SEASON PREVIEW 2023-24: YEOVIL TOWN

Although Yeovil Town might be playing in the sixth tier of English football for the first time since 1997, optimism is higher at Huish Park than it has been for a long time. 

Following their summer takeover by local businessman and life long Glovers fan Martin Hellier, an immediate return to the National League is in the thoughts of manager Mark Cooper, who has brought in a number of new faces, including Jake Hyde and former Gulls striker Frank Nouble. Rhys Murphy has also returned to Huish Park for a second spell with the club. Scoring goals was an issue for the Glovers in 2022-23 and hopefully the addition of the aforementioned trio can solve that problem. 

Hellier's takeover has also brought some much needed stability to the club, following the chairmanship of the unpopular Scott Priestnall and the short lived 'stewardship' by Matt Uggla, who has become the owner of York City. 

As well as the new faces, club stalwarts Josh Staunton and Matt Worthington remain; however, Staunton won't be able to play of any of the away games against teams with artificial surfaces due to a knee problem. Cooper also bolstered his defence with the signings of centre back Jamie Sendles-White and left back Alex Whittle. 

Both Hyde and Murphy have fine pedigrees of scoring goals in the National League South from their stints with Woking and Chelmsford City respectively. If the three Jordans - Stevens, Maguire-Drew and Young - can provide them and Nouble with plenty of ammunition, then a title is very much on for the Glovers. 

Should they win promotion at the first time of asking, Mark Cooper will also become the first manager to win promotions from both National League North and National League South, after winning the North with Kettering Town in 2007-08. 

Player to Watch: Frank Nouble

The well travelled Nouble was on the radar of manager Mark Cooper towards the end of last season, but the Glovers couldn't get the deal completed so he joined Torquay United instead. Now Cooper has got his man, he will be hoping can help to inspire a promotion challenge.

In: Rhys Murphy (Southend United), Jake Hyde (Wrexham), Jake Wannell (Taunton Town), Lewis Williams (Tiverton Town), Will Buse and Josh Owers (Bristol City), Jamie Sendles-White (Welling United), Frank Nouble (Torquay United), Alex Whittle (Chesterfield), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (Derby County), Zac Bell and Ollie Thomas (Bristol City, loan)

Out: Grant Smith (Bromley), Charlie Wakefield (Woking), Jamie Reckord and Ben Richards-Everton (Gloucester City), Max Hunt (Buxton), Lawson D'ath (Banbury United), Callum Harriott & Zanda Siziba (York City), Jake Scrimshaw (Eastleigh), Ollie Hulbert (Barry), Malachi Linton (Taunton Town, loan), Ollie Haste and Benjani Junior (Dorchester Town),

SEASON PREVIEW 2023-24: TORQUAY UNITED

 Torquay United manager Gary Johnson will be aiming to start the new 2023-24 campaign in a similar manner to which they ended last season, by trying to recreate the run which almost saw them avoid relegation from the National League. 

The Gulls managed to win five, draw three and lose two of their final ten league games, which included a run of five successive wins against Boreham Wood (a), Scunthorpe Unired (a), Eastleigh (h), Maidenhead United (h) and York City (h). Sadly, it was proved to be a case of too little, too late as they were relegated by two points on the final day of the campaign. 

However, Johnson has managed to retain the majority of the squad who fell short of retaining their National League status, with only Southampton loanee Nico Lawrence and striker Frank Nouble not returning to Plainmoor for the 2023-24 campaign. 

Kevin Dawson, Jack Stobbs and Lewis Collins have all rejoined the Gulls on a permanent basis following successful loan spells from Gloucester City, Oldham Athletic and Newport County respectively. Then United's former QPR loanee Dillon De Silva then followed suit by signing permanently for the Gulls following his release by the R's. 

Johnson has also bolstered a defence which already includes Shaun Donnellan and the veteran Dean Moxey with the signing of former Plymouth Argyle prospect Finley Craske, and another former Pilgrims youngster Ollie Tomlinson appears to have come on leaps and bounds during loan spells with Taunton Town and Chippenham Town. 

Argyle midfielder starlet Will Jenkins-Davies has also arrived from Home Park on loan. He will looking to follow in the footsteps of Adam Randell, who has established himself as a first team regular following his loan spell at Plainmoor in the 2020-21 campaign.

Up front, Bradley Ash will be looking to fill the void left by Nouble's departure after signing from Weymouth. Ash scored 18 times in all competitions for the Terras in the 2022-23 campaign, and the early signs from pre-season are that he could form a strong partnership with United's leading scorer and player of the season from 2022-23 Aaron Jarvis. 

As former Gulls boss, the late Dave Smith once said when asked what a side needed to win promotion, he replied 'score goals, lots of them' - and goals were crucial to United winning the National League South title under Johnson in 2018-19. 

If Ash and Jarvis can approach the figures achieved by Jamie Reid and Saikou Janneh of 32 and 19, and if the midfield can chip with the amount of goals the likes of Jake Andrews, Kalvin Kalala, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Asa Hall, the only survivor from United's 2018-19 squad, then a second promotion from the NLS will be firmly in their sights.

Player to Watch: Lewis Collins

The former Wales Under-21 international has been a revelation since he moved from being a striker to being a wide player by Johnson. After scoring three times in 15 appearances whilst on loan from Newport in 2022-23 he will be aiming to better than tally in the forthcoming campaign.

In: Kevin Dawson (Gloucester City), Jack Stobbs (Oldham Athletic), Bradley Ash (Weymouth), Lewis Collins (Newport County), Callum Thomas (Under-18s), Finley Craske (Plymouth Argyle), Will Jenkins-Davies (Plymouth Argyle, loan), Dillon De Silva (QPR)

Out: Frank Nouble (Yeovil Town), Ali Omar (Larne), Ben Wyatt (St Albans City), Olaf Koszela and Alex Moyse (Dorchester Town), Jack Winsor (Bideford), Lewis Brooks, Jacob Mensah

SEASON PREVIEW 2023-24: EXETER CITY

 Gary Caldwell's first full season as Exeter City sees the former Wigan Athletic and Chesterfield boss looking to rebuild his squad following the departures of a number of key players. 

Central midfielder Archie Collins and right wing-back Josh Key became the latest of the club's academy products to move on to pastures new; Collins joined Peterborough United, while Key followed in the footsteps of fellow Grecians' academy graduate Matt Grimes to sign for Swansea City. 

Caldwell has used the loan market to good effect to bring in goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, right wing-back Dion Rankine and central midfielder Ryan Trevitt from Aston Villa, Chelsea and Brentford respectively. 

The signing of left-back Vincent Harper from National League side Eastleigh could turn out to be a shrewd one, as Harper, formerly of Bristol City, was rated as one of the best left-backs outside the EFL. 

Retaining last season's leading scorer Sam Nombe, who found the back of the net 18 times for the Grecians, will be pivotal to their chances of success. As will their ability to fill the voids left by the departures of their more high profile players. 

Player to Watch: Sam Nombe

In the wake of the departures of Archie Collins and Josh Key, much of the Grecians' prospects for the 2023-24 campaign rest largely on the shoulders of Sam Nombe. The former MK Dons front man found the back of the net 18 times in all competitions last season, and a similar return will be required for Gary Caldwell's men in the current campaign.

 

In: Vincent Harper (Eastleigh), Jack Aitchison (Motherwell), Ryan Trevitt (Brentford, loan), Dion Rankine (Chelsea, loan), Demetri Mitchell (Hibernian), Tom Carroll (Ipswich Town), Viljami Sinisalo (Aston Villa, loan), Reece Cole (Hayes and Yeading), Zak Jules (MK Dons)

Out: Jevani Brown (Bristol Rovers), Archie Collins (Peterborough United), Josh Key (Swansea City), Kevin McDonald (Bradford City), Jake Caprice (Burton Albion)

SEASON PREVIEW 2023-24: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

After winning the League One title with 101 points in the 2022-23 season, a return to the Championship for the first time in over a decade awaits Plymouth Argyle.

In what will be their first campaign in the second tier since the 2009-10 season, Argyle have shown that they are not there to make up the numbers after breaking their club record transfer fee twice. 

Pilgrims' boss Steven Schumacher paid in the region of £1million to sign bring midfielder Morgan Whittaker back to Home Park on a permanent basis, following a loan spell from Swansea City. 

Then, in a matter of weeks, Schumacher replicated the fee to bring another loanee from the 2022-23 campaign back to the club in the form of attacking wing-back Bali Mumba from Norwich City. 

In addition to this, Schumacher has also made a number of other potentially astute signings in the form of Spanish defender Julio Pleguezuelo from FC Twente and goalkeeper Conor Hazard from Celtic who will provide not only cover for Michael Cooper as he recovers from injury, but also competition. 

Following their previous promotions to the second tier in 1974-75, 1985-86 and 2003-04, Argyle always managed to consolate their position in the division, staying there for two years (1975 to 77), six years (1986 to 1992) and six years (2004 to 2010). And with a core of young players, including midfielders Jordan Houghton and Adam Randell, the Pilgrims have a group of players who could potentially remain with the club for a number of seasons. 

Survival will be Argyle's first priority in 2023-24, but after that the path followed by similar sized clubs such as Brighton and Hove Albion, Brentford and Luton Town could yet be become open to them in the near to distant future. 

Player to Watch: Bali Mumba

The £500,000 that the Pilgrims paid Cardiff City for Steven McLean had stood as the club's record transfer paid since January 2008 until this summer, as Argyle paid in the region of £1million plus for both Morgan Whittaker and Bali Mumba. 

During his loan spell from Norwich City, Mumba won the EFL League One young player of the season award and was named in the League One team of the season for 2022-23. 

Mumba will now be looking to enjoy further success with the Pilgrims after returning to Home Park on a permanent basis.

In: Julio Pleguezuelo (FC Twente), Kaine Kesler-Hayden (Aston Villa, loan), Conor Hazard (Glasgow Celtic), Morgan Whittaker (Swansea City), Bali Mumba (Norwich City), Lewis Gibson (Everton), Lewis Warrington (Everton, loan)

Out: Niall Ennis (Blackburn Rovers), Danny Mayor (Fleetwood Town), James Wilson (Bristol Rovers), Conor Grant (Port Vale), Ryan Law (Truro City), Finley Craske (Torquay United), Will Jenkins-Davies (Torquay United, loan)

WHERE TORQUAY UNITED'S SQUAD STANDS FOLLOWING SUMMER RECRUITMENT

 With the signing of Finley Craske following a successful trial spell, the loan acquistion of Will Jenkins-Davies from Plymouth Argyle and the re-signing of Dan Martin, Torquay United manager Gary Johnson's squad now consists of 20 players. 

As the Gulls head into their final pre-season friendly with Southampton's B side, we will take closer look at the squad that Johnson has assembled.

GOALKEEPER

Mark Halstead, Rhys Lovett

Once again Mark Halstead and Rhys Lovett will be sharing goalkeeping duties again, with Halstead acting as first choice and Lovett as his number two. Halstead established himself one of the leading goalkeepers in the National League in the 2022-23 season, with performances against Scunthorpe United, York City and Wrexham being amongst his stand-out displays. He is surely likely to emerge as a leading keeper in the National League South in the 2023-24 campaign.

In Lovett, the Gulls have a keeper who could possibly feature regularly for the majority of clubs in the division - so he's a more than capable deputy when, or if, required to step in.

DEFENCE

Shaun Donnellan, Dean Moxey, Ollie Tomlinson, Ross Marshall, Finley Craske, Callum Thomas
 

United manager Gary Johnson finished last season playing with a back three consisting of Shaun Donnellan and Dean Moxey with Southampton loanee Nico Lawrence, who has since been loaned out by the Saints to Colchester United in League Two. Johnson has gone with a back three again in pre-season with Donnellan, Ollie Tomlinson, who gained experience of National League South during loan spells with Taunton Town and Chippenham Town, and Finley Craske, who signed following a successful trial following his release by Plymouth Argyle, in the absence of Moxey. 

Ross Marshall is back involved again with the Gulls' squad following eye surgery over the summer.

RIGHT WING-BACK

Jack Stobbs, Dylan Crowe

After making his loan move from Oldham Athletic permanent over the summer, Jack Stobbs looks set to continue in the right wing-back role in the 2023-24 campaign. Stobbs will be looking to add more goals to his game once the seson gets underway after finding the target in pre-season against Exeter City. Dylan Crowe remains as his understudy.

MIDFIELD

Kevin Dawson, Asa Hall, Tom Lapslie, Brett McGavin, Will Jenkins-Davies (loan), Ryan Hanson

In midfield, Johnson has the experienced trio of Kevin Dawson, who previously served under him at Yeovil Town and Cheltenham Town, skipper Asa Hall and Tom Lapslie to call upon. Former Ipswich Town prospect Brett McGavin has started in midfield in pre-season after being was mainly used as an impact sub in the end of season run-in in 2022-23, which saw him come off the bench to score in the Gulls' 5-1 defeat to Chesterfield in their penultimate away game of the campaign.

Former Dover midfielder Ryan Hanson is still with the Gulls and Johnson has added Wales Under-18 international Will Jenkins-Davies on loan from Plymouth Argyle. While following in the footsteps of former Gulls loanee Adam Randell, who has now established himself as a first team regular at Home Park, Jenkins-Davies is more similar in terms of playing style to Connor Lemonheigh and Armani Little, so therefore offers Johnson a different option. 

LEFT WING-BACK

Lewis Collins, Dan Martin

Lewis Collins scored three times in 15 appearances during his loan spell from Newport County, and has been amongst the goals again in pre-season after signing for the Gulls permanently in the close season. He has found the back of the net twice in four appearances so far, including a 20 yard volleyed effort in United's 4-1 win over local rivals Exeter City, which gave the Gulls the lead. Collins can also play up front if either Aaron Jarvis or Brad Ash were unavailable. 

Dan Martin earned himself a new contract in pre-season after proving his fitness and will provide more than capable cover for Collins.

STRIKER

Aaron Jarvis, Brad Ash

The fact that the Gulls have been able to retain the services of last season's leading scorer Aaron Jarvis has arguably been a bigger boost as any new signings that United have made so far. Jarvis netted 18 times in the 2023-24 campaign - which included two hat-tricks, becoming the first Gulls' player to complete that feat since Robin Stubbs in 1965-66; He will be aiming to better that tally in 2023-24.

In pre-season, Jarvis has formed a promising partnership with Brad Ash and have linked up well together so far. This was evidenced in the Gulls' 4-1 pre-season win over Exeter City when Jarvis teed up Ash for the Gulls' second goal.

Ash found the back of the net 18 times in all competitions for Weymouth in the National League South in 2022-23, and could yet overhaul that tally with United. 

In: Kevin Dawson (Gloucester City), Jack Stobbs (Oldham Athletic), Bradley Ash (Weymouth), Lewis Collins (Newport County), Callum Thomas (Under-18s), Finley Craske (Plymouth Argyle), Will Jenkins-Davies (Plymouth Argyle, loan)

Out: Frank Nouble (Yeovil Town), Ali Omar (Larne), Ben Wyatt (St Albans City), Olaf Koszela and Alex Moyse (Dorchester Town), Jack Winsor (Bideford), Lewis Brooks, Jacob Mensah

Torquay United's record in pre-season in 2023-24: 

Vs Reading Under-21s W 5-0 Asa Hall, Lewis Collins, Brett McGavin, Aaron Jarvis (2 1 pen)
Vs Bristol City L 2-6 Brad Ash, Aaron Jarvis
Vs Plymouth Argyle D 1-1 Brad Ash
Vs Exeter City W 4-1 Lewis Collins, Brad Ash, Jack Stobbs, Asa Hall (pen)

TREVOR FRANCIS - ONE IN A MILLION

There are two things that former England striker Trevor Francis will be associated with. 

One is the fact he became Britain's first £1million footballer when Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough signed him from Birmingham City in 1979 and the fact he featured in the theme tune on the closing credits for the TV sitcom Only Fools and Horses. 

However, there is a third factor that is often overlooked when it comes to Francis, who was born in Plymouth in 1954, namely the fact that he is arguably the finest talent ever to emerge from Devon and the South West. 

Even more remarkably, he never played his club football in the region.

After first emerging as a young talent with Plymouth Schools, it was Birmingham City who would secure the signature of Francis. He made his debut for the Blues at the age of 16 years and 139 days, becoming their youngest ever player - a record he would hold until it was beaten by Jude Bellingham in 2019. 

Francis soon made the footballing world sit up and take notice of him when he netted four goals against Bolton Wanderers when he was just short of his 17th birthday. He went on to score 119 goals in 280 games for Birmingham and even had a loan spell in the NASL (North American Soccer League) before a certain Mr Clough signed him for Nottingham Forest for the well documented fee he has become synonymous with. 

Forest had just won the League title and the League Cup and were looking to add the European Cup to their silverware collection. At the time of his arrival at the City Ground, Francis wasn't eligible to play for Forest until the final, where they faced Swedish side Malmo in Munich. His first taste of European football proved to be a memorable one, as he headed home a cross from the left from John Robertson to score the game's only goal to secure a first European Cup for Clough's side. 

Francis missed Forest's second European Cup triumph against Hamburg in 1980 through injury and later left the City Ground in 1981 to join Manchester City for £1.2 million. His form for City earned him a call-up to Ron Greenwood's England squad for the 1982 World Cup and was on target in their group games with Czechoslovakia and Kuwait. He would be capped 52 times by England and scored 12 goals. 

His next move saw him head abroad as he moved to Italy to join Genoa based Sampdoria for £700,000. In the 1984-85, Francis helped Il Doria to win the Coppa Italia for the first time ever and he would also end the campaign as the competition's leading scorer with nine goals in 11 games- becoming the first English player to finish as the top scorer in any Italian competition. 

One of his teammates in that Sampdoria side was former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder Graeme Souness, and his next move would see him become one of the many Englishman who Souness signed for Glasgow Rangers during the time when English clubs were banned from playing in Europe due to the Heysel ban on his return to Britain in 1987, following a brief spell with Atalanta. 

He later returned to England to sign for Queens Park Rangers in 1988, and he later became player-manager of the West London side. His stay at Loftus Road only lasted for just over a year until he was dismissed and replaced by Don Howe. 

Francis then joined Sheffield Wednesday as a player under Ron Atkinson and he helped the Owls to win the Rumbelows Cup in 1991 and promotion back to the top-flight in the 1990-91 season. 

Following Atkinson's departure for Aston Villa in the summer of 1991, Francis was appointed manager of Wednesday and led them to a third-placed finish in the 'old' First Division in the 1991-92 campaign - prior to the formation of the Premier League in 1992-93. 

He then memorably led them to the finals of the Coca-Cola Cup and the FA Cup in 1993, where they were beaten by Arsenal on both occasions. 

Francis eventually retired from playing at the age of 40 and remained in charge at Hillsborough until his dismissal in 1995. A year later, he returned to St Andrews to become manager of Birmingham City. Whilst he never managed to lead the Blues back to the top-flight, he did manage to guide them to the Worthington Cup final in 2001, where they lost on penalties to Gerard Houllier's Liverpool before he was sacked in the October of that year. 

His final managerial role saw him manage Crystal Palace between November 2001 and October 2003.  

He later worked as a pundit for Sky Sports and BT Sport and he died recently of a heart attack at the age of 69.

 

 

SOUTH WEST FRIENDLY REVIEW

With Torquay United opting to play a number of pre-season friendlies behind closed doors, I opted to take in a number of other local friendlies to fill the void. 

Here's a summary of the matches that I chose. 

Exmouth Town 1    Truro City 2,     July 7, 2023

My first choice of friendly saw Kevin Hill's Exmouth Town take on Paul Wotton's Truro City at Southern Road. 

Both managers are fine servants to football in the South West, as Hill is Torquay United's record appearance holder with 474 appearances in all competitions, whilst Wotton is Plymouth Argyle's joint-second appearance holder with 491 in all competitions. 

The hosts took the lead on 26 minutes through their number 14, but the visitors came from behind in the second half as Andrew 'Rocky' Neal and Will Dean both found the back of the net with strikes from distance.

Buckland Athletic 0    Yeovil Town 4,     July 8, 2023

The following day I decided to take a look at another of the Gulls' prospective National League South opponents in the form Yeovil Town, who travelled to Newton Abbot to face Buckland Athletic of the Western League. 

The Glovers brought a sizeable away following with them, and new owner/chairman Martin Hellier was also in attendance. 

Yeovil took the lead in the seventh minute through a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area from Jordan Stevens after Benjani junior had been fouled.

Ex Gulls striker Jared Lewington came the closest to scoring for Bucks on 26 minutes when he created space for himself with a neat flick, which enabled him to elude Glovers’ defender Ollie Haste, before volleying over the bar.

The Glovers were forced into making a change in the 31^st minute when right-back Morgan Williams limped off, after surviving a heavy challenge earlier, and was replaced by youngster Jacob Shore.

A minute later, Yeovil doubled their lead when Malachi Linton had a shot in the box which Jake Hyde got the final touch on.

In the second half, Glovers boss Mark Cooper made wholesale changes, which saw the introduction of a number of former Gulls, including Jamie Sendles-White and Frank Nouble, who spent the final weeks of the 2022-23 season at Plainmoor, and former midfielder Matt Buse featured as a trialist at right-back.

Eight minutes after the restart, the Glovers added a third when a cross from the left from Alex Whittle found its way to Nouble who curled the ball home.

With four minutes to go, Yeovil extended their lead to four when Jordan Maguire-Drew found Matt Worthington who found the bottom corner with a low drive as the Glovers underlined their status as National League South title contenders.

Buckland Athletic 0    Exmouth Town 4,    July 11, 2023

It was a return to Homer's Heath to witness Buckland face Exmouth Town who, of course, play in a league above them in the Southern League Division One South - and the visitors ran out as 4-0 winners.

Exmouth took an early lead on five minutes through a 20 yard strike from Mike Landricombe. 

The visitors then doubled their advantage four minutes before half time when Callum Shipton tapped home a cross from the left. 

In the second half, a penalty from James Richards in the 53rd minute increased Exmouth's lead to three before they rounded off the scoring on 77 minutes when Ben Steer raced onto a through ball from Ace High and calmly slotted home. 

Liskeard Athletic 1     Huddersfield Town 13 

Thirteen proved to be unlucky for Liskeard Athletic as Huddersfield Town found the back of the net 13 times against them in the final match of their pre-season tour of the South West. 

The Terriers, who are managed by former Torquay United and Plymouth Argyle boss Neil Warnock, had already faced Bodmin Town and Tavistock earlier in the week and ran out as winners in emphatic fashion.

Kian Harratt netted a hat-trick from the sub's bench while Josh Koroma, Jack Rudoni and Sorba Thomas all bagged braces. Danny Ward, Jaheim Headley, Tyreece Simpson and Ben Jackson all scored a goal apiece. 

However, Liskeard did come out of the game as midfielder Max Gilbert struck with a long range strike from 25 yards in the 26th minute, which made it 2-1 to Huddersfield at the time.