The 2013–14 season was the 11th season in the Football League and the first season at the second tier of English football played by Yeovil Town Football Club, an English football club based in Yeovil, Somerset. Their promotion via the play-offs in the 2012–13 season meant they played in the Championship, for the first time in the club's history.
Manager Gary Johnson signed seven players before the close of the summer transfer window. The season started with victory away at Millwall but the club then slipped into the relegation zone and only briefly escaping the relegation zone in September. Yeovil remained in the relegation zone from October until the end of the season. The signing of Ishmael Miller on loan briefly improved their survival chances helping the club to record a four-match unbeaten run in November and December followed by a five-match run in February and March but in the end Yeovil were relegated with a game to spare.
Yeovil reached the second round of the League Cup for the second season in succession, beating Southend United before being defeated by Birmingham City on penalties. The club reached the fourth round of the FA Cup for only the third time in the club's history, losing to Premier League side Southampton having beaten Leyton Orient in the third round. Nottingham Forest loanee Ishmael Miller was the club's top scorer with 10 goals, with all those coming in the league.
Background
The 2012–13 season was the club's tenth anniversary of reaching the Football League, and their eighth consecutive season in the third tier, it was manager Gary Johnson's first full season in charge since returning to the football club in January 2012. Yeovil started the season well briefly topping the Football League One table in August, before a 6-match losing run in September and October saw them drop in to mid-table. Having stood 12th in the league table after a Boxing Day defeat against Bournemouth, Yeovil went on an 8-match run winning run which transformed them into promotion candidates. The club also reached the Southern Area semi-finals of the Football League Trophy before being beaten by Leyton Orient. The signing of Paddy Madden permanently in January saw Yeovil win 11 of their final 20 games, and the team finished the season 4th in the table, a new record high finishing position, and qualified for the play-offs. Where they faced Sheffield United in the semi-final, a 1–0 away defeat in the first leg, before a late Ed Upson goal gave Yeovil a 2–0 victory in the home leg. Brentford faced Yeovil in the 2013 Football League One play-off final at Wembley Stadium, Yeovil won 2–1 courtesy of goals from Madden and Dan Burn and were promoted to the second-tier of English football for the first time in the club's history.
The end of the season featured a smaller than usual turnover of players, defender Richard Hinds and midfielders Dominic Blizzard and Gavin Williams were released by the club. Manager Gary Johnson and his backroom staff of Terry Skiverton and Darren Way signed new two-year deals to confirm they would lead Yeovil in the Championship. Goalkeeper Matt Cafer was promoted to the first-team squad after signing a six-month professional contract with the club. Ahead of the new season midfielders Kevin Dawson and Sam Foley signed new two-year contracts, while defender Nathan Ralph and midfielder Lewis Young were invited back for pre-season training by Gary Johnson.
Review
Pre-season
The squad returned for pre-season training on 26 June. The first day of pre-season saw the squad joined by three new signings, former Jamaican under-20 international Joel Grant signed from Wycombe Wanderers and released Southampton striker Sam Hoskins signing two-year contracts and former Leicester City defender Joey Jones signing a six-month deal. Striker Reuben Reid rejoined Football League Two side Plymouth Argyle on a season long loan deal. The players were also joined by six confirmed trialists, former Southampton loanee Ryan Dickson, released Northampton Town defender Seth Nana Twumasi, Italian centre-back Davide Grassi, Irish midfielder Gary Deegan, former Sheffield United trainee Jordan Robertson and Dorchester Town striker Kieffer Moore. Of these trialists only Twumasi and Moore remained with Yeovil for their second week of pre-season training, the trialists were joined by Welsh international defender Lewin Nyatanga and former Swindon Town midfielder Simon Ferry. On 2 July, Yeovil Town announced that chief executive Martyn Starnes was leaving the club to take on the same position at Plymouth Argyle, Starnes having been in his role with Yeovil for five-and-a-half years.
On 6 July, prior to Yeovil's first pre-season friendly against Poole Town, the club confirmed they had agreed terms with Dorchester Town for the transfer of Kieffer Moore for an "undisclosed fee". Four more trialists joined the side for the friendly, former Brighton & Hove Albion full back Marcos Painter, former Reading centre-back Angus MacDonald, former Crystal Palace defender Aaron Akuruka and midfielder Junior Konadu-Yiadom. Yeovil won the friendly 3–1 with goals from Kieffer Moore, James Hayter and Joe Edwards. The following week saw a further rotation of trialists with Ferry, Nyatanga and Painter departing and Zimbabwean international left-sided player Onismor Bhasera joining the club on trial. 10 July saw the club confirm three signings firstly the former England U20 striker Michael Ngoo on loan from Liverpool until the end of the 2013–14 season, secondly the confirmation of the signing of Dorchester Town striker Kieffer Moore on a two-year contract, and midfielder Billy Clifford on a six-month loan from Chelsea. That evening the Glovers played local rivals Weymouth a "behind closed doors" friendly match, Yeovil won the match 7–0 with a newly signed loanee Michael Ngoo scoring a first half hat-trick, before Kieffer Moore scored a second half hat-trick from Kieffer Moore with trialist Junior Konadu-Yiadom rounding off the scoring.
On 12 July, the club embarked short pre-season bonding trip to southern Portugal, with the club confirming only one trialist was present on the trip former Northampton defender Seth Nana Twumasi. The following day the club played an unofficial friendly match against Portuguese Segunda Liga side SC Farense, taking place at the Browns Leisure Complex in Quarteira where the Glovers had been training. Yeovil lost the friendly 2–0 and had to play part of the second half with 10-men following the sending off of Chelsea loanee Billy Clifford for a second bookable offence. Yeovil returned home to play Torquay United in a friendly, on 16 July, where their squad included former Southampton defender Danny Seaborne. Despite dominating the game in terms of possession and chances two late Torquay goals condemned the Glovers to a second consecutive 2–0 defeat. A third consecutive defeat without scoring followed with a 5–0 defeat against Premier League side Swansea City in the club's first home friendly. After the game the club confirmed the signing of former Southampton defender Seaborne on a two-year contract. On 23 July, Yeovil confirmed the signing of Swansea City defender Alan Tate on loan until 2 January 2014, the club made the announcement of the signing by producing a mocked-up picture of an easel outside Huish Park following the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son the day before. Tate made his debut that evening in a 2–1 friendly victory over Exeter City courtesy of goals from Ed Upson and Paddy Madden. The players who didn't feature prominently in the club's final home friendly played a Bristol City U21 side, on 25 July. The Yeovil XI won the match 3–1 thanks to a brace from Sam Hoskins and a goal from Liverpool loanee Michael Ngoo. Yeovil then travelled to Home Park to play Plymouth Argyle on 27 July, Yeovil's side featured a new trialist in the shape of former Port Vale midfielder Ryan Burge. The Glovers won the match 2–1 with first half goals from Madden and Hayter. Yeovil's final game of pre-season was a trip to The New Lawn to play Forest Green Rovers. A weakened Yeovil side featuring three new trialists, Swansea City full back Curtis Obeng, former Oxford United left sided players Liam Davis and midfielder Ben Long, won the match 5–3 with two goals from Michael Ngoo, a goal each from Sam Hoskins and trialist Ben Long and an own goal. Yeovil's pre-season preparation featured nine matches in all with six victories and three defeats Yeovil scoring 22 goals and conceding 16. The following day the club announced the signing of Liam Davis on a two-year contract, and at the club's photocall confirmed that Nathan Ralph and Lewis Young both agreed new short-term deals with the club as well as former Northampton Town defender Seth Nana Twumasi.
+ Pre-season match detailsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendancePoole TownAW3–1Moore, Hayter, Edwards 487WeymouthHW7–0Moore (3), , Ngoo (3)—SC FarenseNL0–2—Torquay UnitedAL0–21,168Swansea CityHL0–52,236Exeter CityHW2–1Upson, Madden1,180Plymouth ArgyleAW2–1Hayter, Madden2,492Forest Green RoversAW5–3Hoskins, Trialist (og), Ngoo (2), 647
August