Football Season Review

Gary Johnson started talking about his side's promotion chances only a month or two into the season, and few took the Glovers' boss seriously, as Yeovil didn't seem to have the quality or the resources to stake a serious promotion claim. The Glovers did reasonably well in the first half of the season, but Johnson constantly looked for ways to improve his side, making a number of signings, either on loan or permanent ones, that took the side to the next level, such as Dan Burn, Jamie McAllister and Joe Edwards. Obviously, special praise needs to go to Johnson for the capture of Patrick Madden, who was Carlisle's fourth choice striker before joining the Glovers, but then went on to become the top scorer of League One. The Glovers eventually managed to finish the season 4th, but were widely considered to be the underdogs in their Play-off semifinal clash against Sheffield United despite finishing above the Blades on the table. Their dream seemed to be over after the Blades controlled the first leg and won with a deserved 1:0 scoreline, but the Glovers thoroughly outplayed Danny Wilson's men in the second leg and managed to reach Wembley. The Play-off final was another tale of two halves, as it saw the Glovers bossing the first half and deservedly claiming a 2:0 lead, but then being somewhat fortunate to hold on and claim a 2:1 win, as the Bees were by far the better side during the second forty five minutes. As a consequence, the Glovers, who were widely tipped for a mid-table finish at best before the season started, will play in the Championship for the first time in their history next season. It's really difficult to see a club of their size and resources surviving in the second tier, but Johnson will be under no pressure whatsoever in the Championship, and that could prove to be their advantage.

Player of the Season: Patrick Madden