After over a decade of decline the future is looking brighter for Yeovil Town as they clinched their first promotion since the 2012-13 season, and their first league title since the 2004-05 campaign, by winning the National League South title.
For manager Mark Cooper it was also a personal milestone as he became the first manager to win National League South and National League North; he won the North with Kettering Town in the 2007-08 season and, of course, he led Forest Green Rovers to promotion into the Football League in 2016-17.
However, aside from his time at Forest Green, Cooper has never created the kind of legacy that his father, the former Leeds United and England full-back Terry, left in his managerial career.
Cooper senior played a key role in reviving Bristol City, leading the Robins to promotion from the 'old' Fourth Division before winning the Freight Rover Trophy in the 1985-86 campaign as they recovered from the financial turmoil which famously saw the 'Ashton Gate eight' tear up their contracts to save the club earlier in the decade. Then as Exeter City manager, he led them to their only league title to date when they won the 'old' Fourth Division title in the 1989-90 season - an achievement which sees him ranked as one of the Grecians' greatest ever managers.
If Cooper junior could build on winning National League South with the Glovers and lead the club back into the Football League, he would surely rank alongside Gary Johnson as one of the club's greatest ever managers.
With the likes of Stockport County, Wrexham, Notts County and Chesterfield having won promotion from the National League in recent years, it looks set to be a more level playing field which could be to the Glovers' advantage in the 2024-25 campaign.
