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Sunday 17 March 2013

Little Yeovil Town Show Leeds and Sheffield United The Way

I spent many happy hours on the terraces of the old Huish Park cheering on Cliff Myers, Cyril Davies, Dickie Plumb, our old school groundman Len Harris, Stewart Housley, John Clancey, Tony Cottle and co, but the club was back in the Southern League in those days.

There was the epic game at home to the mighty double winning Arsenal team (a 0-3 thumping), a great 2-1 home victory over Torquay, a home defeat against Plymouth and many, many great tussles with non league rivals, including a fantastic game against Wimbledon when Plumb shoulder charged Dickie Guy into the net whilst he was holding the ball, and the referee gave the goal. Guy, who was to feature in the great Wimbledon run that led to election to the Football League, went mad!

Yeovil have been a league team since the 2003-04 season when Leeds, with a nice symmetry, were still in the Prem. Well now the Glovers are on the threshold of promotion to the Championship and, despite modest gates, have turned a profit for the third consecutive financial year. Yeovil fans don't crow about being a great club - how could they? - but they support their team through thick and thin and, next season, could be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Leeds, Middlesbrough, Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday.

Of course, famously, games were not played on a level playing field at the old Huish Park, where a Tesco store now stands, and Yeovil are on the shoulder of Shafting United, despite operating with much lower gates and without a five million a year subsidy from the Duxbury agreed Tevez compensation package. Indeed, Yeovil's entire turnover last year was just £3.1m, just over half what the Blunted Blades creamed from West Ham.

So, for Yeovil to be where they are now is a fantastic achievement. Arab merchant bankers probably don't even know where Somerset is, but so what? Yeovil plug on, happily punching above their weight, doing the town proud and showing big time Yorkshire Charlies like Sheffield United and Leeds that it's not all about money. If you get your head down, graft and show commitment, so much can be achieved.

In fact, when he retires to Cornwall, Warnock might like to pop in to Yeovil to watch a game. He would probably be amazed to see the team passing the ball to feet and trying to win games in the right way without massive money injections.

On Tuesday, Yeovil play Swindon in a promotion six pointer and, although in Romania, I will be cheering on the Glovers, hoping desperately that they can take another step towards, what for the club, would be the Promised Land of the old Division Two.

How things have changed since the days of Don Revie and Penguin Hughes!

16 comments:

  1. how boring-another pointless article with leeds thrown in the title for some hits!

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  2. Chelsea 3 West HAM 0..Get on at Betfair H F...easy money to be had

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    Replies
    1. Correct score predictions aren't as easy as you seem to think!

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    2. Yeah I was just a bit unlucky with that one. Anyway, as predicted, a stroll for Benitez and good to see Fat Frank slapping his old boys in the face.

      Just 7 points off the drop now and spiraling downwards.

      Looks like you will get to play Leeds next season!

      Delete
    3. Here's a correct prediction for you,
      The wanker known as HF will talk utter bollocks about Leeds within the next two days.
      Get your money on it....it's a sure win bet

      Delete
  3. Frankie boy and Chelsea played west gays off the park hahahahaha. west gays are not a Premier league team. Terrible team :-)))))

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  4. Chelsea show racist ham how to do it - get in.

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  5. leeds ladies would have beat wet spam today.just beat yeovil 4.0

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  6. Dead right. Leeds are a team with a history. Right now where they are reflects exactly what they are: a mid-table Championship side. Until the club builds a proper foundation - good forward thinking manager, younger committed players, more fans with realistic views - (not so much head in the clouds, dreaming how it used to be, repeating endlessly how big we were and looking for a quick fix) - the more chance we have of building for the future. 'Cos the future is what we're talking about. Just imagine getting into the Premiership with this team and manager. Plenty of laughs there would be. What's worse - being mocked or hated?

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  7. talking of leeds an yevoil why dont you take a look at this...thought sooo fatsooo

    http://www.leedsunitedladies.com/2013/leeds-v-yeovil-fa-cup.html?zsid=8150eaf1df0c1d0

    ReplyDelete