And then there were none

The last of the Barnstaple 7 has left the club. You won't find anything about it on the club's official site as yet because that's not how this club does it's business, but it's true, Stuart Housley has finally left the building.

According to Ciderspace Stu has left Huish Park to join Wessex League side Shaftesbury, though in what capacity we're left to guess at. Stu had been acting as kitman recently at Yeovil, after he'd lost his job as youth team manager following the reorganisation of the youth set-up into a centre of excellence. There have been rumours recently of a bust-up behind the scenes between Stu and someone in the club hierarchy (not, it must be emphasised, anyone on the management/coaching side) but as usual with Yeovil the truth about what actually has happened is hidden behind a veil of secrecy, guesswork and rumour.

Whatever, this is football and people do move on. I first remember watching him at the old Huish in the Southern League-winning season in 1971. Stu was a pocket-battleship type winger on the right, small and low to the ground, a good dribbler with a decent cross. Of course he had to have a decent cross as he was always kicking the ball up the slope, at least when we were attacking the Brewery End. Those were the days! Housley on the right, Johnny Clancy on the left, Myers and Thompson in the middle, Dick Plumb (for a while) and Chris Weller up front, Len Harris, Bev Dixon, Mike Hughes and Paul Smith at the back, Tony Clark in goal.... That was a team that should have taken us into the football league, and if there was any justice they would have; but of course the old boys club and re-election conspired to keep us out until justice was finally done 30-odd years later. Stu was an integral part of that excellent side anyway and remained with us until '76 when, in a move that I personally, as a 15-year-old fan who ate slept and drank Yeovil Town, found hard to forgive - he transferred to Weymouth! I think that was the first time that my 15-year-old self realised that my heroes, the players in the green-and-white, didn't really think as us fans did and that to them playing football was a job, not necessarily a labour of love. It was a chastening moment.

I got over it anyway, and so did Stu, who eventually returned to Huish from the seaside scummers 4 years later. And he hasn't really left since, until now. As youth team manager he began the revolution that saw a regular supply of youth team players come through into the first team, something that has continued up to the arrival of the centre of excellence this season. He's been at various times a player, a coach, a manager, a kitman and, apparently, a superstar DJ. He's always been approachable and friendly towards ordinary supporters and our loss is Shaftesbury's gain. The best of luck to him there, he'll be missed by most of us.

Some news you will find on the official site: We've got a goalkeeper at last! Skivo has signed the 19-year-old Reading keeper Alex McCarthy, who impressed against Derby on Tuesday evening, on a 6-month loan deal. It's not completely clear as yet if McCarthy is set to be first-choice keeper or back-up, though Skivo did say last week that he would be offering former Man City youngster Richard Martin a contract as the back-up keeper, with a view to him pushing on to becoming the no.1 eventually. There's been no word yet as to whether that contract has actually been offered or if it's been accepted. If Martin does sign then what is certain is that, whoever is first-choice, we'll be relying on two very young and inexperienced goalkeepers, not an ideal situation in such a crucial area in my humble opinion. Still, hopefully McCarthy and/or Martin will go on to have excellent seasons and make me eat my words. Fingers crossed.

Just read: End of the World Blues by Jon Courtenay Grimwood: Part contemporary thriller, part sci-fi romp; two parallel stories with one connecting character that comes together by the end and even makes a kind of sense. Clever. Worth reading.