Season review - August 08

Portsmouth keeper Asmir Begovic arrives at HP for training ahead of his proposed loan deal with the Glovers. Fellow Canadian international keeper Josh Wagenaar will sign a deal next week, says manager Russell Slade.... Invisible striker Andy Kirk, another of the club's high earners, signs for Scottish outfit Dunfermline on a free transfer..... As things stand at present, the Glovers have 16 contracted professionals on their books, including Jordan Street and Rob Fitzgerald, who aren't expected to challenge for a first team place this season. Oh, and no goalkeepers at all..... What players we do have travel to the Wessex Stadium to beat old rivals Weymouth 0-1 in the penultimate friendly of the pre-season.... L1 rivals Cheltenham are reported to be talking to striker (and high earner) Lloyd Owusu..... The Glovers open talks with Barnsley regarding their 23-year-old midfielder Sam Togwell.... Yeovil beat Tiverton 2-1 in the final friendly before the league season proper begins next Saturday.... We have a goalkeeper! In fact we have two, sort of. Josh Wagenaar signs a 12-month deal. Compatriot Asmir Begovic is expected to sign a loan deal before the season starts. The club want a season-long loan, but parent club Portsmouth are saying 3 months for now.... Sam Togwell arrives at Huish Park for talks, but his present boss Simon Davey says his understanding is that the transfer will only happen if Yeovil are succesful in offloading one of their squad..... Asmir Begovic signs for 3 months.... CEO Martyn Starnes is interviewed on the telly and admits that the new season will be a tough one. It's common knowledge that the playing budget has been cut, a 25% reduction seems to be the consensual number, though Starnes won't admit the actual figure..... Middlesbrough defender Rhys Williams and West Brom striker Sherjill MacDonald are loan targets, according to the press.... The Glovers begin the new season as firm relegation favourites, according to the bookies - we're 12/5 to go down, with only Cheltenham and Hereford having shorter odds.... Yeovil director Stephen Allinson tells the press that the Glovers have budgeted for average crowds of 4,500 to break-even this season.... 4,518 turn up at HP for the first game of the season, a 1-1 draw with Walsall, Gavin Tomlin the scorer.... Russell Slade tells the press that he's worried about the miniscule size of his squad but recognises that he can't go over-budget. He's still hopeful that Sam Togwell will be signed before the transfer window closes at the end of the month, though the board have insisted that someone, anyone will have to be taken off the wage bill first..... Chairman John Fry updates the latest ABUFP meeting, saying the club are intending to develop the Copse Road End with a two-tier all-seated stand with concourse bars and all sorts of good stuff besides, which will raise the ground capacity to around 12,500. Dare I say we've hear it all before? Yes I dare..... Defender Aaron Brown is put on a rolling week-to-week contract..... Yeovil travel to The Valley to play Championship big-boys Charlton in the 1st round of the Carling Cup. With only 15 fit players and including 40-something assistant manager Steve Thompson, the Glovers can't even fill their subs bench but still shock their illustrious hosts with an incredible 1-0 away win. Giant-killers once more, the Glovers receive the LMA's award for Performance of the Week..... Avon & Somerset Police release their arrest figures for last season. Three Glovers fans in total had their collars felt throughout the year, compared to 88 Bristol City and 45 Bristol Rovers supporters..... Yeovil's reward for beating Charlton is a trip to Premiership Middlesboro in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup..... Sam Togwell tires of the waiting game and despite agreeing terms with the Town a couple of weeks ago signs for L1 rivals Scunthorpe instead.... Russell Slade makes enquiries about 4 Ipswich players, according to the papers. Dean Bowditch, Jaime Peters, Jordan Rhodes and Tommy Smith are the people concerned.... Triallist Andre McCollin signs a 2-year deal, former club Fisher receive a 'small fee'..... The Glovers follow-up the win at Charlton with their first three-pointer of the season, a 2-1 win at old rivals Hereford United.... With injuries to Darren Way, Mark Bircham and Lee Peltier besetting an already tiny squad, the club bring in seven triallists for a reserve game, including Crewe midfielder Gary Roberts and free agent Andy Welsh.... Former Glover Darren Behcet joins Conference South outfit Bognor on a week-by-week basis..... The Glovers sign Gary Roberts on a 6-month loan from Crewe with a view to a permanent deal..... The unbeaten start to the season continues with a creditable 1-1 home draw with Yorkshire giants Leeds United, 6,580 watch the game.... 19-year-old James Dayton, a winger, is signed on a month's loan from Crystal Palace.... No rest for the wicked and a depleted Glovers squad make the long journey to the north-east for the 2nd round Carling Cup tie with Premiership giants Middlesboro. There's no fairy-tale repeat this time however and the Town lose for the first time this season, going down 5-1 at the Riverside.... Russell Slade reiterates that he's not allowed to bring any more players into the club without shipping others out on a one-for-one basis and the squad, as small as it is, will have to manage, injuries or not..... Another long trip for the Glovers but injuries are beginning to bite and it's a second heavy loss in a row, the Town going down 4-1 at Carlisle United....

Currently reading: Stealing Light by Gary Gibson. First time I've read this author. It's a space opera, not the most well-written book in the world but with enough good ideas to keep me turning the pages until the end. Er, that's it.

Currently watching: The Apprentice (BBC1). It's nonsense really, but enjoyable nonsense for all that. It's always good to see a bunch of yuppies make fools of themselves in front of the cameras and I was pleased to see my two personal favourites make the final with Yasmina eventually beating the Blonde Bombshell. The real star of the show is Surallan of course, though I live in hope of one day seeing one of the hapless apprentices telling him to fuck off to his face. One day... :)