Recently relegated National League club Yeovil Town have been taken over by local consortium Hellier Group, thus ending a long-running saga that has distabilised the club in recent times.
In a club statement, now-former owner Scott Priestnell confirmed that he had completed the sale of the Glovers to the group fronted by Martin Hellier, who already had links with Yeovil as a sponsor and will replace Priestnell as chairman of the Somerset club. The deal also includes Hellier winning buy-back rights to the club’s stadium Huish Park and surrounding areas after these were controversially sold to the local council in May 2022.
Prior to this announcement, Priestnall claimed on Thursday that a deal had been agreed for the club to change ownership, but did not reveal the identity of the buyer at the time citing legal issues. A previous takeover attempt by a consortium called ‘SU Glovers’ failed despite that group claiming to have bought the club in February
A New Era
The Hellier Group takeover marks the end of what has been a tumultuous period for the Glovers in which they have suffered four relegations in nine years since their sole Championship campaign in 2013-14. This season in particular saw the relationship between Priestnell, who had owned Yeovil since 2019, and the fans completely deteriorate as many supporters were vocally critical at the way in which he has run the club. A common criticism in particular was the perceived lack of communication between the chairman and supporters’ groups as results and performances declined sharply once the SU Glovers saga began, and manager Mark Cooper even admitted in an interview that the club could not afford to hire any physios for his side.
They eventually finished the National League season in 22nd position, meaning they will ply their trade in National League South for next term. A lack of goals proved to be their undoing as they only found the back of the net a measly 35 times all season, the lowest amount in the division by 10. This means that the Hellier Group will have a major rebuilding job on their hands as they look to halt the Glovers’ alarming decline and ensure their stint in regional football is a short one.
The Decline Of Yeovil Town
Statements
In the statement announcing the sale, Priestnall said the following:
I confirm that I have completed the sale of Yeovil Town Football Club to the Hellier Group.
It has been a difficult journey and I appreciate it has been hardest on you, the fans, most of all.
We have not been able to share updates where we have wanted to, as you will appreciate negotiations take place under strict rules and disclosure arrangements. Given previous transactions have fallen through, I was particularly concerned about giving updates that may not materialise.
I am confident that this transaction is one in the best interests of the club.
Yeovil Town Football Club is a club that is, and always will be, very close to my heart. I wish the manager, the players, Martin and the fans all the best for the future.
Meanwhile, Hellier posted his own lengthy statement on his personal Twitter account, in which he calls for fans and club stakeholders to work together on the ‘journey’, whilst also strongly indicating that he plans to keep incumbent manager Cooper in charge of the first team.
https://twitter.com/MartinHellier/status/1657294139984162819?s=20
Writer’s view
This news should finally bring a close to what could be described as the worst period in Yeovil’s history, with relegation to the sixth tier coming mainly due to football and financial mismanagement from previous owner Scott Priestnell. It remains to be seen what impact the Hellier Group will have on the club as they take over as custodians, but having the uncertainty over who actually runs the club lifted can only be a good thing for Mark Cooper, the players and the fans as the club now looks to prepare for National League South football.
