Vital Reading season preview
Club: Yeovil Town F.C.
Founded: 1895
Nickname: The Glovers
Ground: Huish Park (Capacity: 9,565)
When we face off: Sat 31st August (A), Sat 1st March (H)
Last season finish: 4th – League One (promoted via play offs)
Manager: Gary Johnson – The former Bristol City manager is in his second spell as Glovers boss and is enduring a similarly successful time. He achieved two promotions back in 2003 and 2005 as manager and guided the team to the second tier of English football last season, defeating Brentford in the play-off final at Wembley. Many consider Johnson and Yeovil as the underdogs coming into the season, but the 57-year old will hope to weave more magic to silence their doubters.
Key player: Paddy Madden – The Irishman was virtually unheard of before he moved to Somerset, but has made a name for himself through a prolific goal scoring record. Madden, who previously played for Carlisle, scored 22 goals in 35 league games for Yeovil last season and scored a stunning strike in the play-off final in May. I’m sure some bigger Championship sides will be keeping an eye on the forward, but it is crucial they keep hold of him for as long as possible.
Season Preview – I think its fair to say that Yeovil will be the underdogs in the Championship this season, but does this make them inferior? Of course not. Johnson has made a very experienced acquisition in Swansea’s Alan Tate, as well as bringing in the youth of Liverpool’s David Ngoo and Chelsea’s Connor Clifford. I would expect that Johnson will want to add a few more experienced faces in the final weeks of the window. I expect Yeovil to be fighting relegation this season and they will find it tough, but everyone loves an underdog don’t they?!
