Mark Robinson

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Yeovil Town Badge on huish park

Jack Hellier, the son of Yeovil Town chairman, Martin, has been appointed a director of Yeovil Football & Athletic Club, according to the company’s latest filing on Companies House.

Jack Hellier
Jack Hellier

The 21-year-old, a regular fixture at Huish Park since the takeover last May, was confirmed in the role through an update on Friday.

His appointment follows the termination of the appointment of former Commercial Director Mark Robinson as a director. His departure was announced by another filing earlier this week.

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Commercial director Mark Robinson has said there is “massive news” coming about news sponsors for Yeovil Town.

But probably the biggest reveal from the interview published on the club’s social media was the presence of a marquee located behind the Thatcher’s Stand at Huish Park.

The structure had previously been left to rot alongside the 3G pitch outside the stadium despite the club securing planning permission to move it to the south-west corner of the stadium in December 2022.

Now it appears that has happened in line with a promise revealed by new owner and chairman Martin Hellier on his appearance on the Gloverscast to create a fan zone area in that location.

In his interview, Robinson confirmed rural internet specialists Jurassic Fibre would be continuing as the club’s main kit sponsor as part of a three-year deal signed two years ago.

He added: “We have got massive news coming out soon with the new kit launches, we have got sponsors for the kits, Jurassic Fibre are continuing with us as part of their three-year deal.

“But there will be some new faces in there which we are excited to announce in the coming weeks.

“Then after the kit we look at the stadium itself, every stand will have a sponsor’s name on it, which plays homage to where we are now as an organisation and the enthusiasm (of sponsors) to be part of it.

“Then, from the stands we filter down to the (pitchside advertising) boards, which will be the next key component to look at selling. We are still in June and I only have five (boards) at high level and six at low level still to sell.

“Having come to Yeovil Town pre-COVID, experienced a tough time through COVID, performances not clicking on the pitch, it has been a tough sell for the last three years.

“But this summer has been unreal and to be in this position, it is exciting and it gives me great pride for what we have achieved.

“Martin (Hellier) has come on board with a team and is making (the club) a fresh hub for business and a fresh hub for the town to be excited about in the coming weeks.”

Robinson also revealed there had been investment in the hospitality areas on the upper level of the Main Stand at Huish Park which would improve the matchday experience.

He said: “I felt the product we delivered last year was exquisite for our level, and we have made some investments upstairs in the restaurants and the bars for the matchday experience to improve.

“So anyone who wants to return, I would advise them to look at the matchday hospitality we have got and have a great day out at Huish Park. It is what we have been waiting years to do, so just come and enjoy it.”

The Huish Park marquee peeking out in the south-west corner of the site behind commercial director Mark Robinson.

The commercial director was one of two people who the owner announced in May would be becoming directors of the club. Rhys Rosser, Hellier’s barrister who played a key role in securing his ownership of the club, was formally appointed on the board when he was registered as a director of the club’s trading business, Yeovil Football & Athletic Club Limited, on Companies House earlier this month.

However, although he is now referred to as “commercial director”, as opposed to “commercial manager”, there has been no details given about when Robinson will follow suit and there was no reference made to it in the interview.

Asked about the mood among the club’s staff was excited and said this had filtered through to businesses visiting to discuss sponsorship packages.

He added: “I have had sponsors come in who I was talking to at the end of last season and they have highlighted to me there is a buzz and a spring in the staff’s tails when they are walking through the office.

“Everybody throughout the club is full of excitement and passion to make it asuccess and put the club back (where it belongs). I keep pinching myself regularly to remind myself that, despite all this excitement and enthusiasm, we did get relegated last year which was difficult not only for the players but for all the staff.

“It is not what we wanted to achieve but to have this enthusiasm it feels like we have won the league and I hope we can build on the momentum.”

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Chairman Martin Hellier has revealed that barrister Rhys Rosser and commercial manager Mark Robinson will join the Yeovil Town board.

In an early morning post on his Twitter account on Thursday, the owner said the appointments followed the support of his barrister in his acquisition of a majority shareholding in the club from former owner Scott Priestnall earlier this month.

He also praised the commitment of Robinson who has been at the club since he joined from Dorchester Town in December 2019.

In the post, the chairman said: “Just a bit of late night news that WILL follow through on official channels. I appoint Rhys Rosser, my barrister, as fellow director and a consummate professional. For all my ambitions, thank Rhys, he got it over the line and he will sit next to me as my brother. He made it happen.

“Mark Robinson, who worked seven days a week, from selling sponsorship to cooking chickens for corporate events only to keep our club going, is also, now a Director, and thank them, for making it happen.”

Rhys Rosser is an experienced barrister working at The Chambers of Brian Altman QC and Jim Sturman QC, and was also a contestant in the Junior Apprentice as a 17-year-old back in 2010.

Mark Robinson is a more familiar face to Glovers’ fans having replaced the long-serving Dave Linney at Huish Park more than three years ago. Prior to his arrival, he was General Manager at Dorchester Town having previously worked as an engineer for brewing giant, Carlsberg.

The pair will join the new owner and Stuart Robins, who owns a 20% stake in the club’s trading business, Yeovil Football & Athletic Club Limited, as directors of the club.

We await for the Companies House records for the business to be updated. They presently still show former owner Priestnall as a director. There has been no update on the future of either Robins or Chief Executive Martyn Starnes, although neither feature on the ‘Who’s Who?’ page of the club’s official website which Starnes was previously shown on.

Perhaps when the appointments hit the official channels, there will be more.

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Plans to improve the matchday experience at Huish Park are “in the pipeline“, according to Yeovil Town commercial manager Mark Robinson.

Speaking alongside chairman Scott Priestnall in an address to a group of fans last weekend, he asked supporters to continue to support the club as it seeks to rebuild in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chairman also stated that he was still in control at the club insisting he spoke with with stadium manager James Hillier “five or six times a day” despite not attending matches.

On the subject of matchday experience, Robinson said: “Working with the Supporters’ Alliance to improve the matchday experience is key for us, I know we haven’t got it perfect but we are a non-League club and we are providing much better than a lot of other non-League clubs.

“It is good the corporate floor (on the first floor at Huish Park) is dramatically improved, we are having lots of happy experiences up here and the fans out on the terraces deserve that experience as well.

“We have a lot of things in the pipeline coming, but it’s not done overnight and, like any other business, we have just come out of one of the toughest times anyone has experienced, so we ask for your patience and persevere with us.

“We are invested and have a passion and a dream for what Yeovil Town Football Club should look like, we know fans and businesses have an expectation and they deserve to have that expectation met.

“We are the premier venue and sporting place in Somerset and we want to be back there in the Football League, but we can’t do that on our own. We are working hard, so please support us and stick with us because it is going to be an exciting time.”

Scott Priestnall speaking to the club’s YouTube channel in July 2022.

Speaking back in July, Priestnall said he expected Huish Park to offer a “more inviting and entertaining” matchday experience. You can listen to this on the club’s official YouTube channel – here – the section, quoted below, begins at 13 minutes and 8 seconds in.

The chairman said: “With new bars and different areas people can go to, de-boarding the boardroom and trying to make it more fan-orientated and making it an exciting place to come.

“That has to be done off the pitch as well as on it because we want people to enjoy their experience again.

“A lot of changes are coming in bit by bit, but as we see the season start you will see a very different Huish Park, more inviting and more entertaining.”

Returning to last weekend’s address, Priestnall said he had spoken with the “potential partners” he is looking to bring on to the club’s board about the day-to-day running of the club. He described Hillier as “my right-hand man” and pointed to Robinson for running the club’s commercial operations.

He said: “James and I speak five or six times a day, I may not be here on a day to day basis but I was never going to be that type of chairman.

“That is one of the discussions I have had with potential partners, should a chairman do that? Or are we comfortable with the set up we have. The way the staff have come back in to the office, they have done a brilliant job.

“My main focus was coming through the pandemic, having a good season this season. It’s been a horrible season with the rumours of takeovers, the performances have not been good enough at times but we have had a young and exciting squad, it’s not been fun.

“I appreciate supporters want to feel more connected with their club, whether that is with me at the top or somebody else, or a complete new owner, all that will be ironed out over the next few weeks.

“Be under no illusion, I am still committed to the club and I have been this whole year, regardless of what some might say. We have made sure everyone has been paid and had a competitive playing squad.

“We have to make changes, I have to make changes and what I am doing is not sitting and waiting. The only thing I can commit to is that there will be a new board in place in some guise and I will be able to tell you what that looks like over the next few weeks.“