Promotion Odds: 250-1
The 2013-14 season will be one of many firsts for Yeovil Town.
For the first time in their history, they will compete in the second tier of English football for the first time ever. They will also start the season as the highest placed league club in the South West-following Bristol City’s relegation to League One and finally they will enter the FA Cup at the third round stage for the first time ever.
In winning promotion last summer, after beating Brentford in the League One Play-Off final last May, the Glovers become the third team to reach the Championship after winning promotion from the Conference- the other two are Colchester and Doncaster.
It was also ironic that Yeovil won promotion last season along with Doncaster, as the duo both won promotion together in the 2002-03 season when the Glovers won the Conference title.
Their promotion to the league was masterminded by Gary Johnson and it was Johnson who guided Yeovil to the Championship in his second coming to Huish Park.
Once again, Johnson has been active in the transfer market and has brought in eight new faces-including three loan signings in the form Billy Clifford, Michael Ngoo and Alan Tate who arrived from Chelsea, Liverpool and Swansea City respectively.
He has kept faith with much of the squad that helped get them there and individuals such as Paddy Madden, James Hayter, Kevin Dawson, Ed Upson and Marek Stech will be looking forward to testing themselves at a higher level.
The phrase 'little old Yeovil' has been used many times to describe the Glovers, but they have a number of factors that they can use to their advantage.
Huish Park will be the only stadium in the Championship with terracing, Yeovil have been given three years to turn the ground into an all-seater stadium should they survive, which is something that many clubs won't be used to over the course of the season.
So if the Glovers can turn Huish Park into a fortress, where many higher-placed and better resourced clubs won't look forward to visiting, then 'little old Yeovil' could cause a few big surprises.
In: Joel Grant (Wycombe Wanderers), Sam Hoskins (Southampton), Kieffer Moore (Dorchester Town), Joey Jones (Leicester City), Michael Ngoo (Liverpool) loan, Billy Clifford (Chelsea) loan, Dan Seaborne (Southampton), Alan Tate (Swansea City) loan
Out: Richard Hinds (Bury), Gavin Williams (Woking), Dominic Blizzard
(Plymouth Argyle), Reuben Reid (Plymouth Argyle) season long loan
The 2013-14 season will be one of many firsts for Yeovil Town.
