Yeovil Town F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Yeovil Town Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Glovers | ||
| Founded | 27 August 1895 (as Yeovil Casuals) | ||
| Ground | Huish Park | ||
| Capacity | 9,565 (5,212 seated) | ||
| Owner | Hellier Group | ||
| Chairman | Martin Hellier | ||
| Manager | Mark Cooper | ||
| League | National League | ||
| 2018–19 | League Two, 24th of 24 (relegated) | ||
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Yeovil Town Football Club is a professional association football team from Yeovil, England. They are known as "the Glovers" because Yeovil was once famous for making gloves. The team plays in the National League, which is the fifth level of English football. Their home stadium is Huish Park, built in 1990. This stadium is named after their old ground, Huish, which was famous for its sloped pitch.
Yeovil Town was started in 1895. Over the years, they have won many league titles, including the Southern League three times. They became part of the Football League in 2003 after winning the Conference league. They even reached the Championship, the second-highest league in England, in 2013! Yeovil is also famous for being "giant-killers" in the FA Cup, beating bigger teams like Sunderland in 1949.
Contents
Club History: From Local to National Stage
Early Days and Famous Wins
Yeovil Football Club began in 1890. Five years later, the club we know today was founded as Yeovil Casuals. They started playing at Pen Mill Athletic Ground. In 1907, they changed their name to Yeovil Town.
The club became well-known in 1949 during the FA Cup. They famously beat Sunderland 2–1 in front of a huge crowd of 17,000 fans at their home ground. This was a big surprise! In the next round, they played against Manchester United but lost.
Between 1955 and 1973, Yeovil Town won the Southern Football League championship three times. They tried to join the Football League many times and came very close in 1976. In 1979, they helped start a new national non-league division called the Alliance Premier League.
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In 1997, Yeovil won the Isthmian League with a record 101 points, which helped them get back into the Conference league. In 2001, Gary Johnson became manager. In his first season, Yeovil won the FA Trophy, their first major trophy! The next season, they won the Football Conference by a huge 17 points, scoring 100 goals and staying unbeaten at Huish Park. This amazing success earned them a place in the Football League.
Climbing the Football League Ranks
Yeovil's first game in the Football League was a 3–1 win against Rochdale. In their first season, they finished eighth and even reached the third round of the FA Cup, losing to Liverpool. The next season, 2004–05, was even better! Yeovil won the League Two title and were promoted to League One.
In 2005, manager Gary Johnson left, but he returned in 2012. Under his leadership, Yeovil had their best-ever start to a season in 2012–13. They finished fourth in League One and made it to the play-offs. On May 19, 2013, Yeovil beat Brentford 2–1 in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium. This meant they reached the Championship, the second-highest league in English football, for the first time ever!
However, their time in the Championship lasted only one season. They were relegated back to League One, and then to League Two the following year. In 2018, they had their biggest Football League win, beating Newport County 6–0. They also played Manchester United again in the FA Cup in 2018.
Returning to Non-League Football
In 2019, after 16 seasons, Yeovil's time in the Football League ended when they were relegated. In 2022, the local council bought Huish Park, and the club now rents the stadium. In 2023, the club faced another relegation, moving down to the National League South. However, they quickly bounced back! At the end of the 2023–24 season, Yeovil won the National League South title, securing their return to the National League.
Recent Seasons Overview
| Season | League | FA Cup | FA Trophy | Other | Top scorer | Average attendance | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Competition | Result | Name | Goals | ||||
| 2019–20 | National League | 37 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 61 | 44 | 60 | 4th | R1 | R3 | Somerset Premier Cup | QF | Rhys Murphy | 20 | 2,980 |
| 2020–21 | National League | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 58 | 68 | 52 | 16th | R2 | R3 |
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Rhys Murphy | 14 | 1,593 |
| 2021–22 | National League | 44 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 43 | 46 | 59 | 12th | R3 | R4 | Somerset Premier Cup | W | Tom Knowles | 11 | 2,378 |
| 2022–23 | National League ↓ | 46 | 7 | 19 | 20 | 35 | 60 | 40 | 22nd | QR4 | R3 | Somerset Premier Cup | QF | Alex Fisher Malachi Linton Matt Worthington |
5 | 2,730 |
| 2023–24 | National League South  |
46 | 29 | 8 | 9 | 81 | 45 | 95 | 1st | R2 | R2 | Somerset Premier Cup | R2 | Jordan Young | 16 | 3,916 |
Club Rivalries
Yeovil Town has a strong rivalry with Weymouth, a club from Dorset. When these two teams play, there's often a large police presence to keep the fans separate. Fans have sometimes clashed before and after games.
Yeovil also has a minor historical rivalry with Bath City, another Somerset club. They have played each other 274 times! In the past, Hereford United were also rivals. When Yeovil was in the Football League, fans also saw Bristol Rovers and Bristol City as rivals. More recently, games against Exeter City are often called a "Westcountry Derby."
Meet the Players
First-Team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Club Management and Staff
Who Runs the Club?
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Owner / chairman | Martin Hellier |
| Director | Jack Hellier |
| Director | Stuart Robins |
| Chief executive officer | Keith Weston |
| Club secretary | Kirstie Baker |
Coaching Team
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Mark Cooper |
| Assistant manager |  Chris Todd |
| Goalkeeping coach |  Matthew Gould |
| Head of player development | Marcus Stewart |
| Head of football operations | Ian Weston |
| Head sports therapist | Joe Stacey |
| EPDP and U18s manager | Matt Percival |
Club Managers Through the Years
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Club Chairmen Over Time
The following people have been the chairman of Yeovil Town Football Club:
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Club Achievements and Records
Here are some of the titles and awards Yeovil Town Football Club has won:
League Titles
- League One (level 3)
- Play-off winners: 2013
- League Two (level 4)
- Champions: 2004–05
- Conference (level 5)
- Champions: 2002–03
- National League South (level 6)
- Champions: 2023–24
- Isthmian League (level 6)
- Champions: 1987–88, 1996–97
- Southern League
- Champions: 1954–55, 1963–64, 1970–71
- Southern League (Western Section)
- Champions: 1923–24, 1931–32, 1934–35
- Western League
- Champions: 1921–22, 1924–25, 1929–30, 1934–35
- Bristol Charity League
- Champions: 1921–22
- Dorset District League
- Champions: 1908–09
- Somerset Senior League
- Champions: 1896–97, 1901–02, 1912–13, 1920–21
Cup Wins
- FA Trophy
- Winners: 2001–02
- Conference League Cup
- Winners: 1989–90
- Southern League Championship Cup
- Winners: 1971–72, 1976–77
- Southern League Cup
- Winners: 1954–55, 1960–61, 1965–66
- Isthmian League Cup
- Winners: 1987–88
- Isthmian Championship Shield
- Winners: 1988–89
- Western League Cup
- Winners: 1958–59
- Somerset Premier Cup
- Winners (25): 1929–30, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1946–47 (jointly with Bath City), 1947–48, 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, 2021–22 (record)
- Forse Somerset Charity Cup
- Winners: 1910–11, 1912–13
Club Records
- Most consecutive wins in all competitions: 14 (November 14, 2023)
- Most overall appearances: Len Harris, 691 games (1958–72)
- Most goals: Johnny Hayward, 548 goals (1906–28)
- Most league goals: Dave Taylor, 284 goals (1960–69)
- Record attendance at Huish Park: 9,527 vs. Leeds United, April 25, 2008 (League One)
- Record attendance all time: 17,123 vs. Sunderland, January 29, 1949 (FA Cup fourth round)
- Longest serving player: Len Harris, 14 years (1958–72)
- Longest serving manager: Billy Kingdon, 8 years (1938–46)
- Highest league finish: 24th in the Championship, 2013–14 season
- Highest transfer fee received: £1,200,000 for Arron Davies and Chris Cohen from Nottingham Forest, July 2007
- Highest transfer fee paid: Undisclosed (five figure sum) for Pablo Bastianini from Quilmes Atlético Club, August 2005
- Highest victory in the Football League: 6–0 vs. Newport County, September 15, 2018
- Heaviest defeat in the Football League: 0–6 vs. Stevenage, April 14, 2012, and 2–8 vs. Luton Town, August 5, 2017
Yeovil Town Women's Football Club
After a break, the Yeovil Town Women's Football Club (YTWFC) returned in January 2023. In June, new players and coaches joined the team for the 2023-2024 season.
In September 2023, Yeovil Town W.F.C. joined the Somerset County Women's League, playing their home games at Somerton Recreation Ground. By January 2024, the women's team was at the top of their division after winning 10 games in a row!
Women's Team Coaching Staff
As of September 1st 2023
| Position | Name |
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| Manager | Paul Knight |
| Assistant manager | Matt Bennett |
| Goalkeeping coach | Tony Rich |
See also
In Spanish: Yeovil Town Football Club para niños
