A memorable era came
to an end at Huish Park as Gary Johnson was dismissed as manager of Yeovil Town.
Since he was first
appointed as Glovers’ boss in 2001, Johnson has transformed the south Somerset
club’s journey from being non-league giant-killers to an established Football
League club.
Prior to his
arrival, Johnson had previously managed Cambridge United and Kettering Town,
before going on to become the head of Watford’s youth academy and manager of
the Latvian national side.
He took over a team
that had just missed out on promotion to the Football League at the expense of
Rushden & Diamonds and immediately set out to build a side capable of winning
promotion from the Conference.
In his first season,
he led Yeovil to the FA Trophy final where they defeated Stevenage 2-0 in the
final, courtesy of goals from Carl Alford and the late Adam Stansfield.
This proved to be a
platform for further success as they finally ended their 108-year stay in the
non-league wilderness by winning the Conference title with a record 17-point
margin.
Key players in this
side included skipper Terry Skiverton, Johnson’s son, Lee, and Gavin Williams.
The Glovers’ debut
season in Division Three proved to be a memorable, as they came within a
whisker of reaching the Play-offs – finishing 8th with a haul of 74
points. However, there was the consolation of a money-spinning televised FA Cup
tie with Liverpool.
The introduction of
Bartosz Tarachalski and Phil Jevons helped to make the difference in their
second season as a league club, which saw them lift the League Two title.
Johnson’s achievements
were being recognised from a distance as he accepted the offer of the Bristol
City manager’s job midway through the 2005-06 season.
He guided the Robins
to promotion from League One in the 2006-07 season, and – in the following
campaign - was 90 minutes away from leading them into the top-flight for the
first time since 1980.
The Robins faced
Hull City in the 2008 Championship play-off final, where they were beaten 1-0
by virtue of a Dean Windass strike.
Johnson left the
Robins following his dismissal in 2010, and later managed Peterborough United
and Northampton Town before returning to Huish Park in 2012.
His former skipper
Skiverton had been in charge of the Glovers, but he reverted to assistant manager
with his former assistants Nathan Jones and Darren Way remaining part of his
backroom staff. Although Jones later left to take up a Development Coach vacancy with Charlton Athletic.
The following season saw the Glovers shocked the footballing world by reaching the Championship for the first time in their history. After finishing 4th in League One, Yeovil won the 2013 League One play-off final as they beat Brentford 2-1.
Their stay in the second tier of English football proved to be a brief one, as they returned to League One after just one season as relegation was confirmed in their penultimate Championship fixture against Brighton.
This season the Glovers have found themselves fighting against relegation to League Two and – despite the brief highlight of a third round FA Cup tie against Manchester United – the Glovers decided to call time on Johnson’s season spell at Huish Park.
The reigns have once
again been passed to Skiverton who now has the challenge of repeating their
great escape of the 2008-09 season, when he was named as successor to Russell
Slade.
2001-02: Won
the FA Trophy with beating Stevenage Borough 2-0 at Villa Park.
2002-03: Won the Conference League title by a
record-breaking 17-point margin, taking the club into the Football League for
the first time in its 108 year history.
2003-04: Took the club to a money-spinning FA Cup Third Round tie against Liverpool that was screened live on BBC1.
2004-05: Won the League Two title, finishing three points above a Swansea City side now in the Premier League. Took the club to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup for only the second time in the club's history after they knocked out Championship side Rotherham United on their own patch by a 3-0 score line, giving them a trip to Premier League side Charlton Athletic, backed by around 4,000 travelling supporters.
2012-13: Gave the club its best League One finish in 4th place, ultimately seeing them beat Brentford in the League One Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium. Named the LMA Manager of the Year for League One.
2013-14: Gave the club it’s one and only (so far!) season at Championship level, with the club's fate only sealed on the 45th game of the season. Took the club to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup for only the third time in the club's history with an away match against Premier League side Southampton watched by 3,403 travelling supporters.
2014-15 Season : Took the club to a money-spinning FA Cup Third Round tie against Manchester United that was screened live on BT Sport.
