[Archived] Beware of Jack the treacle eater! Away day at Yeovil - December 21st

[Proudtobeblue&white]

36 things you never wanted to know about our next opponents, and the place where they live, Yeovil & Yeovil Town

It is the only FL club to be based in Zommerset.

It has a population of 40,000.

In the 1800's it became the centre of the glove making industry.

In the 20th century, aircraft making/defence services took over.

In 2006 it became the first town in the country to require you to use biometric fingerprinting to get into the town's nightclubs.

In 2007, the nutty Councillors banned Heelys from the town centre.....don't be wearing yours come Saturday!

Jack the treacle eater sits atop a silly folly, and is all very jolly.

The club was founded in 1895.

According to the AA, it is 254.4 miles from Ewood to Huish Park.

Without roadworks, Christmas traffic, snow or pestilence it should take 4hours and 21 minutes to make the trip by road.

Yeovil lie 23rd at present, one place above the table foot....or the foot of the table if you prefer.

They have only won two of their 10 home fixtures so far this season.

According to my small boy book of Rovers facts, I can find no record of the two clubs ever meeting in any competition.

The team are nicknamed the Glovers......see fact three above to make any sense of it.

The ground holds 9,565 football type fans when full.....5,212 can sit down if they want.

Please pray for a nice sunny day, we get an uncovered terrace......remember them? I recall fondly getting p*ssed wet through many times on Huddersfield's old equivalent - one for the hardy I fear. We do get a few seats, but apparently you can only sit down if you are infirm, or have a child. I'm not going, and have two spare children, if anyone needs to borrow one, so they can sit down.......

The current ground was built in 1990.

Roofs were invented in 1991.

Their former ground was famous for its sloping pitch (2.4m apparently).

Sloping pitches were outlawed by the FA in 1989.

Yeovil only entered the FL in 2002, they beat Rochdale 3-1 in their first game.

They attained the Championship this season, having overcome Brentford in last season's play-off final.

Wikifacts has a section entitled, "Yeovil Town Internationals".....it is empty.....I fib.....Dick Pym played three times for Engurland, and current next big thing, Andros Townsend spent a season at Yeovil.

Yeovil supporters have a handy website, entitled, "Ciderspace"......see what those crafty Yeovilians have done there!

They recommend the Half Moon in Stoke-Sub-Hamden for a refreshing libation.

Take the A303, depart on the A3088, as the best way to get to the town......god it's boring finding this many facts.

Most pubs in the town are described as friendly, nothing of any use close to the ground however.

The ground is alcohol free for us lot.......be warned!

Tractor references in any chants are not found amusing by the home supporters, and oo, ah it's ambrosia, was thought funny, but has been done! Be on your toes and be creative if you're going!

So, there you are, 29 facts that may or may not be true about our next adventure......not even a small town in Somerset can muster 36.......

I would love to go, but as it's the day after my office party, I will probably be ill.

To all of you intrepid enough to brave the Saturday before Xmas crowds, I salute you.

Three points would be lovely, we seem to like the South coast, as our only away day victory so far was at Bournemouth......so have a pint of Thatchers (cider) for me, and shout on the boys!!

I'll go for a hard fought 2-1, JR/Dunny!

Oh, and a happy Yule to all Rovers fans everywhere!

[the original david brent]

Excellent interesting preview.

If Yeovil only has a population of 40k, would that make them the lowest populated place in the top 4 divisions? I like my random useless footy trivia if anybody wonders why I ask!

Looking forward to going to this game. We had already sold 550 tickets a couple of weeks ago so hopefully will be circa 1000 who go.

One of the last times I stood on an open terrace with rovers was in 2001 away at Stockport. It was a drab 0-0 and it poured down for 90 mins. I hope history does not repeat itself

Nb I'm sadly answering my own question but there is at least fleetwood which has a population of 26k!

[thenodrog]

One of the last times I stood on an open terrace with rovers was in 2001 away at Stockport. It was a drab 0-0 and it poured down for 90 mins. I hope history does not repeat itself

I rem that. We bought tickets for the main stand. Good view from there and kept dry to boot.

[gumboots]

Yeovil's population must have expanded rapidly if it's now at 40000. When we left there it was less than half of that. Nice place and for those staying, some very good restaurants there and in the surrounding area.They really do say ooh ar! a fact which much amused me when I first went there in 1977. Spent 6 very happy years there and if it weren't for the fact that the hordes aka my family are descending on Boxing day and 2 of the bedrooms still aren't decorated, and are in fact full of rubbish that I need to sort, I'd be there visiting friends and watching the match

[Leonard Venkhater]

I rem that. We bought tickets for the main stand. Good view from there and kept dry to boot.

I remember that. It certainly stopped any romantic longing for a return to the terraces

[Proudtobeblue&white]

I remember that. It certainly stopped any romantic longing for a return to the terraces

The whole terracing debate is another matter......I grew up on the BE. Horrible concrete monstrosity that it was. I think the German terracing of folding seats is fantastic.....lower tier of the BE would be awesome, under cover. Increased space, create atmosphere. Covered terracing is the future!

[Bucksrover]

Hoping we don't go back to 2 defensive midfielers! Cairney staying central with one of the water carriers would be great in my opinion.

[Clitherover]

Potential banana skin this one.

[Gally]

Hoping we don't go back to 2 defensive midfielers! Cairney staying central with one of the water carriers would be great in my opinion.

Agree, sounds like Williamson's injury might take the decision away from GB though.

Don't mind playing Lowe and Williamson in the tougher away games, but this is the sort of match that we should be looking to take 3 points from imo.

[Leonard Venkhater]

The whole terracing debate is another matter......I grew up on the BE. Horrible concrete monstrosity that it was. I think the German terracing of folding seats is fantastic.....lower tier of the BE would be awesome, under cover. Increased space, create atmosphere. Covered terracing is the future!

My kids marvel at the play off videos and the Biblical hordes in the old Blackburn End. The atmosphere certainly was great.

That Stockport experience was so awful, I realised how all those years going to Oldham, Rochdale and Willington in the wind must have just de-sensitised me to the fact that it was often a bloody awful experience...Maybe I've just gone soft

[West Yorks Rover]

The whole terracing debate is another matter......I grew up on the BE. Horrible concrete monstrosity that it was. I think the German terracing of folding seats is fantastic.....lower tier of the BE would be awesome, under cover. Increased space, create atmosphere. Covered terracing is the future!

There was an excellent report on the BBC football website yesterday about safe standing, it shows the folding seats etc,

Might be worth another debate on here ?

[West Yorks Rover]

My kids marvel at the play off videos and the Biblical hordes in the old Blackburn End. The atmosphere certainly was great.

That Stockport experience was so awful, I realised how all those years going to Oldham, Rochdale and Willington in the wind must have just de-sensitised me to the fact that it was often a bloody awful experience...Maybe I've just gone soft

I think the large quantities of pre-match beer covered a multitude of sins in those days.

I think modern ' safe standing ' will come to this country soon though.

[Mike Graham]

The whole terracing debate is another matter......I grew up on the BE. Horrible concrete monstrosity that it was. I think the German terracing of folding seats is fantastic.....lower tier of the BE would be awesome, under cover. Increased space, create atmosphere. Covered terracing is the future!

I remember the German folding seats from when we played at Bayern Leverkusen (bit of a fall.....Bayern to Yeovil !!). They were fine, but did get in the way of the Rovers fans fighting between themselves.

They would go well at Ewood.....a campaign for BRAG perhaps?

[Ozz]

Potential banana skin this one.

For Yeovil.

[Pelio]

This has been one fixture that I have been looking forward to since the summer, as I watch Yeovil quite a bit. Their overall play is generally pretty good, they like to pass the ball and in recent weeks the addition of Ishmael Miller has given them a real goal threat. Their other danger men are Upson and Grant who will cause problems with long range efforts and general trickery - so I do expect goals on Saturday at both ends.

Overall Rovers should win this, as I fancy Rhodes to score (as always) but Yeovil will push Rovers all the way...

In addition, this fixture also reminded me of when Rovers last played Yeovil way back in 2000 at Huish Park. It was a testimonial for Yeovil legend Warren Patmore and the score that day was 10:0 with Ostenstad scoring 4 and Hignett 2. Both Craig Short and David Dunn were part of the squad that day and the stadium has changed much since then. It's a nice tight ground, and if it's raining on Saturday - Most Rovers fans will be getting wet!

Yeovil's population must have expanded rapidly if it's now at 40000. When we left there it was less than half of that. Nice place and for those staying, some very good restaurants there and in the surrounding area.They really do say ooh ar! a fact which much amused me when I first went there in 1977. Spent 6 very happy years there and if it weren't for the fact that the hordes aka my family are descending on Boxing day and 2 of the bedrooms still aren't decorated, and are in fact full of rubbish that I need to sort, I'd be there visiting friends and watching the match

I'm sure the clubs song will cause a few to chuckle, 'ooh arr' indeed! I won't spoil it now by giving you lot the lyrics....

[Proudtobeblue&white]

This has been one fixture that I have been looking forward to since the summer, as I watch Yeovil quite a bit. Their overall play is generally pretty good, they like to pass the ball and in recent weeks the addition of Ishmael Miller has given them a real goal threat. Their other danger men are Upson and Grant who will cause problems with long range efforts and general trickery - so I do expect goals on Saturday at both ends.

Overall Rovers should win this, as I fancy Rhodes to score (as always) but Yeovil will push Rovers all the way...

In addition, this fixture also reminded me of when Rovers last played Yeovil way back in 2000 at Huish Park. It was a testimonial for Yeovil legend Warren Patmore and the score that day was 10:0 with Ostenstad scoring 4 and Hignett 2. Both Craig Short and David Dunn were part of the squad that day and the stadium has changed much since then. It's a nice tight ground, and if it's raining on Saturday - Most Rovers fans will be getting wet!

I'm sure the clubs song will cause a few to chuckle, 'ooh arr' indeed! I won't spoil it now by giving you lot the lyrics....

Last played! Only time surely.......why were we chosen to play in this testimonial?.

[thenodrog]

I remember the German folding seats from when we played at Bayern Leverkusen (bit of a fall.....Bayern to Yeovil !!). They were fine, but did get in the way of the Rovers fans fighting between themselves.

They would go well at Ewood.....a campaign for BRAG perhaps?

Bayer.

[Pelio]

Last played! Only time surely.......why were we chosen to play in this testimonial?.

I thought as much, hadn't checked though...

No idea, perhaps it was the prestige of playing former Premier League Champions! Yeovil were only in the conference at that time...

[G Somerset Rover]

I was there at Warren Patmore's testimonial too Pelio. Growing up as a Rovers fan in the West Country meant that it was a must attend match for me, but as you quite rightly pointed out, it turned into a bit of a farce at 10-0 with Patmore not getting a kick all game!

This is the one match that I cannot comprehend losing as I'm attending with a load of Yeovil fans. Should be a cracking match though and I too anticipate goals. We should have the quality to nick it, but it's going to be one hell of a battle out there and we'll need 11 players to give 110% on the day if we are to win.

[thenodrog]

Complacency will be the danger as always. How any manager combats it I don't know.

I still shudder at the memory of 1st Div Rovers being bombed out of the FA Cup by Oxford Utd from the 4th Div virtually 50 years ago.

[riverside returns]

Looking forward to this as am now based in devon. Hoping for a good performance and 3 points.

[No Nay Never]

Official twitter account reporting 800 tickets sold at lunchtime today, excellent support so close to xmas, will probably surpass the 1000 mark by Saturday you would think.

[thenodrog]

Few will have been to Yeovil and there are lots of cherry pickers around.

[West Yorks Rover]

Official twitter account reporting 800 tickets sold at lunchtime today, excellent support so close to xmas, will probably surpass the 1000 mark by Saturday you would think.

I see its the same price sitting or standing £20.

Allocated 586 seats, 1500 open terrace.

[darrenrover]

Looking forward to adding Huish Park to the list and hopefully 3 points to boot.

Opted for a seat in the stand after checking out the weather forecast. My days of getting drenched on an open terrace are no longer, there's no novelty value for me!

COYB!