Last Update:
July 22, 2024
Huish Park is a tidy-looking ground located in a pleasant setting, with lots of trees visible behind the stands. Both sides of the ground are similar-looking stands and are of the same height. They are both cantilevered, covered single-tiered stands that are all seated. Each stand has windshields on either side. The only difference between these stands is that the Tamburino Stand has some executive boxes running across the back of it, plus the dugouts and players tunnel, whilst the Screwfix Community Stand has a press box suspended from beneath its roof and a small-looking electric scoreboard. At one end is the medium-sized Thatchers Gold Stand Terrace, which is covered for home supporters and again has windshields to either side. Opposite is the Radio Cabs (Copse Road) Terrace, which is given to away fans. This is smaller and uncovered. Oddly the steelwork is in place at the back of this stand to incorporate more terrace space, but the concrete rows have so far not been added. Perched above the rear of this stand is a large electric scoreboard. The ground is completed with a set of four modern floodlight pylons, one in each corner of the ground.
Away fans are mostly situated in the Radio Cabs Stand at one end of the ground. This is an uncovered terrace, so hope for a dry day. Up to 1,500 supporters can be housed in this area. Additionally, around 600 seats are allocated to visiting fans in the Screwfix Community Stand, along one side of the pitch, which is covered.
Normally a visit to Huish Park is enjoyable, and the atmosphere is good, although the open terrace makes it hard for away fans to generate some noise. The atmosphere is boosted by a very vocal crowd on the home terrace as well as the presence of a drummer and trumpeter at that end (on my last visit the trumpeter was even imitating an ambulance siren as the trainer ran on to treat an injured player!). If Yeovil scores then ‘Glad All Over’ by the Dave Clark Five blasts out around the stadium.
Food on offer inside includes Pasties (meat or vegetable £3.20), a range of pies; Chicken Curry, Chicken & Mushroom, Steak & Kidney (all £3.20), Hot Dogs (£3.20) and Sausage Rolls (£2.20).
On my last visit, I was five minutes late getting to the game and missed the kickoff. Unbelievably the turnstiles had already closed at the away end. I and several other away fans had to run around the ground to try and find someone who could get us in. We managed this, and I have to say that the stewards were particularly helpful and friendly. I found the large police presence in and around the ground perturbing. In my mind, it was not a high-profile game, so I was somewhat surprised at the amount of local constabulary there.
- The Arrow – The Forum, BA21 3TL
- The Airfield Tavern – Alvington Lane, BA22 8UX
- Bell Inn – Preston Road, BA20 2EW
- The Beehive Inn – 112 Huish, BA20 1BD
Huish Park is located on the very outskirts of Yeovil and is signposted from the A303. Leave the A303 at the Cartgate roundabout and take the A3088 towards Yeovil. Follow the road for around four miles until you reach a roundabout on the outskirts of Yeovil with the Westlands Airfield directly in front of you. Turn left at this roundabout and then continue straight on, crossing several roundabouts. As you pass the entrance to an Asda superstore, take the next left for the ground, which can be seen from the road.
There is a fair sized car park at the ground (located behind the away end) which costs £3. However as can be expected, it can take quite some time after the game has ended to exit. Otherwise, there is plenty of street car parking to be had on the roads leading down to the ground. Tim Porter a visiting Torquay United fan informs me; ‘make sure you arrive at the official car park, early in winter as you may end up in the overspilled car park, which is a field which doesn’t drain nearly as well as the pitch!’  Richard Reardon adds; ‘Getting away from the ground was a bit of a nightmare as there is only one road out of the official car park. It took 35 minutes to travel the half mile to the Preston Road roundabout’. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near in the local area via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.
Post Code for SAT NAV: BA22 8YF
Yeovil has two railway stations; Yeovil Junction and Pen Mill Junction. Both of these stations are located quite a distance from Huish Park, with Pen Mill Junction just under three miles away and Yeovil Junction almost five miles away. From both stations, it is advised to get a taxi to the stadium or if you arrive at Yeovil Junction, then you can catch the ‘Hopper’ minibus at the bus station in the town centre. I have been informed that for night games taxis can be scarce at Yeovil Junction, so if you intend to go by taxi to the ground it may be an idea to look up the number of a local taxi firm and pre-book one.
John Midgley a visiting Huddersfield Town fan adds; ‘Bus No.68 runs from both Yeovil Junction & Yeovil Pen Mill stations to the town centre. You can then take the regular First Traveller No.1 service (every 15 minutes), which drops you near the stadium at the Abbey Manor Park Housing Estate. The No.68 connects with the No.1 at the Lloyds TSB Bank, located on the town centre High Street (make sure you catch the No.1 with ‘Abbey Manor Park’ on the front). Just a few yards away from this changing point is the Mermaid pub which I can recommend for excellent food and beer. Anybody coming in by rail can buy a “Plus Bus” ticket with their rail ticket for an additional £2.80 which is valid on both the 68 and 1 services. For bus timetables see the First Group website.
Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, and prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets:
Adult: £16
Senior: £14
16-21: £10
U16: £5
U12: £3
Official Programme £3
The nearest league club is Bournemouth, whilst there is also a rivalry with both the Bristol Clubs.
For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website.
Record Attendance
9,527 v Leeds United
League One, 25th April 2008.
At the original Huish Park:
16,318 v Sunderland
FA Cup 4th Round, January 29th, 1949
Average Attendance
2023-2024: 3,730 (National League South)
2022-2023: 2,730 (National League)
2021-2022: 2,378 (National League)
2020-2021: 0 (Covid) (National League)
2019-2020: 2,951 (National League)
If you require hotel accommodation in Yeovil then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will help towards the running costs of keeping this Guide going.
Official Web Site:Â www.ytfc.net
Unofficial Web Site:Â Cider Space
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at: [email protected] and I’ll update the guide.
Ground Layout
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Yeovil Town v Wrexham
National League
Saturday 29th February 2020, 3pm
Gareth Taylor (Neutral)
Yeovil Town v Crawley Town
League 2
Saturday 13th April 2019, 3pm
Paul Vinson (Crawley Town)
Yeovil Town v Mansfield Town
League 2
Saturday 11th August 2018, 3pm
Jack Richardson (Mansfield Town)
Yeovil Town v Swindon Town
League Two
Saturday 18th November 2017, 3pm
Steve Goddard (Swindon Town fan)
Yeovil Town v Exeter City
Football League Two
Saturday 9th April 2016, 3pm
Ryan Pugh (Exeter City fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
It was my first away game following the Grecians, so obviously I was excited about having a new experience away from our own St James' Park ground. Additionally, we knew a win here would be a huge boost in our play off hopes.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Extremely easy. Caught the train from Exeter Central to Yeovil Junction at 11:30am (arriving at 12:27). Upon arrival, a free coach had been laid on by the Police and took us to the ground, however me and my mates pursuaded the driver to let us off at a Tesco store that we had spotted. It was then a five minute walk from there to Huish Park.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Didn't encounter any home fans, so can't say anything on that. Got to the away turnstile, and once inside I bought a cheeseburger which was very nice to be fair to them!
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Huish Park?
The away end terrace was average, (although not hard to be better than ours!) didn't really have any problems with it. The rest of the stadium was decent, the Main Seated Stands on each side were identical to each other and were similar to our Main Stand at St James' Park. Their home terrace opposite us, was quite small in comparison to our Big Bank at Exeter.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.
Our first half performance was top notch, and Exeter deserved to be 1-0 up at the break. Smoke bomb was set off when we scored, and the atmosphere in our end was good. As for the home fans, I could here them occasionally, and credit to them they still sung after then conceded another to go 2-0 down.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Got in the coach straight away, but was well over half an hour before we actually started moving due to the filled car park.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Was a top top day out, would definitely go again, and would highly recommend going to Yeovil.
Yeovil Town v Plymouth Argyle
Football League Two
Tuesday 23rd February 2016, 7.45pm
Patrick Pierce (Plymouth Argyle fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Huish Park?
First visit to Huish Park. I was looking forward to it, as it's a smaller former non league ground.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
As this re-arranged game was midweek after the previous game a few weeks ago was called off, I was forced to go on one of the seven supporters coaches which left Plymouth at 4pm. Apart from some heavy traffic between Taunton and Yeovil, the journey was pretty straightforward. We were dropped off outside the ground.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
As their are no bar facilities at Huish Park for visiting fans I took the 5/10 minute walk to the Arrow pub, on the housing estate opposite. Despite the pub being packed with Argyle fans, I got served straight away. I had two more drinks in the hour, getting served very quickly each time.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides Huish Park?
Looked tidy and smart and a good stadium for a team and town the size of Yeovil.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
I arrived at the ground at 19:15 to my shock I could see the away terrace was empty and fearing the game was off again, as it had been raining heavily. Was amazed to find out the turnstiles had not yet opened and as Argyle had a sold out 2,100 allocation I thought this was poor. I had seating ticket so joined the long queue to the single turnstile and got in at about 19:40. Stewards once inside I found friendly and helpful and I located programme and lottery ticket seller easily. Only hot food on offer was Pasties or hot dogs so I passed on it. Toilets where small but clean.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Argyle never really got started in the first half and the second was not much better and finished 0-0. The atmosphere was not amazing due to the open terrace but there was a lot of singing throughout the game from the terrace and occasionally from the seats.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
The coaches met us from inside the fenced off compound behind the terrace after the game which worked very well. Getting out onto the road was another thing that took about half hour. Due to the A38 being closed in 3 sections between Exeter and Plymouth we did not arrive back to Home Park until 12:40am.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall was an enjoyable evening despite the game and the problems entering Huish Park. Would go again if we are to play them again, hopefully on a Saturday.
Yeovil Town v Plymouth Argyle
Football League Two
Tuesday 23rd February 2016, 7.45pm
Tom Harris (Plymouth Argyle fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Huish Park?
After this fixture was postponed a few weeks earlier, I was looking forward to finally going to Huish Park and following the Argyle on my third away day of the season. On approach to the ground I was surprised at how small it was. It looks a lot bigger on the television than it does in real life.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We took the supporters coach up so it took us straight to the ground.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We went to one of the food vans outside the stadium, if there's a big following then there is a huge queue so get in there early. Food was pricey and not great if I'm honest. Plus £2 for a coke I thought was very expensive. Didn't really encounter the home fans.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Huish Park?
As I said its a lot smaller than it looks. You wouldn't believe that Yeovil were a Championship side two seasons ago. It took forever for the stewards to let us in but when we did it wasn't much to look at. No seats or a roof on our end, but that's what a proper football away day is all about! Opposite the away stand they had a terrace that looked similar except it had a roof. The two stands on the sides looked more modern with scoreboards on each one, although wasn't working on this night.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
It was a bit of a dull game if I'm honest. A bore draw as my football manager game had previously predicted. It kicked off in the second half when 2 flares went off in our end, which consequently led to lots of Police and stewards lining up in front of us to stop any repetition. Overall a 0-0 was a poor result at the end of the day but we didn't deserve a win.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
On the coach again but it took forever to get out of the car park, adding at least 20 minutes onto the journey. Otherwise it wasn't so bad.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A poor result but a good atmosphere as always by the Green Army. 2100 + following on a Tuesday night is great support, and I enjoyed every minute.
Yeovil Town v Portsmouth
Football League Two
Saturday 20th February 2016, 3pm
Steve Burghard (Portsmouth fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Huish Park?
Yet another ground neither I nor my son had visited before and with it being relatively close to Portsmouth we thought it would be a nice day out.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The trusty satnav took us to the ground without any problems, and we chose to park on a side street, rather than face a possible long wait after the game getting out of the club car park.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Having arrived in Yeovil quite early, we parked up in the town centre and headed for the William Dampier which is the local Wetherspoons. It was quite surprising to see a fair number of fellow Pompey fans had the same idea, and the pub was filled with a healthy number of away fans.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Huish Park?
I have to say, initial impressions of the ground from the outside were that we'd arrived at a training complex, rather than a league ground! However, walking around the ground we were impressed by the design and tidy layout which made maximum use of a small footprint. We had tickets for the open terrace behind the goal, and it was actually very pleasant to stand at a game, invoking memories of a time – pre Taylor Report – when this was the norm. Indeed I remarked to my son that it reminded me very much of standing on a similar open terrace at Wimbledon's old Plough Lane ground.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
With 2,500 Pompey supporters at the game you would have thought we could have generated a reasonable atmosphere. However, the swirling, rain bearing wind on that open terrace tempered things a little and it wasn't one of the better Pompey away performances from us fans! Perhaps that transmitted itself to the team too, because things weren't that great on the field either. We scraped a 1-1 draw with a leveller 5 minutes from time but the game was far from a classic. Sadly, there was a bit of a rumpus between fellow Pompey fans in front of us just after Yeovil went ahead, but credit must go to the stewards who moved in and broke things up quite quickly.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game As we had the foresight to park in a residential street a few minutes walk from the ground (which would definitely be my tip), getting away afterwards was very quick and easy. We drove back to the town centre just in time for the highly rated indian restaurant, Bombay Dining, to open, where we enjoyed a very nice chicken vindaloo and a small bottle of Cobra!
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A great day out, as anticipated, despite the less than impressive result. In the hope that Yeovil stay up this season, and should our own promotion attempts fail I'd definitely consider another trip to this part of Somerset again next season.
Yeovil Town v Oxford United
Football League Two
Monday 28th December 2015, 3pm
Liam Sutherton (Oxford United)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Huish Park?
Huish Park was a new ground for me. This was also the first time that Oxford United had played at Yeovil in ten years
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey was horrendous. A two hour journey turned into a three and a half hour one, mostly due to delays around Stonehenge. Once at Yeovil the ground was relatively easy to get to, following our Sat Nav. There is a designated car park at the stadium for away fans, however when it is full (as it was when we arrived) you are allowed to park in the home car park, at a cost of £5.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
As we were running behind schedule, it was a case of buying our tickets from the ticket office (if paying on the day, no tickets are sold at the turnstile) and then straight into the ground.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Huish Park?
The ground was a typical League Two ground, with the away supporters being held in the Radio Cabs Terrace at one end and down one side a few seats in the ScrewFix Community stand, I chose to stand. The noise from the home fans mainly came from there terrace, which unlike ours was covered. At the back of our terraced area was a large electric scoreboard.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game itself finished 0-0 (although it should have been around 3-4, with the amount of opportunities both sides missed), Oxford could not create the atmosphere like they usually do, due to the open terrace. The stewards were very friendly, however the food on offer inside the stadium was dire.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
After the game there was quite a queue to get out of the car park, but we passed the time by listening to BBC Somerset.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall the day out was enjoyable, with Oxford United taking an impressive 1,061 to a cold, blowy and rainy day in Yeovil!
Yeovil Town v Stevenage
Football League Two
Saturday 14th November 2015, 3pm
James Walker (Stevenage fan)
Why were you looking forward to visiting Huish Park?
I was looking forward to this one as it was another one of the 92 to tick off my list, and an away game where on paper, we really had a good chance of winning. We have also been drawn to play Yeovil away in the FA Cup second round so the prospects of two trips to Huish Park in three weeks is just too good to turn down (note the sarcasm).
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I took the supporters coach as usual (departing from the Lamex at 9:30am) and we arrived at Huish Park at 1.20pm. As this journey included a 30 minute stop-off, I thought that was a fantastic journey time.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I went straight to the club shop to purchase a Yeovil badge (£3) and a couple of programmes (£3 each). I then went for a small walk around the ground to get some photos before heading round to the away turnstiles. I had my umbrella with me as I had a ticket for the uncovered terrace but was informed that I was NOT allowed to bring it in! This meant I had to put it back on the coach before being searched and entering.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Huish Park?
Due to the poor weather and the number of away supporters, the entire away support was placed in the covered seating along one side of the pitch. This stand looked quite nice. There is a small wooden 'dug-out' at the very front for disabled supporters (and up to 2 carers). I sat in the carers seat to get an idea for a moment and the views to the pitch are good.
View From The Away Terrace
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
I went straight round to the tea bar (which is situated behind the covered stand) to purchase a Chicken Curry pie (£3.20) and then went to get my seat. As we were all standing up in the stand, the stewards gave in and opened up the terrace for us after five minutes. This meant the majority of the 126 travelling fans moved over to enjoy the Somerset rain! The first half was a dull affair with no real incidents, other than Yeovil missing one good chance, and at half time it was 0-0. The second half soon exploded though, a Dean Wells scored wither side of a Harry Cornick goal and a Shaun Jeffers goal meant Yeovil were 2-1 up after 56 minutes. Just as it looked like we were going to go away empty handed, Tom Pett headed home in the 88th minute to give us a share of the spoils. We even had chances to snatch a thoroughly undeserved win in stoppage time, but it wasn't to be. The toilets were clean, and were even one of the few ones around to have actual hot water in the taps – a rare luxury, as any football fan will know!
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away was easy. We came out of the away end and the coach was right there and waiting for us. I'd say it was around 5.10pm when we left the ground, and we got back to the Lamex for 8.30pm with no stop-offs.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
All in all, a good day out and one we get to repeat in a few weeks. Lucky us!
Full Time: Yeovil Town 2 Stevenage 2
Attendance: 3,230 (126 away fans)
My Ground Number: 66 of the 92
Yeovil Town v AFC Bournemouth
Pre-Season Friendly Match
Tuesday 28th July 2015, 7:45pm
Ricky Grimshaw (AFC Bournemouth fan)
Yeovil Town v Crawley Town
FA Cup 1st Round
Saturday 8th November 2014, 3pm
Steve Herbert (Crawley Town fan)
Why you were looking forward to going to Huish Park?
I had visited Yeovil Town about 19 years previously, but was looking forward to going back as it has a lot of history about the place. Especially when it comes to FA Cup ties.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Very easy left Crawley around 11.45am and was parked up in a country lane, minutes from Huish Park at around 2.10pm. For us Crawley fans its very hard to go wrong, its just one long road the A303 which seems to go on forever!
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We visited the famous Huish Park marque! Which welcomes home and away fans, which has plenty of beers & cider on tap. We met there celebrity fan "Jim" (from the Vicar of Dibley series) no,no,no,no,no,no… who apparently can be found in there on most match days.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Nice looking stadium. It still has an "old school" feel about the football ground. Crawley Town dont tend to travel in huge numbers, so the 162 Crawley fans that were there that day were housed in the covered seats along the side of the pitch. Just as well really as the other option for away fans is the open terrace behind the goal and it was pouring down that day!
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game itself turned out to be one of the worst games of football I had seen all season, and we had witnessed a few under John Gregory! A mistake by Joe Walsh after 7 minutes allowed Yeovil to score and thats how it finished, 1-0 to the home side. The stewards were friendly and allowed me onto the terrace to hang my Crawley Town flag. Food was absolutely fine. Your usual football food on offer, pies, hotdogs, sausage rolls etc… As its a covered stand, you can create quite a decent atmosphere in the away seated area, but as the game progressed, just getting the ball anywhere near the Yeovil penalty area resulted in sarcastic cheers from the traveling reds!
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Due to the fact I had scanned Google Earth the night before, I found this brilliant country lane, just minutes from Huish Park, that is connected by a footpath to the stadium. So when we got back to the car we were out of Yeovil and back on the endless A303 within 5 minutes!
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
All in all, I enjoyed visit especially the pre match-marque and the ground itself. Less said about the game the better. But i will certainly return to Huish Park again. Like I have said before this is one of the more old school football grounds left in the Football League.
Yeovil Town v Blackburn Rovers
Championship League
Saturday, December 21st 2013, 3pm
Callum Atkins (Blackburn Rovers fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I was looking forward to it simply because Yeovil are one of the smaller clubs in the Championship League with a small, but neat looking ground. Also as they are one of the recently promoted clubs from League One and as rovers have never visited Huish Park, it was a fixture I was looking forward to as soon as the fixtures came out.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I made the expected six hour journey on the official club coaches. We set off at 7am getting to Yeovil for 12.30pm so we had a lot of time to kill, however the weather was terrible.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We had a look round the ground and we noticed that some gates were still open so we (and a number of other fans) had a wander in. It was certainly not what we are have been used to in recent years, such as the Emirates, Old Trafford, St' James's Park etc.. but it was pleasant enough. Being it was early I had difficulty finding a programme seller and a large queue in the Club Shop put me off, but we came across a cabin selling them.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
There was a group of seven of us who travelled. Two were in the seats and us remaining five had to brave the bad weather on the open terrace. Although there were around seven hundred Rovers fans on the terrace, it seemed quite cramped. It was quite surprising really, considering that the official capacity is more than twice that number. Although the rain came down, the Rovers fans came in good spirit and were determined to get behind the lads, but it was hard work as without a roof, the atmosphere went straight out the ground .
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
In the first half Rovers dominated in hard conditions and missed some good chances. The second half was more even as both teams came out and gave it their very best. People look at Yeovil in this league and think easy three points but I say otherwise they are a determined squad who want nothing more than to cause a upset. They played very well in the second half, and in this more open game there were some great saves from both keepers. But the ever improving Rovers side went 1-0 up after a superb finish from the one and only Jordan Rhodes. The rest of the game was tense and heated but we hung on for the win even though we flopped a few chances, but we got the 3 points we deserved and worked hard for, Yeovil were a credit to themselves they gave it their all and that's all their fans can ask. But a good result for Rovers sent our travelling 1.000 supporters back on the long journey to Lancashire with smiles on our faces
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
It took a while to get away from the ground, due to the amount of traffic in the area.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A great day out, a good change in ground from the usual modern day stadiums. A great win for the mighty blue and whites which took us four points behind the play offs and sent us into the Christmas period in high spirits.
Yeovil Town v Nottingham Forest
Championship League
Saturday, October 26th 2013, 3pm
Peter Walker (Nottingham Forest fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I was looking forward to going because Yeovil's fans had gained my own and many other Forest fan's respect for the way they had acted towards us when we won promotion back to the Championship in 2008, a year after their memorable play-off victory over us. There has been an unusual degree of respect ever since.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
It might be a very long way but it is very easy to get to. I think it took about 4 hours from Nottingham including a break. We parked in the "home supporters" car park as the one designated to away was already full by 1.30pm.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
There really is nothing to do as the ground is stuck on the edge of an industrial estate not particularly known for their thriving facilities. The marquee is for home fans only and the nearest pub is some 30 mins away (apparently) so, mindful of the free-for-all to get a half decent spot on the away end terrace, we must have been there by 2pm, almost unheard of. The only facilities are two burger vans but no alcohol.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The ground is neat and tidy. The away end is more akin to a League 2 ground but then again, this is hardly surprising given the club's remarkable rise up the football pyramid. It was particularly windy but thankfully dry when we visited as it would test your endurance if it had been wet.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The Yeovil fans in the home end were excellent, singing and chanting pretty much non-stop and putting the uncharacteristically mute Forest fans to shame. Even when we were chanting all the atmosphere generated goes up to the um atmosphere as you are open to the elements.
The actual game itself was joyful or painful depending on which team you support as Yeovil-typically for Forest-decided this was the game they would gain their first ever home victory at this level. They deserved to be ahead 3-1 at the break but most fans there would be wondering how on earth it remained this score at the end as it was almost one-way traffic in the second half. A mixture of a MOM performance by their goalkeeper (who also pulled off a remarkable penalty-follow up save when it was 1-0 in the first half) and Forest's woeful ability to put the ball in the net are probable explanations. I think and hope that Yeovil will survive though.
The staff were all friendly and I enjoyed the sausage roll I ate before the game!
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Be warned that the road is one-way and Sat Nav-well our Sat Nav, took us on a lovely random trip around Somerset on our way back to the M5!
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Despite the result I enjoyed the day out but Yeovil really ought to provide at least some facilities to cater for away fans over and above two burger vans.
Yeovil Town v Birmingham City
Championship League
Saturday, August 10th 2013, 3pm
Andy Tilley (Birmingham City fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
It was the first away game of the Season, a ground not many of us had visited before and as expected, was a complete sell-out. It was also Yeovil’s first ever home game in the Championship so this added another point of interest for many.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We travelled to Yeovil on one of the Club’s official coaches. The coaches left St Andrew’s at 9.30am. The journey was going fairly well until we hit the Bristol area. That’s when it was very much stop-start traffic all the rest of the way to the ground. As we got closer to the ground we barely moved for all of the traffic, which may have been made worse by the fact that it was a nice, sunny, warm August Saturday afternoon which may have encouraged people to venture out for a day out. We eventually arrived at Huish Park at around 2.30pm, so all in all, it took us approximately five hours to get to Yeovil.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We didn’t have much time before the start of the game so we quickly went and claimed a spot in the open Copse Road Terrace, which was filling up fairly quickly.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
My first impression when we arrived a Huish Park was the fact that it was a hell of a lot different to the other grounds in the Championship. You could see right into the ground from some areas and I liked the look of the place. The three home stands were practically full half an hour before the game kicked off and everybody was raring to go. After getting off the coach we purchased a programme and headed over to the Copse Road end. Blues fans also had the choice of seating in the Screwfix Community Stand, but sitting down at away games doesn’t appeal to me! Due to the size of the away support there were several large queues to get through the turnstiles, but everyone got in pretty quickly.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game wasn’t the best. Very few chances from either side first half other than a shot that Yeovil had which hit the post. Second half we took the lead through and own goal, and managed to scrape through and claim a 1-0 win. The atmosphere from the home fans was excellent, they really got behind their team who fell very unlucky in the end. Other than a few songs Blues fans struggled to get an atmosphere going, which probably didn’t help because of the lack of a roof over the stand to help the acoustics. Wasn’t too impressed with the facilities at the ground, but then again I wasn’t expecting a lot for a ground of this size. From what I could see there was just one very small portacabin toilet each for men and women, which of course created massive queues. As we stood at the back of the terrace, we could see over to the outside ‘concourse’, and noticed that there were people queuing for burgers at half-time that hadn’t moved in the queue when the second half kicked off! So if you need to go anywhere at half-time, be prepared to queue.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
We drove towards the gates to leave the ground at around 5.10pm, but nobody was moving at all for a good 25 minutes due to the congestion, so were sat waiting for a fair time before we really got on our way home. We arrived back at St Andrew’s at around 9pm.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Great day out, great much needed win to boot. Nice little ground and I do hope Yeovil surprise everybody and stay up this Season. However the traffic problems around the ground are a massive problem and the facilities are below par for a Championship ground in my opinion. We are playing Yeovil again in the Capital One Cup next week, and the only thing putting me off going again is that I can only imagine the journey there being even more of a nightmare on a Tuesday night at rush hour!
Yeovil Town v Scunthorpe United
League One
Saturday, February 16th 2013, 3pm
Jake Wykes (Scunthorpe United fan)
We had won our last three league games, do confidence going into this game was high. Also I had never been to Yeovil so it was another ground to tick off the list!
I travelled on our supporters coach down to Yeovil, which due to a local benefactor had been provided free of charge. As we neared Yeovil I noticed that the ground was well signposted. The coach was parked behind the away terrace.
Before the game we went to see the Yeovil players come off the team coach. I then bought a match programme and had a walk to the away end. I went inside put our flag up and took our seats. The home fans seemed friendly enough.
My first impression of the away end of the ground was "I've seen better" But that was the terrace. The covered stand to our right where the Scunthorpe fans had a section of covered seating was a far better sight.
The game was very poor from a Scunthorpe fans views. After a five hour journey on the coach, we only saw a total of two shots on target from us! I've got to admit we got played off the park from one of the best team's we've come across this season. No real excuses but the pitch was possibly the worst I have seen for a long time. Goals from Webster, Hayter and Madden made the result 3-0 to Yeovil. The atmosphere wasn't the best. Yeovil had the occasional chant once they scored. Also we wasn't in the best voice ever. 155 travelled down. But we didn't have anything to get excited about. The stewards were one of the best I've come across so far this season! Friendly and had a good chat with them. The pies were good and the facilities weren't too bad either.
After the game it took us a good 20 minutes to get away from the stadium, due to the congested traffic. But once we got out it was a good journey.
The day itself was a good day with all the fellow fans. But the performance from Scunthorpe wasn't great. We need to play a lot better if we want to still be in League One next season. I would be happy to visit Yeovil again for sure!
Yeovil Town v Scunthorpe United
League One
Saturday, February 16th 2013, 3pm
Jake Wykes (Scunthorpe United fan)
We had won our last three league games, do confidence going into this game was high. Also I had never been to Yeovil so it was another ground to tick off the list!
I travelled on our supporters coach down to Yeovil, which due to a local benefactor had been provided free of charge. As we neared Yeovil I noticed that the ground was well signposted. The coach was parked behind the away terrace.
Before the game we went to see the Yeovil players come off the team coach. I then bought a match programme and had a walk to the away end. I went inside put our flag up and took our seats. The home fans seemed friendly enough.
My first impression of the away end of the ground was "I've seen better" But that was the terrace. The covered stand to our right where the Scunthorpe fans had a section of covered seating was a far better sight.
The game was very poor from a Scunthorpe fans views. After a five hour journey on the coach, we only saw a total of two shots on target from us! I've got to admit we got played off the park from one of the best team's we've come across this season. No real excuses but the pitch was possibly the worst I have seen for a long time. Goals from Webster, Hayter and Madden made the result 3-0 to Yeovil. The atmosphere wasn't the best. Yeovil had the occasional chant once they scored. Also we wasn't in the best voice ever. 155 travelled down. But we didn't have anything to get excited about. The stewards were one of the best I've come across so far this season! Friendly and had a good chat with them. The pies were good and the facilities weren't too bad either.
After the game it took us a good 20 minutes to get away from the stadium, due to the congested traffic. But once we got out it was a good journey.
The day itself was a good day with all the fellow fans. But the performance from Scunthorpe wasn't great. We need to play a lot better if we want to still be in League One next season. I would be happy to visit Yeovil again for sure!
Yeovil Town v Huddersfield Town
League One
Saturday, March 5th 2011, 3pm
John Midgely (Huddersfield Town fan)
I arrived on the direct South West Trains service from London Waterloo (hourly on Saturdays) to Yeovil Junction station. Immediately outside the station is a bus stop which is served by the 68 bus into the town centre every 30 minutes (it is timed to meet the train from London). As the bus pulls out of the station you realise that the station is well out of town, right in the sticks! It wound along country lanes for about 5 minutes before the town centre suddenly appeared.
I got off in the Town centre outside Loyds TSB (ring the bell as the bus enters pedestrianised area). This stop is also served by bus 1 which takes you right up to the ground, make sure you catch one that says 'Abbey Manor Park' on the front. For anybody arriving by rail, ask for a 'Plus Bus' with your rail ticket for an extra £2.80 which is valid on both services. I had a few minutes before the 1 bus so I popped into the Mermaid pub just a few yards away. Good beer, good food and nice atmosphere with friendly regulars. One or two Glovers fans on the 1 bus pointed me in the right direction upon arrival at Huish Park. The 1 is a circular service, catch the return bus from the same stop after the match.
My first impression of Huish Park was that it was a very friendly place. Before entering the stand I went to the gents, where, above the urinals was a bouquet of flowers with a small sign reading “Please do not move the flowers! We hope you enjoy your time at Huish Park”. How nice! There was also a sign outside the ground welcoming all Huddersfield Town fans, players and staff.
I was body searched upon entry but hardly noticed the stewards after this. No police inside the ground and a relaxed atmosphere about the place. The public address system sounded a little dated, and the slow but enthusiastic announcements/team readings etc would have been more at home at a poorly attended village fair than a professional football match but it all added to the nice feel of the place.
I was in the Copse Road terrace with around 400 other following supporters. The atmosphere wasn't as good as I was expecting having heard a lot about the ground from others but maybe with more in the away end and during a better season for the home side, this would be different. There was a large contingency from the local primary school in the Agusta Westland Community Stand immediately to our right which created some unusually high pitched noises whenever the home side were in possession!
At half time the food was fairly bog standard, pies, hot dogs, Tetleys tea, coffee Aero hot chocolate. Usual stuff and usual prices.
A very enjoyable away game is the conclusion despite the dull football and the 1-1 draw. Will visit again if the opportunity comes up. Would recommend checking the weather before choosing where to sit as wouldn't want to be on that open terrace on the rain! There are usually seats allocated in the away end of the Cowlin Stand for those not brave enough or without waterproofs! Ticket prices increase by £2 on the day though I think.