Mark Cooper takes charge of his first game as Yeovil Town manager on Saturday afternoon (3pm) as the Glovers travel to Maidstone United.
Following the departure of Chris Hargreaves as the Club dropped into the relegation zone, the vastly experienced Cooper was quickly recruited to the role.
Starting his tenure on the road to another side at the wrong end of the league, Cooper will be aiming for a winning start to his Yeovil Town career.
Mark Cooper’s thoughts
In his first interview as Yeovil Town manager, Cooper confirmed he would be trusting the existing Yeovil Town coaching staff to assist with duties for the fixture.
“As it’s so close to the weekend, it’s important I trust the staff that are here; Chris Todd, Marcus Stewart.
They’ve got a good handle on what’s needed, I’ll be relying on them to help pick the right team on Saturday.
“Obviously I’ll have an input, but I’ll use their judgement as we won’t get too much time on the training pitch.”
Team news
Sam Pearson won’t be involved as he has returned to Bristol City to recover from fatigue, however Ewan Clark, who joined on loan from the Reds on Tuesday night, could make his second successive start.
Wing wizard Charlie Wakefield has missed the last two games through injury, but has stepped up his recovery ahead of the trip to Kent.
A foot in the opposition camp
A Phoenix club of the old Maidstone United, this new iteration of the Club formed 30-years ago following the original Club’s bankruptcy.
The reformed Maidstone are yet to play in the EFL, with the National League the furthest they have climbed in the football pyramid so far. They first reached the National League back in 2016 after back-to-back promotions, but were relegated in 2019, the year Yeovil Town returned to non-league football.
After a title winning campaign last time out, Hakan Hayrettin is trying to help his side avoid the drop this campaign.
Have we met before?
Having just avoided playing each other in playing in league action, with both sides being relegated in 2019, the last meeting between the two sides came in the 2015 FA Cup, where nine-man Yeovil Town beat the then National League South side 1-0 thanks to a goal from Wes Fogden.
Tickets
Tickets for the fixture are available from the hosts’ website, with the link listed below.
Ticket prices:
- Adults: £19.00
- Concessions (65+/students with valid ID): £15.00
- Youth (11 to 16 year olds): £9.00
- Junior (Under 11): £3.00
Purchase yours from: https://ticketpass.org/event/EJMZSF/maidstone-united-vs-yeovil-town-away-fans
