Yeovil Town F.C.

Yeovil Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Yeovil, Somerset, England. The team compete in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club's home ground is Huish Park, built in 1990 on the site of an old army camp and named after their former home, Huish, itself known for its pitch, which had an 8 feet (2.4 m) sideline to sideline slope. The club's nickname "The Glovers" is a reference to the history of glove-making in the town of Yeovil, which became a centre of the industry during the 18th and 19th centuries.[1] The club's affiliated women's team, Yeovil United F.C., compete in the FA Women's National League.

This article is about the men's football team. For women's football team, see Yeovil United F.C.
Yeovil Town
Full nameYeovil Town Football Club
Nickname(s)The Glovers
Founded27 August 1895 (1895-08-27) (as Yeovil Casuals)
GroundHuish Park
Capacity9,565 (5,212 seated)
OwnerScott Priestnall
ChairmanScott Priestnall
ManagerDarren Sarll
LeagueNational League
2019–20National League, 4th of 24
WebsiteClub website

Founded in 1895, the club initially joined the Somerset Senior League and competed in a multitude of leagues up until the outbreak of World War II. During this time they won titles in the Southern League, Western League, Bristol Charity League, Dorset District League and Somerset Senior League. They played in the Southern League after the war ended, winning the championship in 1954–55, 1963–64 and 1970–71, before becoming members of the Alliance Premier League from 1979 to 1985. They spent the next three years in the Isthmian League, and were elevated into the Conference after finishing as champions in 1987–88. Relegated in 1995, they were promoted again two years later after winning another Isthmian League title. Yeovil won the 2002 FA Trophy Final and secured a place in the Football League after winning the Conference in 2002–03 under the stewardship of Gary Johnson. They then won the League Two title in 2004–05, before reaching the Championship with victory in the 2013 League One play-off final in Johnson's second spell as manager. However they suffered consecutive relegations, and were relegated once more following the 2018–19 season, ending their 16-season spell in the Football League.

Yeovil are one of the most successful non-league teams in the FA Cup, having defeated major Football League teams, most famously Sunderland in the fourth round in 1949, before going on to play in front of more than 81,000 spectators away at Manchester United in the next round. For some years, as the only Football League side in Somerset, they had few local rivals since Dorset-based side Weymouth declined as Yeovil climbed the divisions in the 1990s and 2000s.

History
For a statistical breakdown by season, see List of Yeovil Town F.C. seasons.

Non-League football

Yeovil Football Club was founded in 1890, and shared its ground with the local rugby club for many years. Five years later the current club was founded and named Yeovil Casuals and started playing home games at the Pen Mill Athletic Ground. In 1907 the name Yeovil Town was adopted, which on amalgamation with Petters United became Yeovil and Petters United.[2] The name reverted to Yeovil Town before the 1946–47 season.

Yeovil's Huish ground in 1983.

The club came to national attention as 'giant-killers' during the 1948–49 FA Cup,[3] in which they defeated Sunderland 2–1 in the fourth round, in front of a record home attendance of 17,000. They were defeated 8–0 in the following round by Manchester United .[4]

Chart showing the progress of Yeovil Town FC in League and Non-League football from 1980 to present

Between 1955 and 1973 they were champions of the Southern Football League three times, and runners-up twice.[5] During this period, Yeovil Town applied for election to the Football League on a number of occasions, coming within a few votes of being elected in 1976.[6] In 1979 the Glovers were founder members of the new national non-league division, the Football Conference. In 1985, they were relegated to the Isthmian League. Yeovil won that championship in 1988 and returned to the Conference.

There was success in the Bob Lord Challenge Trophy in 1990 and three years later Yeovil finished fourth in the Conference, their best finish ever.[5] In January 1995, former Weymouth and Spurs player Graham Roberts was appointed manager, but demotion back to the Isthmian League soon followed. Yeovil secured promotion back into the Conference in 1997 after winning the Isthmian League with a record number of points – 101.[5]

Colin Lippiatt became manager for the 1998–99 season and brought Terry Skiverton to the club as a player. Gary Johnson took over as manager in June 2001 and Yeovil won the FA Trophy in his first season in charge with a 2–0 victory over Stevenage Borough in the final at Villa Park – the club's first major trophy.[5] Yeovil Town earned promotion to the Football League in the following season, by winning the Football Conference by a record 17 points margin, accumulating 95 points and scoring 100 goals, remaining unbeaten at Huish Park. Their team included many top players, some of whom went on to play Premier League football. Notable players include Gavin Williams who moved to West Ham United, Lee Johnson, Chris Weale, Darren Way and Adam Lockwood.

Reaching the Football League

Yeovil's first game in the Football League was a 3–1 away win over Rochdale. The Glovers finished their first season in eighth position, and reached the third round of the FA Cup before losing 2–0 at home to Liverpool. Before the game the club released a record sold only in shops in the town: "Yeovil True" reached #36 in the UK Singles Chart.[7] The following season Yeovil finished as champions of League Two with 83 points, earning promotion to League One. Partway through the season the club was sold by Jon Goddard-Watts to David Webb, who took over the role of chief executive from chairman John Fry.

Yeovil flag at Wembley Stadium

At the beginning of the 2005–06 season manager Gary Johnson left Yeovil for Bristol City. He was replaced by his assistant Steve Thompson and Kevin Hodges was appointed as his number two. At the season's end Thompson was demoted to first-team coach and he was replaced by Russell Slade. Around this time John Fry had bought all Dave Webb's share of the club, becoming Yeovil Town's new owner.[8] They again reached the fourth round of the FA Cup and were drawn away against Charlton Athletic, then in the Premier League, to whom they lost 3–2.[9]

Yeovil finished the 2006–07 season in fifth position, qualifying for the League One play-offs. In the semi-final Yeovil beat Nottingham Forest in the two-legged match 5–4 on aggregate, after losing the first home leg 2–0.[10][11] Yeovil met Blackpool at Wembley Stadium in the final, but were beaten 2–0.

The 2007–08 was less successful, as Yeovil finished 18th in League One with 52 points. Russell Slade continued as Yeovil manager into the 2008–09 season, but he left the position in February 2009.[12] After one game with assistant manager Steve Thompson acting as caretaker manager, club captain Terry Skiverton was announced as manager until the end of the 2009–10 season, with Nathan Jones as his assistant.[13] The duo successfully kept Yeovil in League One, with safety secured following a 1–1 draw at Tranmere Rovers.[14]

Skiverton and Jones successfully helped Yeovil avoid relegation in the following two seasons, but a poor start the 2011–12 campaign prompted a change of manager. On 9 January 2012, the club announced the re-appointment of Gary Johnson, with Terry Skiverton becoming assistant.[15] The Glovers went on to again achieve safety, finishing eleven points clear of the relegation zone.[16]

Yeovil made their best ever start in the 2012–13 season, picking up 10 points from their first four games. Yeovil finished the 2012–13 season in 4th place, reaching the League One play-offs. They reached the final on 6 May 2013 after a 2–0 home victory against Sheffield United, overturning a 1–0 loss at Bramall Lane in the first leg. On 19 May 2013, Yeovil defeated Brentford 2–1 in the League One play-off final at Wembley, reaching the second tier for the first time in their history.[17] Striker Paddy Madden, who netted the opening goal against Brentford at Wembley, finished as the league's top scorer.[18]

Yeovil spent one season in the Championship and, despite enjoying memorable victories over Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Watford, suffered immediate relegation back to League One.[19] The club's struggles continued the following season, although the club did earn a lucrative FA Cup tie against Manchester United, which they lost 2–0 despite a "gallant challenge".[20] Manager Gary Johnson was eventually replaced by Paul Sturrock as Yeovil suffered another relegation, returning to League Two for the first time in 10 years.[21]

Following a poor start to the 2015/16 season, Sturrock was sacked and replaced by Darren Way, initially in a caretaker role before being named permanent manager.[22] Way was able to lead Yeovil to safety as they finished they campaign 19th in the table.[23]

During Way's tenure as manager, Yeovil equalled their record for heaviest Football League defeat with an 8–2 loss to Luton Town on the opening day of the 2017/18 season,[24] although they also recorded their highest Football League victory under his leadership with a 6–0 win over Newport County in September 2018.[25] The club also enjoyed another FA Cup tie with Manchester United in January 2018, however they lost 4–0 to Jose Mourinho's side.[26]

Return to Non-League football

Yeovil's 16-year stay in the EFL came to an end when they were relegated during the 2018/19 season, following a 2–2 draw with Northampton Town.[27]

Darren Sarll was unveiled as the club's new manager in June 2019[28] and a takeover of the club by a consortium led by Scott Priestnell and Errol Pope was announced in September 2019.[29] On 22 April, the 2019/20 National League season was ended with immediate effect due to the coronavirus outbreak, with the Glovers fourth in the table.[30]

Recent seasons
See also: List of Yeovil Town F.C. seasons
List of recent seasons, including league division and statistics, cup results, top scorer and average league attendance
Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Top scorer Average[lower-alpha 1] attendance
Division[lower-alpha 2] P W D L F A Pts Pos Competition Result Name Goals
2015–16 League 24611152043594819th R3R1Football League TrophySF (S) Ryan Bird
Harry Cornick
François Zoko		8 3,936
2016–17 League 24611171849645020th R1R2EFL TrophyQF François Zoko13 3,567
2017–18 League 24612122259754819th R4R1EFL TrophySF François Zoko15 2,941
2018–19 League 2 ↓469132441664024th R1R1EFL TrophyGS (S) Alex Fisher8 2,953
2019–20 National37179116144604th[lower-alpha 3] R1—
Rhys Murphy20 2,980

Rivals

Due to the lack of other large football clubs in Somerset, Yeovil have few strong rivals. Yeovil have their strongest traditional rivalry with Weymouth, which has been described as intense, but this has dwindled due to the lack of competitive meetings between the two clubs in recent times.[36]

A rivalry with Bath City dates back to numerous non-league meetings between the two sides.[37] Similarly, Hereford United were also seen as rivals, before their dissolution in 2014, due to both clubs were being fairly well matched during their time in non-league ranks.[38]

During their time in the EFL, Yeovil fans considered both Bristol Rovers and Bristol City to be rivals. In August 2009, Yeovil played Exeter City for the first time in the league, and both clubs have shared a rivalry since, with the match often being billed as a Westcountry Derby.[39] Swindon Town and AFC Bournemouth were also considered somewhat rivals due to geographical proximity.[40]

Players

First-team squad
As of 30 January 2021[41]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Adam Smith (on loan from Forest Green Rovers)
3 DF  ENG Carl Dickinson
4 DF  ENG Lee Collins (captain)
6 DF  ENG Luke Wilkinson
7 MF  ENG Matt Worthington
8 MF  ENG Lawson D'Ath
9 FW  IRL Rhys Murphy
10 MF  ENG Jimmy Smith
11 FW  ENG Matty Warburton (on loan from Northampton Town)
14 DF  SCO Michael Kelly (on loan from Bristol Rovers)
16 MF  ENG Gabriel Rogers
18 MF  ALB Albi Skendi
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW  IRL Joe Quigley
20 MF  WAL Alex John
21 MF  ENG Tom Knowles
22 MF  ENG Charlie Lee
24 FW  ENG Josh Neufville (on loan from Luton Town)
25 MF  ENG Emmanuel Sonupe
26 DF  ENG Max Hunt
27 DF  FIN Alex Bradley
31 GK  ENG Max Evans
32 DF  ENG Josh Staunton
33 FW  ENG Reuben Reid
34 FW  ENG Chris Dagnall

Under-18s squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
30 FW  ENG Alfie Lloyd
— DF  ENG Dylan Abora-Poku
— DF  ENG Jiah Medrano
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  ENG Adam Heaton
— MF  ENG Toby Stephens
— FW  ENG Ben Hughes

International representatives
For a full list of all Yeovil Town players to be capped at full international level, see List of Yeovil Town F.C. internationals.

Club management
As of 26 February 2020[42]

Corporate hierarchy
Position Name
Owner / Chairman Scott Priestnall
Director Glenn Collis
Associate Director Dave Linney
Chief Operating Officer David Mills
Club Secretary Kirstie Baker
Commercial Manager Mark Robinson

Coaching staff
Position Staff
Manager Darren Sarll
Assistant manager/
Academy manager		 Terry Skiverton
Goalkeeper coach Craig Wight
Acting physio Martin Armand
Strength and conditioning Gareth Penn
Academy head of coaching Vacant
U18 manager Mark Challen

Managerial history
Further information: List of Yeovil Town F.C. managers
Years Manager
1923–28 Jack Gregory
1928–29 Tommy Lowes
1929–33 David Pratt
1933–35 Louis Page
1935–38 Dave Halliday
1938–46 Billy Kingdon
1946–49 Alec Stock
1949–51 George Paterson
1951–53 Harry Lowe
1953–57 Ike Clarke
1957 Norman Dodgin
1957–60 Jimmy Baldwin
1960–64 Basil Hayward
1964–65 Glyn Davies
1965–67 Joe McDonald
  
Years Manager
1967–69 Ron Saunders
1969–72 Mike Hughes
1972–75 Cecil Irwin
1975–78 Stan Harland
1978–81 Barry Lloyd
1981 Malcolm Allison
1981–83 Jimmy Giles
1983 Mike Hughes
1983–84 Trevor Finnigan
1984 Steve Coles
1984 Ian MacFarlane
1984–87 Gerry Gow
1987–90 Brian Hall
1990–91 Clive Whitehead
1991–93 Steve Rutter
  
Years Manager
1994–95 Brian Hall
1995–98 Graham Roberts
1998–99 Colin Lippiatt
1999–2000 Steve Thompson
2000 David Webb
2000 Steve Thompson
2000–01 Colin Addison
2001–05 Gary Johnson
2005–06 Steve Thompson
2006–09 Russell Slade
2009 Steve Thompson
2009–12 Terry Skiverton
2012–15 Gary Johnson
2015 Terry Skiverton
2015 Paul Sturrock
  
Years Manager
2015–2019 Darren Way
2019 Neale Marmon
2019– Darren Sarll

List of chairmen

The following men have been chairman of the club's Board of Directors:[43]

Years Chairman
1923–25E.J. Farr
1925–27E.P. Wrinch
1927–29W. Stanley Johnson
1929–31W.J. Farthing
1931–33Stanley H. Vincent
1933–36George E. Fox
1936–38Stanley Gates
1938–48H.A. Smith
1948–62W.H. Farthing
  
Years Chairman
1962–66S. Pinder
1966–69G.E. Templeman
1969–71S. Norman Burfield
1971–74I.B. Rendall
1974–82David J. Hawker
1982–91Gerry A. Lock
1991–96Bryan W. Moore
1996–2019John R. Fry
2019–Scott M. Priestnall

Honours and achievements
Yeovil celebrating their promotion to The Football League at Huish Park, 19 April 2003

Football League One:

Football League Two:

Football Conference:

  • Champions: 2002–03

Isthmian League:

Southern League:

Southern League Western Division:

Western League:

Bristol Charity League

  • Champions: 1921–22

Dorset District League

  • Champions: 1908–09

Somerset Senior League

  • Champions: 1896–97, 1901–02, 1912–13, 1920–21

FA Trophy

Conference League Cup

  • Winners: 1989–90
  • Runners-up: 1991–92, 1993–94

Isthmian League Cup

  • Winners: 1987–88

Isthmian Championship Shield

  • Winners: 1988–89

Southern League Championship Cup

  • Winners: 1971–72, 1976–77

Southern Football League Cup

  • Winners: 1954–55, 1960–61, 1965–66
  • Runners-up: 1937–38, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1955–56, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79

Western Football League Cup::[44]

Somerset Professional Cup:[45][46]

  • Winners: 1912–13, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57 (jointly with Bristol City), 1961–62, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1968–69 (jointly with Frome Town), 1972–73, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2004–05
  • Runners-up: 1898–99, 1907–08, 1910–11, 1913–14, 1919–20, 1936–37, 1945–46, 1948–49, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1991–92, 2002–03

Forse Somerset Charity Cup:[47]

  • Winners: 1910–11

Club records

Notes
  1. League matches only (excluding play-offs).
  2. Divisions are sorted according to their level within the English football league system at the time.
  3. The season was suspended on 16 March 2020 and later concluded prematurely in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with league positions and promotions decided on a points-per-game basis,[31][32][33] Yeovil finished the season in 4th position in the National League with a 1.62 PPG and qualified for the play-offs, but lost 2–0 to Barnet in the play-off quarter-finals.[34] While the Somerset Premier Cup along with all Somerset FA competitions was cancelled.[35]

References
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