Season review - September 08

And then there were none... No strikers, that is, or at least no targetmen to speak of. Lloyd Owusu, top scorer last season, signs for Cheltenham on a free transfer on the last day of the transfer window.... At least we've got a winger now, with wideman and free agent Andy Welsh, formerly of Sunderland and Blackpool signing a year's contract following a succesful outing for the reserves last month..... Also incoming is the club's new physio, Wayne Jones, who leaves Hereford for Zummerzet's sunnier climes and superior cider..... The board writes to all of its backroom employees, giving them 90 days notice of unspecified changes to their working practices. It's thought that this will mean cutbacks in working hours with some staff going from full-time to part-time and even possible redundancies..... The Glovers travel to West London to face L2 leaders Brentford in the 1st round of the Johnstone Paint Trophy. They draw 2-2 at full-time but lose the subsequent penalty shoot-out 4-2..... Chairman John Fry criticises 'rumour-mongers' and 'people who want to do this business harm' in the press in the wake of speculation regarding the club's financial situation following the letters sent to backroom staff earlier in the week. "Our budget is as big, if not better than any comparable-sized club in League One," he insists. So that's Hereford and Cheltenham at best then..... Former Glover and current Brentford midfielder Glen Poole apologises to Yeovil fans after making gestures to them following his goal for the Bees in the JP Trophy defeat..... Meanwhile another former Glover, Ali Lwanga, who made a handful of appearances for the reserves and youth team in the 07-08 season, is sentenced to 8 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to robbery..... The Glovers play their 4th away game in a row and go down to their 4th defeat in a row, losing 3-0 at MK Dons..... Reservist Ren Turnock is released by the club and signs for Chippenham for a month.... As part of the club's never-ending search for decent training facilities it's announced that the club is taking over the management of Westland Sports pitches at Alvington, though the Sports will still continue to use the pitches for league games..... Sad news: Former odd-job man/jack of all trades/caretaker and more recently kitman Tony Trott passes away, aged 79. He'll be missed..... A home game at last! Brighton are the visitors at Huish Park but a dull game never really sparks into life, 1-1 the final score..... Bottom of the league Cheltenham part company with manager Keith Downing and a couple of days later appoint former Brentford, MK Dons and Leicester City manager Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen as his replacement..... Bristol Rovers fail to sell-out the away end at HP for the first time, 2-2 the final score - the Glovers fourth consecutive draw at home.... Colchester United, struggling in 23rd place in L1, sack manager Geraint Williams..... Free agent Gifton Noel-Williams, the former Watford striker who's just returned to the UK after playing in Spain, is the latest to be linked in the press to the Glovers. A couple of days later he signs for Millwall..... The Glovers are linked in the press to two other strikers - Kevin Kyle, who's surplus to requirements at Coventry, and Stuart Fleetwood of Charlton. Enquiries are made, but Kyle ends up at L1 rivals Hartlepool and Fleetwood goes to Cheltenham..... Yeovil end the month as they began it - poorly, going down 2-0 at Scunthorpe.

Currently reading: On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan. Quite a sad love story, a tale of missed opportunities and an inability to communicate all mixed up with emotional repression which blights two lives. Put it like that and it doesn't sound a riveting read, but I scampered through this in about 3 hours and actually enjoyed it. The quality of the writing is superb and for a so-called 'literary' novel this is a very easy read. Recommended.