Gary Johnson at Torquay who told the official website: “We were aware of him at Yeovil, and we were aware of him going to Tiverton to keep fit and get a couple of games, so we decided to watch him, but we had already arranged then that he would come in training after the Tiverton game. He didn’t have to impress, but he did.

“He came into training and impressed everybody. He looked the part, of course we played him in the game, and he showed in the game what he could do in training. We looked back at some of his stuff, and we thought that he was something different, something that we could use and nuture, and bring out his potential. If you can do that, you’ve got a player.

“He also comes from good stock. He was born in Torquay and was at Torquay as a young lad, and his dad played for Plymouth. He’s ready now – he’s gone beyond being a youngster, he’s 20 and needs regular games at a good level.”

Rogers left the Glovers at the end of the 2020/21 season.

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The average travel time of a Yeovil Town supporter reduced dramatically as Hartlepool United saw off Gary Johnson’s Torquay United on penalties in a dramatic play-off final at Ashton Gate.

The Poolies won it 5-4 on penalties with Yeovil-born midfielder  Matt Buse missing the all-important spot kick for the Devon side.

The game went to extra time after Torquay goalkeeper Luca Covolan scored a dramatic equaliser in the 95th minute

Hartlepool had looked like they were destined to win it in ordinary time after Luke Armstrong, who is on loan from Salford City, scored his 15th goal for the club  gave them a 35th minute lead.

The North East side were on top for the majority of normal time but as the clock began to tick down, Johnson’s men began to lay siege on the Pools’ goal.

It looked as if they had weathered the storm  until in the fifth minute of injury time when a high ball in to the box was met by a glancing header from the Brazilian Covolan, who had gone forward for an earlier set piece.

In the shoot-out, neither side scored the first two spot kicks with Covolan saving both Hartlepool’s opening two efforts.

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Notts County and Hartlepool United are standing in the way of a Johnson-versus-Madden head-to-head in the National League play-off final.

A brace from striker Rhys Oates earned Hartlepool a 3-2 win over Bromley in the play-off quarter finals on Sunday to set up a semi-final against Paddy Madden’s Stockport County next Sunday.

Ex-Yeovil Town striker Courtney Duffus was missing from the Bromley side, seemingly out of favour with new Ravens’ boss, Andy Woodman, but there was a second half appearance for Byron Webster.

In the other quarter-final, Notts County defender scored a later winner to settle an enthralling 3-2 win over Chesterfield, whose manager James Rowe was not bitter about the defeat and instead blamed the referee in his post-match interview,

Notts face Gary Johnson‘s Torquay in the first semi-final next Saturday, with the final taking place at the home of football, Bristol City’s Ashton Gate, the following weekend,

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Trophy Success At Villa Park

To many Yeovil Town fans, May 12th 2002 is the start of over a decade of near permanent success, as goals from Carl Alford and Adam Stansfield secure a 2-0 win over Stevenage in the FA Trophy Final at Villa Park.

The weather was glorious, the football from Yeovil equally so, as thousands of supporters filled the Holte End at Villa Park after travelling up from Somerset.

Carl Alford’s overhead kick early on set the Glovers on their way on 12 minutes, but it was Chris Weale‘s 1st minute save from Kirk Jackson which really set the tone for the afternoon.

Gary Johnson‘s men really took control after half time, Terry Skiverton forcing a goal-line clearance from Matt Fisher, but the second goal came not long after, a fine finish from Man of the Match, Adam Stansfield.

After the game, Gary Johnson told reporters: “The club and the fans have been waiting more than thirty years to win this and now we have won it for them, I’m delighted”

Yeovil: Weale, Lockwood, Tonkin, Skiverton, Pluck, Way, Stansfield, Johnson, Alford, Crittenden, McIndoe.

Subs: White, Sheffield, O’Brien, Giles, Lindegaard.