The following article is reproduced from today's Reading Evening Post :

Alan Pardew is confident Royals won't be on the end of an FA Cup giantkilling act when Yeovil visit Madejski Stadium for a first round tie tomorrow (Saturday, k/o 3pm). But the Royals boss won't be taking things for granted. Conference high fliers Yeovil have caused more cup upsets than most, knocking out league opposition on 18 occasions. Pardew is determined Reading will not join that long list.

The boss, who spent 15 months at Huish Park in the 80's, said "I'm expecting a charged atmosphere. Yeovil will bring a lot of fans who will make a lot of noise, but hopefully it will be our fans who will be singing at the end of the game. All week I've been telling the players what to expect and I've been trying to get it across to them how hard it is going to be. If there's any complacency from any individual, they will be taken off and I will make changes".

"We've had Yeovil watched twice and we know they've got a strong side. They are going well in the Conference. It's like us playing a Premiership Side. I'd like to think we'd have a chance against them, just as Yeovil will have a chance of beating us, so we must be on our game and give 100 per cent".

Royals enter the game following successive league wins over Bury and Oldham, and Pardew is hoping the mini-revival can continue tomorrow in the FA Cup where he has enjoyed some of his best memories including a Wembley final in 1990 for Crystal Palace. And he knows a good run can bring in some much needed money into the coffers as well as luring back the fans.

Pardew added "We're on the back of two victories, and I'd like to think we're playing with a bit more confidence now when we're defending, especially in keeping possession. It's an important game for the club and I'm trying to get back the four, five, six thousand fans as quickly as possible. A cup run generates interest, I know that from experience. We gained 10,000 extra fans when I was at Crystal Palace because of the FA Cup run we went on. I've had some great memories in the cup. All my highs in the game have been in the cup and all my lows have been in it, so I know how important it is".

Midfielder Peter Grant backed up the manager's sentiments by saying "I didn't have a great record in the cup when I was at Norwich, but everyone around the world talks about the competition. Yeovil will think they've got a chance, so we've got to work hard to get through, and we certainly don't want to be left with egg on our faces".

Striker Martin Williams added "We can't afford to not take them seriously as we don't want to be on the end of an upset, especially this early. I've been on a cup run with Luton and there's most definitely a different atmosphere. It will get the place buzzing again".

Royals will be without the injured Nicky Forster (ankle), Lee Hodges (groin), Stuart Gray (back), Neil Smith (hamstring), Mass Sarr (knee) and Jimmy Crawford (hamstring). Although Graeme Murty is back in training it is doubtful whether he will be involved for tomorrow.

Article taken from the Reading Evening Post with thanks to Damian Brooks.

The following article is reproduced from today's Reading Evening Post :

Former Royals midfielder Ben Smith makes a return to Reading tomorrow hoping to put one over on his old team-mates. Smith is now plying his trade with FA Cup opponents and notorious giant killers Yeovil, who play in the Nationwide Conference League. And the former Arsenal trainee is planning on dumping out his old club and swelling Govers' coffers with a passage into Round Two.

"I'm not sure whether I'm playing, but hopefully I will be", said Smith. "I've played in the last 10 or 12, so I'm hoping I will get the chance, especially as it's against Alan Pardew's side, because he was the reserve team manager when I was there. I know him really well, so it will be nice to put one over on him. There's nothing better than playing against your old team and I'd like to prove a point".

The midfielder made only one first team appearance for Reading at Manchester City in May 1997, when Royals went down 3-2 after leading 2-0, in Jimmy Quinn and Mick Godding's last league game in charge.

Smith, 20, spent 18 months at Reading before being told he could leave - by former boss Terry Bullivant. And he admitted "I was a bit upset because under Terry Bullivant I didn't think I got much of a chance. I played against Man City and thought I did quite well. Then the next season, I started off in the reserves, and played well, and made the bench a couple of times, but I didn't feel he wanted to play me and then he said that Yeovil had come in for me. They were offering me better money than I was on at Reading, so I felt it was best to go. But Terry went soon after that so maybe I should have waited".

Yeovil are renowned giant killers and have seen off no fewer than 18 league clubs in their history. And Smith is hoping to add to that impressive tally. "We've got a good pedigree in the FA Cup and it would be nice to continue that. I don't think we'll be going there to play for a draw, but we'll be happy with that if that's what happens as it will be a good pay day for us".

Royal's manager Alan Pardew, a former Glover himself, is only too aware what Smith is capable of and is looking forward to meeting the skillful midfielder again after a long absence. Pardew said "Ben is a great individual talent. I really like him as a lad, and I'll certainly make a point of having a chat with him. It's difficult to make a career outside the League but he's got more talent than most". And he joked "I just hope he doesn't figure in the game".

Article taken from the Reading Evening Post with thanks to Damian Brooks.

Yeovil Town are preparing for their biggest game of the season so far as they travel to the Madejski Stadium tomorrow to face Reading. The following is an extract from a longer article in the weekly Reading Chronicle and we start with the paper asking Royal's Manager Alan Pardew what he thought of Yeovil's chances :

Alan Pardew : "There's no doubt that Yeovil will be taking things extremely seriously. They would love to make it into the next round which would mean another big pay day and we will give them the utmost respect. But Reading are a professional club and you would expect fitness to win through in the end.

But signals from the Yeovil camp suggest the Glovers are confident of causing a cup upset which would probably seal a permanent deal for player/caretaker boss Steve Thompson who is on a six week trial following the departure of Colin Lippiatt. He said :

"A win will improve my chances of getting the job. I'm injured at the moment so I won't be involved, but we have a lot of ex-professionals who are a match for any league team".

More than 2,000 loyal Glovers fans (Probably nearer 1,500 in our opinion at Ciderspace) will make the trip to the Madejski Stadium to spur on their club which narrowly missed out on promotion to Division Three last season. This season their good form has continued and they currently lie in fourth place in the Conference, just three points behind leaders Rushden and Diamonds.

But it is the trip to the Madejski Stadium which has further lifted the spirits of the Somerset club's supporters, and Thompson added "It's like a trip to Wembley for us and our fans are going to love it. Their support is crucial to us, and with them behind us it gives us an enormous boost".

Royals fans will recognise ex-player Ben Smith who is sure to make the starting line-up. But Thompson is unlikely to risk playing former Reading Youth Team player Matt Stowell, who has just started a second one month loan from Bristol City, and Swindon's Charlie Griffin, in case their clubs want them back. (At Ciderspace, we believe that Stowell will play, but that Griffin has been refused permission to play by Swindon).

However, in an 11 goal strike force of Adrian Foster and ex-Northampton player Warren Patmore, Yeovil do have the players to cause problems in attack, whilst at the other end, ex-Hereford keeper Tony Pennock is in top form.

But, like Reading, the Glovers' main inspiration lies with their skipper Steve Stott, a midfield general right out of the Phil Parkinson mould and able to rise to the big occasion.

Betting : Reading 1/3, Yeovil 6/1, Draw 3/1

With thanks to Damian Brooks. Reproduced from the Reading Chronicle

Don't fancy the parking prices at the Madejeski ? Wondering how much that taxi will cost you from Reading Station ? Why not let YTISA, the Yeovil Town Independent Supporters Association take the strain ? Coach seats are still available and can be reserved by either contracting chairman Mark Kelly, or by e-mailing secretary Martin Baker. Ticket prices are £10 for members and £12 for non-members. You can join YTISA on the day, price £3 for the season's membership.

Yeovil Town go into their FA Cup First Round tie at the Madejeski Stadium full of confidence. Their FA Cup giant-killing record is second-to-none, and acting Head Coach Steve Thompson believes his charges will give the Nationwide Division Two side a torrid time. "We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain", he said.

Thommo refused to get drawn into talk about how much of a chance Yeovil had against Reading, but said "Reading is obviously a very difficult game for us. They've had two wins on the trot, they're in Division Two, so you can't expect anything other than a hard game. But we'll go there, there'll be a little bit of pressure on them, because everyone expects them to win. Hopefully that pressure will tell a bit".

Steve said that he was very much looking forward to Saturday's game saying "It's the FA Cup! I always look forward to the FA Cup and so should everyone. We have a proud FA Cup record here at Huish Park, and I personally feel that we are capable of doing well at Reading".

"Unfortunately, my calf injury means I will definitely miss the game. On a personal level this is very sad, because I have played some of my best football in the Cup. Loan signing Charlie Griffin (loaned from Swindon Town) is unavailable for FA Cup ties, and Lee Archer, Murray Fishlock and Dave Norton are still sidelined because of injury problems".

Five of Yeovil's first team squad : Dean Chandler, Rob Cousins, Jason Eaton, Terry Skiverton and Paul Tisdale, turned out for the club's reserve side in the Screwfix Direct Premier Division clash with Barnstable Town at Huish Park on Wednesday. All are available for selection for the Reading game.

With a great deal of misinformation doing the rounds, Reading's Police Liasion Officer has spoken to Ciderspace today, outlining some of the arrangements for Yeovil Town supporters for Saturday's game. PC Benham told us that Reading Police were not regarding Saturday's game as a high risk fixture, and said that the boys in blue would be looking at establishing a strong presence in the Town Centre, but a low presence at the football ground.

However, he warned that after the game, Yeovil Town fans intending to walk back to the Railway Station in their colours after the game could face a six mile walk. Standard procedure for the handling of away supporters is for them to be escorted back to the station in a giant loop via Caversham, in order to avoid Reading Town Centre.

He also pointed out that, contrary to information currently displayed on the Official Reading FC Web Site that the No. 77 buses no longer ran from the Bus Station, and that the No. 79 buses were strictly for home supporters only. There are NO BUSES available for away supporters from the town centre. He regretted this, but said that it was a decision taken by the local bus company after "supporters" of League Club teams had smashed coach windows and ripped up seats on three separate occasions. Of course, Yeovil Town Supporters willing to hide their colours and keep a low profile could board the No. 79 buses if their West Country accent didn't betray them!

Reading Police recommended that Yeovil Supporters wanting to get back to the Railway Station but avoid the long hike should travel by taxi. There are public phone boxes at the Stadium, and taxis often head for the ground in search of business on final whistle as a matter of course. He said that the stadium car park, since the A33 relief road was built, was now taking typically only 45 minutes to clear the main bulk of the traffic from the roads surrounding the stadium.

Finally, Reading Police said that they had not been notified of any pubs that would be closing for the day, nor of any that would specifically refuse to serve away supporters. However, he reiterated the Ciderspace point of view that Yeovil supporters' best chance of getting served was to cover up their club colours. He also re-iterated the information on our Guide To Reading page, that the majority of Reading's pubs would be employing door staff, and that Police presence, particularly around the station area, would be strong. He advised supporters to make their way to the Madejeski Stadium South Stand bars as early as possible.

A different spin is put on the situation in the Yeovil Express however. Here Mr Fry is quoted as saying: "We are doing okay, but we could do a lot better. I think we have progressed, but even though we've been getting the results the actual performances have been poor." The Express reports that applications are still being received for the full-time post and that the eventual decision will be made the week after the Rushden match on November 13th.

The Express has it's own version of The Clarion's boardroom re-shuffle story. They report that chairman John Fry has provisonally accepted an offer to become chairman of 'a corporate business in the local media field', but that this will not affect his role as chairman and chief executive of Yeovil Town Football Club. Intriguingly the paper reports that Mr Fry was due to meet directors Jon Goddard-Watts and Norman Hayward yesterday (Wednesday) in what Mr Fry described as "a very important meeting". Even more intriguingly the Express goes on to say that 'nothing (presumably referring to the chairmanship of the club) will be decided for definite until the board meeting immediately after the shareholders meeting on November 18th'. It's worth noting that this is the same week that the decision on the permanent head coach's identity will be taken....

In other news from the Express the paper reports that Yeovil are still waiting to hear from Rushden chairman Max Griggs as to whether he will be willing to change the kick-off time to stop Yeovil's home game with Rushden clashing with the Scotland v England match on November 13th. Rushden have been offered a 12 noon or 4.30pm start. No news in this case would appear to be bad news. Better news comes in the knowledge that Murray Fishlock is set to resume training next week, but Steve Thompson, Dave Norton and Lee Archer are still long-term casualties.

Meanwhile in the Gazette, the action-man journalist known to his friends as The Boy Coates reviews the likely Reading team for this Saturday's FA Cup clash, naming 4 players in particular - Darren Caskey, Andy Bernal, Barry Hunter and Mass Sarr - to watch out for. The Gazette also reports that Ladbrokes has Yeovil at 4-1 for the win on Saturday, Reading at 4-7 on, 5-2 the draw. The terminally optimistic amongst you can bet on Yeovil winning the Cup at odds of 2,000-1.

Cathywatch : The more I read Cathy's articles, the more I realise we have in common. Not only do we support the same team, like me she's convinced the players deliberately keep the ball away from the Bartlett Stand as much as possible; and we have both forecast the same score for the Reading game: 1-1. One thing in common is happenstance; two things coincidence; three times and I'm starting to worry....

The Race Night held at Huish Park last Saturday evening raised a total of £610 for the Erection 2000 Appeal. The event was organised by the Yeovil Town Independent Supporters Association and assistant coach Terry Cotton. The YTISA have also collected a total of £146 from regular Meat Draws held in the social club bar before home games at Huish Park this season which will be donated to the Fund at a later date.

Don't forget the open meeting to be held at Huish Park on 8th November to enable supporters to find out more about what is happening with the Erection 2000 Appeal; and tickets are still available for the Millenium Party to be held at Huish Park on New Year's Eve, all proceeds going towards the Appeal Fund. Price £30, phone Jayne Burton on 01935 423662 ext 222 for details.

Ticket sales for the FA Cup match against Reading are going strong according to Yeovil Town Football Club. They report sales of "at least 1,100 and perhaps as much as 1,200" so far out of the initial allocation of 1,500 tickets as Glovers fans gear themselves up for Saturday's First Round tie at the Madejeski Stadium.

The club's Ticket Office is normally open at 10:00am until 4:00pm but will be open until 7:45pm tonight, as the Reserves play Barnstaple Town at Huish Park tonight, with a 7:45pm kick-off.

Tickets will be on sale until Friday 4:00pm. They will NOT be sold from Huish Park on Saturday. Yeovil Town away fans who do not purchase a ticket from Huish Park will have to purchase them on the day of the game from the Madejeski Stadium Ticket Office (and not from the turnstiles) and the queues for the Reading ground's Ticket Office have a reputation for being rather severe on match days.

In this week's The Clarion Newspaper, the unforgettable Fat Harry makes claims that John Fry could be the next man out of a job at Huish Park. The paper claims that the club's other two major shareholders, Jon Goddard-Watts and Norman Hayward, have threatened to withdraw from the club unless a new chairman and new manager are appointed.

John Fry is into his fifth season as chairman, a post which he initially said he was only interested in keeping for five years. However, a more recent interview with Fry claimed that this was only a yardstick, and that his initial five year plan had been extended to become a six year plan split into two three year chunks.

John Fry has claimed in The Clarion that reports of his demise are "rubbish" claiming that "there is no disharmony amongst the board", however, The Clarion were unable to obtain a quote from either of the other two directors. Furthermore, Ciderspace has been aware of criticism from various people within the club over the handling of the resignation of ex-Head Coach Colin Lippiatt and the subsequent "war of words" that has taken place in the media since that event. The Clarion seems to echo those comments.

Graham Roberts yesterday resigned as manager of Slough Town Football Club. His departure appears to stem from a difference of opinion with Slough Town chairman Martin Deaner. Following Slough's FA Cup exit at the hands of Cambridge City, Roberts looked to release a couple of players who in his opinion were not up to scratch, one of whom was ex-Yeovil player Graham Kemp.

However, Slough chairman Martin Deaner refused to sanction the departure of Kemp, and blocked the move, forcing Roberts to work with a player who he clearly felt he could not work with. The upshot is that Roberts gave his resignation yesterday after being put in what he felt was an impossible situation. More on this as we get it.....

The following article was published today in the Dorset Echo :

2,200-STRONG GREEN ARMY TO MARCH ON WEYMOUTH

More than 2,000 Yeovil fans will swarm into Weymouth when the two sides do battle in the Umbro FA Trophy next month.

The Glovers have been allocated 2,256 tickets for the second round showdown at the Wessex Stadium on Saturday November 27 - but club secretary Jean Cotton reckons they'll be coming back for more.

She said: "The two sides haven't played each other competitively for a long tome now and so everybody is really looking forward to the game. We've already had a tremendous amount of enquiries from supporters who want to make the short journey to Weymouth and I know of plenty of people who are planning to run coaches and mini buses to the match. Obviously we're expecting a lot more enquiries during our home fixture against Southport today and I certainly wouldn't be surprised if we sell our allocation and have to go back to Weymouth and ask for some more".

And if that's the case, Terras' chairman Peter Shaw will be happy to oblige. He said:"At the moment we have given Yeovil 336 stand tickets and 1,920 for the terraces. The ground has a safety certificate for 6,500 and so if they need some more then I'm sure we'll be able to help them. There will obviously be segregation in force for the tie and if it means a re-jig of the ground then that's what we'll have to do.

Tickets for Weymouth followers go on sale next week and will be available at normal Wessex Stadium prices. Mr Shaw said:"It's difficult to gauge exactly how many fans will come to the game but I would say at least 4,000 would be a realistic target. In terms of security we will be asking Yeovil to bring their own stewards and that should help things run smoothly and ensure everyone can get on and enjoy what should be an extremely competitive game".

[Article supplied by Hugh Gleave and is reproduced from the Dorset Echo newspaper.]

Following Paul Chesterman's analysis of our Fourth Qualifying Round Opponents Witney Town, we bring you our second Spy In The Camp feature, after Yeovil exile Damian Brooks popped along to his local club to watch Reading's Wednesday night 2-0 win over Bury. Click here to find out whether Reading can be beaten, or whether it is all pie in the sky stuff ......

A video of the recent 1-0 win over Kingstonian is available. The video is produced by Andrew Eggleton who has produced videos for Yeovil Town games in the past. Ciderspace currently has a copy of this video and it is as good as you can possibly get with "amateur" footage (allowing of course for the view from the K's main stand!). It has a soundtrack recording, with no commentary, and you can even hear the K's fans singing "We're gonna score in a minute" just as Charlie Griffin finds the net! Marvellous stuff, and worth it just for that moment! At Ciderspace we have dealt with Andrew in the past and have found him to be most reliable.

To order your video, send a cheque made payable to Andrew Eggleton for £10.00, which includes postage and packing in the UK.

Send your cheque to Andrew Eggleton, 57 Rectory Grove, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 1AH

A win at home against 11th placed Southport on Saturday could put Yeovil Town top of the Conference table. "It's no good getting great results away at such fancied outfits as Kingstonian if we don't do the business in home games with the likes of Southport," says acting head coach Steve Thompson. "It's absolutely vital we pick up all three points on Saturday. As far as I'm concerned it is still early days in my new role as head coach. But all-in-all I don't think we have been doing too badly recently."

As far as team selection for the Southport match is concerned, Thommo will continue to be without wing-back Murray Fishlock and influential midfielder David Norton. "Unfortunately I have aggravated my calf problem, so I will not be out there," says Steve. "Lee Archer will also be sidelined because of a knee injury."

Well known Southport fan-about-town David McConnochie, otherwise variously known as Portman Dave, Southport Dave, and Oh-No-Not-Him-Again on web forums throught the Conference, has kindly written Ciderspace a preview of this Saturday's game, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the likely Southport team. Click here to read his words of wisdom....

Yeovil have estimated that over 1,000 fans could be missing from the usual gate should the matches clash, resulting in an approximate loss of £10,000 of revenue to the club.

The Express reports that Yeovil officials are also discussing ticketing arrangements with their Weymouth counterparts for the FA Trophy game at the Wessex Stadium on November 27th. Arrangements have not yet been finalised, but it appears likely that the match will be all-ticket for Yeovil fans only. No news as yet as to how large Yeovil's ticket allocation will be.

Remember how the club applied to the Football Trust for a grant last season? The Express reports that finally the Trust has awarded Yeovil £82,000 - the money is to help fund turnstile monitoring work, fire and smoke alarm detector systems, perimeter fencing and surfacing of the car parks at Huish Park.

Today's Western Gazette lead story focuses on the FA Cup tie with Reading, with Royals boss Alan Pardew identifying ex-Reading player Ben Smith and Warren Patmore as Yeovil's dangermen. As well as the Reading story the Gazette confirms the news that Matt Stowell has signed for another month on loan and that club captain Steve Stott has signed a contract until the end of the season (see our 16th October news item).

Chairman John Fry is quoted as giving Stott a vote of confidence - of sorts. He says: "Stott is a quality player and we want to keep quality players at this club. The acting head coach is very happy with the way he is playing and has assured me Stott can do a job for us until at least the end of the season. We will have another look at the situation in May."

Cathywatch : Cathy's fans can rest easy in their beds tonight: She's back! And mentioning this site by name as well, so my threat to refer to her as C**** in future if she continued to ignore us obviously worked. It turned out that she hadn't been abducted by aliens as some had hoped feared, no, she'd been on holiday and during her break had taken in two Ryman League Div 3 games, as you do, featuring the might of Avely v Flackwell Heath; and Lewes v Croydon. I bet you didn't know former Glover Jimmy Quinn is manager of Lewes, or that a relative of Mickey Engwell might be playing for Tilbury these days (Cathy wasn't entirely sure).... George, her alien (why does she call it George?) was present for the Witney game, thus keeping his 100% record of never seeing Yeovil lose. One trusts George will be at Huish Park this weekend, and if Ms Pickford doesn't take him to Reading I swear I will never read her column again.

The following article was published in Monday night's Reading Evening Post

Reading boss Alan Pardew is looking forward to the visit of his old side Yeovil in the FA Cup, writes Nick Ive.

Royals have been drawn at home to the high-flying Conference side in the first round to be played on Saturday October 30.

And Pardew, who had a spell at the Somerset club in the 80's, said of the notorious giant-killers, "They're doing very well in the Conference and you can guarantee that they will bring a lot of travelling support especially in the cup"

Yeovil, who boast former Royals midfielder Ben Smith in their side, booked their place in the first round proper after a 2-1 win over Witney Town on Saturday.

And Pardew revealed his coaching staff have already had them watched because of an interest in one of the Glovers players.

Royals' boss added, "We've got a good idea about them, but we will go and watch them a couple more times. There's no doubt it will be a tough game as they've got a great history in the cup and there's no way we want to be on the end of a giant-killing act"

Reading are struggling to find any form in the league and Pardew added: "It would be nice to get a good cup run going"

[Article supplied by Damian Brooks and is reproduced from the Reading Evening Post newspaper.]

Prices are £10 per ticket, £5 concessions (under 16's, OAP's, disabled supporters). There are 24 spaces available for wheelchair users at the Madejski Stadium in the away end.

Tickets will go on sale from the club office from 10am Saturday morning 23rd October and will be available to buy inside the ground during the Southport game that afternoon from tables set up in the tunnel entrances in the Bartlett and Main Stands. The club office will also be open on Sunday 24th October from 10am until 1pm, and the following week between 10am and 4pm (8pm on the Wednesday because of the reserve game that evening). There are no restrictions on the number of tickets an individual may buy. Tickets will be available to buy from Reading FC on the day, but the club have advised us that no money will be accepted at the turnstiles - tickets have to be purchased from the Reading ticket office first, hence leaving plenty of scope for delays! You are strongly advised to buy your tickets in advance from Yeovil Town FC.

The Green and White Supporters Club will be running a fleet of coaches to the Madejski Stadium, open to members and non-members, prices to be announced soon. Car parking at the Madejski Stadium costs £3. The nearest station to the ground is 5 miles away. We have been advised by the club that bus companies in Reading are now refusing to carry football suppporters to the ground from the station after problems in the past, so be aware of that if you're going by train.

If the game ends in a draw, the replay will be on Wednesday 10th November at Huish Park, 7.45pm kick off.

Ciderspace will be providing a guide to Reading FC, including directions, stadium info and much more, nearer to the date of the game.

Steve Stott today put pen to paper, signing a contract that keeps him at Yeovil until the end of the season. His signature ends weeks of speculation that Stott was about to leave Yeovil.

Stott was not offered a contract over the summer by the club but continued as a player and as club captain on a non-contract basis. By last week his non-contract position had brought in three rival clubs, one of them Stevenage Borough, offering Stott two year contracts to join their clubs. Despite the longer term security offered by the other clubs, Stott chose to stay loyal to Yeovil, even though the contract offered to him by the club takes him only to June 2000. His non-contract position meant that he could have "walked" to any of the other interested clubs.

Colin Lippiatt, interviewed today on Radio Bristol, expanded heavily on his reasons for his resignation from Yeovil Town. In an interview which followed Wednesday night's game at his new club Kingstonian, Lippiatt spoke of "hidden agendas" and said that "far too much interference from the top" played a factor in his resignation. Lippiatt said "In the end, it got to the point where I couldn't carry on".

Colin also cited the club's attitude to defeat saying "there is a lack of maturity and professionalism" pointing out that he was always happy to face the music and the press whenever his team lost, as indeed he was doing following his new team's 0-1 defeat at the hands of his own club Yeovil.

Colin also said that he had originally planned to take a break from football until Geoff Chapple persuaded him to rejoin Kingstonian. He said that he had been friends with Chapple since 1978 when Lippiatt had been coaching Chapple who was a player at Windsor and Eton. He said that he had continued to keep in touch with Chapple despite them parting company when Lippiatt left Kingstonian for Yeovil.

However, in today's match day programme, the club made their own claims in the Around Huish Park page. The club said "It is important that within this column we attempt to put the record straight regarding the resignation of Head Coach Colin Lippiatt. Rumours abound as they always do when a coach or manager departs, and more often than not these 'rumours' are just that - so called 'inside information' without foundation or substance".

The page went on to add "The fact remains that Colin, who did a wonderful job here and guided us to our highest ever league placing, DID RESIGN AND WAS NOT DISMISSED. (Their emphasis, not ours at Ciderspace). He had asked to go full time, and as such a contract was placed on the table. Colin agreed to this deal and the agreement was 'ratified' by the shaking of hands. The twist in the tail, so to speak, was when Colin told us that working full time for Yeovil would place him in an impossible position as regards to his full time job - so he resigned".

The article concluded "Never at any stage of the of the negotiations was it laid down to Colin that if he refused to go full time with us, would he be dismissed". This last sentence of the quotation looks unusual when compared with the club's press release issued 24 hours previous to Lippiatt resigning, where the club suggested that the full time position was "essential".

The full First Round draw is as follows:

Lincoln City v Welling United
Merthyr Tydfil v Altrincham or Stalybridge Celtic
Luton Town v Kingstonian or Boston United
Canvey Island or St Albans City v Lancaster City or Bamber Bridge
Darlington v Southport or Emley
Leyton Orient v Cardiff City
Woking or Burton Albion v Rochdale
Cheltenham Town v Gillingham
Chesterfield v Enfield or Baldock Town
Swansea City v Colchester United
Torquay United v Southend United
Hereford United v York City
Barnet v Burnley
Tamworth v Bury
Rotherham United v Worthing or Dover Athletic
Bristol City v Mansfield Town
Slough Town or Cambridge City v Wigan Athletic
Ilkeston Town v Carlisle United
Bristol Rovers v Preston North End
Blackpool v Stoke City
Reading v Yeovil Town
Dulwich Hamlet or Hayes v Marine or Runcorn
Oldham Athletic v Chelmsford City
Shrewsbury Town v Northampton Town
Cambridge United v Telford United or Gateshead
Oxford United v Morecambe
Stevenage Borough or Bath City v Hendon
Wycombe Wanderers v Oxford City
Forest Green Rovers v Guiseley
Whyteleafe v Chester City
Macclesfield Town v Hull City
Rushden & Diamonds v Scunthorpe United
Wrexham v Rothwell Town or Kettering Town
Notts County v AFC Bournemouth
Aldershot Town v Northwich Victoria or Hednesford Town
Hartlepool United v Millwall
Peterborough United v Brighton and Hove A
Brentford v Plymouth Argyle
Exeter City v Eastwood Town
Doncaster Rovers v Halifax Town

Witney Town have their own Web Site at http://www.witneytown.freeserve.co.uk/ which appears to be updated on a regular basis. It has an unusual design in that it is mainly aimed at users with a monitor resolution of 1024x768 so more typical 800x600 resolution users (Oi! What's all this technical nonsense ? - Ed) may find that they have to hit the sideways scrolling a lot.

Yeovil last faced Witney in September 1997 in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, and gave Yeovil Town a big scare, as the Glovers could only draw the original tie 1-1, with Witney almost grabbing a winner in the last minute. The replay, at Witney's Oxfordshire ground, was won in slightly more comfortable fashion by a 2-1 scoreline, with Witney's goal coming late in the game. Owen Pickard scored all three Yeovil goals across the two matches.

From the two ties, Tony Pennock and Warren Patmore are the only survivors from the Yeovil team to play in both matches, although Tony Pounder and Rob Cousins played in the replay. Current captain Steve Stott was watching his local side in the replay, knowing that he was going to sign for Yeovil later that week.

At the time that the draw was made, Witney Town boasted one ex Yeovil Town player, Nick Flory, who made a handful of first team appearances as a YTS player under Steve Rutter. He has now been joined by his brother Andy Flory, who has recently joined them from Minnesota Thunder, an American team, who Andy will be returning to in January. Andy also made a small number of first team appearances for Yeovil Town around the same time.

Witney are reported as being short in the right-back department with Justin Merritt facing a forthcoming suspension. To counter that, they are looking to sign Terry Morrisey from Oxford City. If they are unsuccessful, Yeovil may be wise to concentrate their efforts on that right-back area, as a possible sign of weakness.

Witney Town currently lie third in the Dr Martens Midland Division, two divisions below Yeovil, and have a record of W6 D3 L1 with only Folkstone Invicta and Raunds Town ahead of them in the table. Chief goalgetter is Carl Henry, who netted his 17th goal of the season in a 1-0 away victory over Wisbech Town. In that game Witney did not have it all go their own way. Three players came out of the game injured, including Nick Flory who has problems with his knee.

They got to the Fourth Qualifying round of this competition via a 2-1 home win over Hinckley United, and Oxfordshire exiled Yeovil Town fan Paul Chesterman attended this game. You can still read his account of that win in his Match Report.

Witney appear to be taking their task as more than just a day out, with their coaching staff present at last nights Yeovil game at Kingsmeadow. Witney are expected to bring over 100 supporters to Huish Park in their attempt to go one better on their result from two years ago. Yeovil certainly shouldn't be taking them for granted.

[Much thanks is due to the Witney Town Web Site for much of the information contained within this article].

"We battled really well at Kingstonian, showed a lot of heart and a great deal of bottle. But, having said that, we still have to improve on our general level of play. There is still a great deal of work to be done," he said.

For Saturday's FA Cup clash with Witney Town, The Glovers will continue to be without the services of David Norton and Murray Fishlock because of long-term injuries.

There is, however, some good news for Glovers fans. "Rob Cousins will definitely be fit for the match following his facial injury at Kidderminster last Saturday," explained Thompson. "Warren Patmore should also be in my line-up - his groin problem is improving all the time. Terry Skiverton will miss the tie as he is still serving a 3 match suspension. The good news is that he will be available for our next game." Thompson himself will probably start on the bench following his return to training after long-term injury.

However, in contrast to the coverage in the Clarion, where John Fry is quoted as saying that Steve Thompson's position as caretaker is safe until the 6 week trial period is up, the Yeovil Express quotes the chairman as saying "It's a critical week for Yeovil Town", going on to say that if the Kingstonian and Witney games were lost then the board would have to have a "drastic re-think" concerning the head coach's position. The usual comprehensive coverage in the Express this week is augmented by an analysis of the 10 new signings at the club since the end of last season and how they have fared at the club.

The Express also features the problems Yeovil are having in front of goal this season, with Steve Thompson admitting that the last time The Glovers looked like scoring freely was way back at the beginning of September in the 5-2 away win against Welling. According to the Express, creating chances through the midfield was to be specifically worked on in training this week.

If you have any fund-raising ideas of your own - as Steve has shown, virtually any event can be used to raise money - then contact him by writing to the Yeovil Express, 46 Princes Street, Yeovil; or phone 01935 479881. Better still, go along to the Appeal Fund Committee's Open Meeting being held on 8th November at Huish Park from 7pm and put your ideas forward.

Tickets for the E2000 Christmas/Millennium draw will be available in the next few weeks. Prizes are being gathered now and if you or your business would like to donate a prize, or if you would like to volunteer to sell books of tickets, please contact Steve as shown above.

Don't forget to keep your eye on the Events Calender on the Ciderspace Front Page where forthcoming fund-raising events are listed. Next up: The Race Night, 23rd October at Huish Park from around 7.30pm, happy hour at the bar between 8pm and 9pm.

In the past this column has been critical of the Gazette for not publicising Erection 2000 events as well as it might - credit where credit is due today then as the paper publishes details of the open meeting planned by the E2000 Committee as well as detailing upcoming events in the fund-raising campaign (see our 7th October news story).

But perhaps the most interesting article in this week's Gazette is buried away in a small paragraph reporting on the G&WSC's AGM. Speaking at the meeting, YTFC chairman John Fry is quoted as saying that former head coach Colin Lippiatt "deserted" Yeovil. Fry said:"No-one was more disappointed than me when Colin resigned. But he could not give us the 100% commitment that we needed. It was Colin who asked us if he could go full-time, not the other way around. He shook hands with four directors on a deal, and he kicked the sand in our faces. He told us he could not take the job, he deserted us, and anything you have read saying otherwise is a pack of lies." Controversial stuff, and doubtless not the last we have heard of this....

Cathywatch: There is no Cathywatch this week, mainly because Cathy's column, the Fans' Voice, is conspicuous by its absence. Search parties have been sent out.

A review of the Yeovil Express and Clarion will follow later today.

Steve Thompson is determined to "get a good result at Kingstonian", but will be without several key players.

"Rob Cousins, who left the field after 18 minutes against Kidderminster on Saturday, will definitely miss the game." Steve said. "Striker Warren Patmore is doubtful and we will also, of course, be without central defender Terry Skiverton because of suspension. Both wing-back Murray Fishlock and midfielder Dave Norton are still sidelined with long-term injuries."

Yeovil Town have been drawn away to Weymouth in the 2nd round of the FA Trophy.

The Glovers face their first competitive trip to the Wessex Stadium since January 2nd 1989 when a goal each from Guy Whittingham and Martyn Grimshaw saw Weymouth beaten 2-0 on their own patch. For Yeovil, it was their first season back in the Conference under Brian Hall, but for Weymouth it was to be the start of their last year in the Conference as they finished bottom in May and were relegated, and have yet to return.

Now the two sides have been drawn together in the 2nd round of the FA Trophy, the draw being made at Goodison Park at 1:00pm today, and it is Yeovil who must travel in order to progress further.

The full FA Trophy Draw :

Ties to be played Sat 27th November

Barrow v Southport
Stocksbridge Park Steels v Redditch United
Rocester or Frickley v Tamworth
Leigh RMI v Worksop Town
Leek or Accrington v Spalding United
Morecambe v Hucknall Town
Wisbech Town v Bishop Auckland
Kidderminster Harriers v Telford United
Hyde United v Whitley Bay
Stafford Rangers v Emley
Ilkeston Town v Scarborough
Blakenall v Eastwood Town
Runcorn v Northwcih Victoria
Spennymoor United v Gretna
Bedworth United v Hednesford Town
Matlock Town v Harrogate Town
Hinckley United v Marine
Halesowen Town v Sutton Coldfield Town
Fickley or Ashton v Droylesdon
Ossett Town v Doncaster Roverts
Stalybridge Celtic v Gainsborough Trinity
Bilston Town v Workington
Winsford United v VS Rugby
Lancaster City v Corby Town
Radcliffe Borough v Moor Green
Guisley v Nuneaton Borough
Bamber Bridge v Burton or Trafford
Whitby Town v Stamford
Blyth Spartans v Witton Albion
Altrincham v Gateshead
Rothwell or Boreham Wood v Evesham United
Hereford United v Barton rovers
Heybridge Swifts v Witney Town
Enfield v Newport IOW
Hayes v Worcester City
Rushden v Havant or Aylesbury
Purfleet v Raunds or Maidenhead
Harlow v Dover
Bromley v Chelmsford
Cirencester v Forest Green
Folkstone v Kingstonian
Leatherhead v Bedford Town
Bath City v Erith and Belvedere
Hendon v Grays
Weymouth v Yeovil Town
Merthyr v Stevenage
Yate v Billericay
Dulwich v Burnham
Romford or Bashley v Newport County (Wales)
Ashford Town v Woking
Hitchin or Harrow v Oxford City
Tiverton or Dorchester v Farnborough
Hampton and Richmond v Carshalton
Basingstoke or Bognor v Walton and Hersham
Crawley v Wealdstone
Uxbridge v Canvey Island
Welling v Gloucester
Gravesend v Worthing
Whyteleafe v St Leonards
Leyton Pennant v Staines
Croydon or Margate v Dartford
Kettering v Thame
Aldershot v Braintree
Salisbury v Sutton United.

Yeovil Town have signed striker Charlie Griffin from Swindon Town on a month's loan. Griffin, who was transferred from Chippenham Town to Swindon for £20,000 has long been the target of Yeovil, with the Glovers trying to sign Griffin unsuccessfully at the same time as Paul Steele. Griffin starts the game against Kidderminster today as a replacement for Warren Patmore who has a groin strain. Adrian Foster is also suspended for one game, and so Steve Thompson was anxious for cover up front. Griffin played in the 4-0 defeat of Chippenham Town in the FA Cup two years ago.

Caretaker boss Steve Thompson is in confident mood for his side's away clash with Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday. "We are going to Kidderminster to win," he said. "We certainly won't be playing for the draw. We are very confident of doing well, and my immediate aim is to try and get four points from our next two games, both of which are away - we play at Kingstonian next Wednesday."

The Glovers will again be without midfielder Dave Norton and wing-back Murray Fishlock because of injury. Both Adrian Foster (suspended for one game) and Terry Skiverton (suspended for three games) will also be missing for the Kidderminster game.

Thompson said: "Our main aim at present is to keep picking up points and as such keep in touch with the leading bunch at the top of the Conference table."

Meanwhile the reserves travel to Paulton on Saturday for a rearranged Screwfix Direct Premier League game. Despite losing 2-1 at Brislington on Tuesday evening, team bosses remain extremely satisfied with recent performances.

Today's Yeovil Express adds to the speculation surrounding the identity of the permanent successor to Colin Lippiatt. Names such as ex-Dorchester boss Stuart Morgan, current Bath manager Paul Bodin, ex-Bath manager Tony Ricketts, and former Yeovil and Scotland striker John McGinlay are all said to have made enquiries. The Express goes on to list other famous names said to be interested, including former Swindon boss Steve McMahon, ex-Woking and Cheltenham player Clive Walker, ex-Stevenage manager Paul Fairclough and former Bristol City and Cardiff City boss Russell Osman. According to the Express there has even been talk of Aston Villa and England star Paul Merson considering dropping out of the Premiership to manage a Conference club.

In the meantime though Steve Thompson is very much the man in charge. The Express lists his career to date and in an interview with Steve Sowden, Thommo talks about how he aims to tackle the job over the next 6 weeks - focusing very much on improving fitness levels at the club. Thommo is quoted as saying: "At the moment I want to work with the players we already have here and I will be trying to improve our fitness, focus and energy. If I have achieved that in 6 weeks I will be happy - there is certainly room for improvement."

Finally I would like to take a look at what Fat Harry in the Clarion has to say about the momentous events of the last week; sadly I can't. We still don't get the Clarion delivered to Ciderspace Towers and the Clarion's website - at the time of writing - still hasn't been updated from last week. We shouldn't be too harsh on Fat Harry though - he's probably still in mourning after Chelsea thrashed his beloved Manchester Utd 5-0 last weekend!

The Erection 2000 Appeal Committee are to hold an open meeting at Huish Park on November 8th at 7pm to enable anyone interested in the appeal to come along and find out more information. E2000 chairman Steve Sowden said: "I hope as many people as possible will attend this meeting. Even though the appeal fund has been warmly greeted by supporters, we would desperately like to see more of them get involved with fundraising." For further information contact Steve on 01935 479881.

There are a number of events coming up over the next few months designed to boost the Appeal Fund, including:

Sunday 10th October : Quiz Night at Huish Park, from 7.30pm onwards. Entry is £5 for a team of 4 with questions for all the family.

Sat 23rd October : Race Night at Huish Park, 7.30pm start, with a happy hour at the bar between 8pm and 9pm.

New Year's Eve : New Year's Eve Party at Huish Park. Cost is £30 per ticket and all proceeds will go to the Appeal Fund.

In addition, Erection 2000 Appeal car stickers are available to buy from the G&WSC club shops at Huish Park, priced £1 each - if your car is spotted bearing a sticker you could win 2 tickets to a YTFC match. Plus, the Appeal Fund Committee are finalising plans for a Christmas/Millennium draw - tickets will be available shortly. Finally the Committee have hi-jacked the annual competition to forecast the top 3 and bottom 3 places in the Conference, normally run by the Glovers' Executive Committee. It will cost £1 to enter with the first prize being £50.

Today's Western Gazette main back page lead speculates about who the permanent successor to Colin Lippiatt will eventually turn out to be. The article, written by Action Man David Coates, informs us that ex-Liverpool and England midfielder and former Swindon manager Steve McMahon has expressed an interest in the job, saying:"The Yeovil head coach job is obviously a massive job - one of the biggest in non-league football. I certainly would be interested because I am desperate to get back into football. We will have to wait and see."

The Boy Coates (Tm) goes on to inform us that Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough and ex-Portsmouth manager Terry Fenwick are also being linked with the job, amongst a host of other names, but that ex-Spurs defender Gary Mabbutt has ruled himself out as he will be working in South Africa for the next 6 months. Of course all this speculation could prove irrelevant if caretaker coach Steve Thompson makes a success of his 6 week trial, but chairman John Fry is quoted as saying, "At the moment I am not looking any further than Steve, but last Monday morning I was looking no further than Colin Lippiatt. We will have to look at the situation again after Steve's trial period." The Gazette also reports that Fry would prefer to give the job to someone who hasn't managed in the Conference before, with him saying, "There are lots of managers on the Conference circuit who go round and round the clubs. But it is always nice to see someone new like Jan Molby, who has come in at Kidderminster."

In other news from the Gazette John Fry has called on supporters to get behind the team after a mini-demonstration against him on the home terrace last Saturday; and Steve Thompson has indicated that there will be no more player signings during his 6 week trial. The paper also reports that David Norton could be fit to face Kidderminster this weekend, but that Steve Thompson's bone scan has had to be postponed until next week.

CathyWatch : The Gazette's answer to Julie Burchill has regained some of her customary good cheer after last week's descent into gloom, but still finds time to castigate those supporters who demonstrated against John Fry last Saturday, asking 'What must Steve Thompson have thought?' Erm, probably something like, look at those people demonstrating against John Fry, at a guess? I was relieved to learn that the reason we didn't lose to Dover was that Cathy had remembered to bring George, her alien, to the game. It may seem an obvious point, but if Yeovil are reliant on George's presence to ensure we do not lose, then perhaps it might be a good idea to bring him to every game in future? She also reminds us that we are in the FA Cup this season and forecasts a 1-1 draw with Witney, before saying that Clive Walker would have been her choice as head coach before Thommo was appointed. Finally, it seems that Cathy has been made aware of her cult status on the internet, and of Ciderspace's chronicling of her column in particular, though she doesn't mention us by name. Somewhat bizzarely she compares herself with Pamela Anderson - er, are you really sure that's a comparison you want to make, Cathy? Can't wait for the video.... Anyway, mention us by name next time, or this column will start referring to C****Watch in future....

Witney Town, as reported yesterday, won the right to play Yeovil Town when they won their third qualifying round tie in the FA Cup. At the game having a good look at the opposition we will face in two weeks time were Paul and Colin Chesterman. You can read the account of the game from the neutral's point of view by heading here.

Steve Thompson has started his career as Head Coach with a series of radical changes of the times at Yeovil Town. After he had rung the changes at Huish Park by bringing his side out in a 4-4-2 formation, Steve told Ciderspace after the game that he planned to play up to five first team players in the Reserve Team fixture at Brislington on Tuesday night.

Steve did not specifically name all the players he is wanting to put forward, but said that it would be an opportunity for those who didn't play today to prove themselves. Hence the Reserves are likely to be bolstered by Dean Chandler, David Piper, Jamie Pitman and Kevan Brown. Also a distinct possibility is Dave Norton who plans to declare his availability (or otherwise) for the game within the next day or so. If Norton comes through the fixture in tact, he hopes to be back in contention for first team selection next Saturday.

Definitely not available for next Saturday are Terry Skiverton and Adrian Foster. Both start suspensions next Saturday at Kidderminster. Whilst Foster will miss just one game for his five bookings, Skiverton will be out for three games following his sending off last weekend at Telford which was adjudged to have been for violent conduct.

Meanwhile Thommo himself will, prior to the Tuesday Reserves match, head off for an MRI soft tissue scan on his calf muscle. He says it is improving, but is inclined to break down if he goes sprinting on it.

The reserves did pretty well for themselves even without the first teamers today, winning 3-0 at Bideford today, with two goals from James Bent, who is now the leading scorer in the Reserves team with five goals. The third came from Richard Spiller, and the win lifts the Reserves into second place in the Screwfix Direct League Premier Division, albeit through having played more games than most around them. It is certainly an impressive turnaround for a side who were bottom of the league after three games with zero points, having scored only one goal and conceded ten. The reserves now are unbeaten in six games.

Meanwhile, in other news, Colin Lippiatt has been officially confirmed as Kingstonian's main first team coach, as predicted by Ciderspace on the day that Lippiatt resigned from Yeovil Town Football Club. At Huish Park, fans feelings for Lippiatt were still running high as a large banner was unfurled on the terrace before the game saying "Fry Out, Colin Back". This was accompanied by various pro-Lippiatt and anti-Fry chants during the first half of the game, in a stadium that seemed completely devoid of atmosphere, despite the efforts of three drummers.

Finally, Yeovil Town will play Witney Town in the FA Cup on October 16th, in a repeat of their First Qualifying Round tie in 1997. Witney won the right to travel to Huish Park by virtue of a 2-1 win over Hinckley this afternoon, and so face Yeovil in the Fourth Qualifying Round. We will have a match report for this tie on our site shortly from Yeovil fans Paul and Colin Chesterman who travelled to the game this afternoon.

Steve Thompson is looking at a potentially difficult start to his career as head coach of Yeovil Town as up to six players could be out of contention for selection. Thompson will call for late fitness tests on Warren Patmore for a groin injury, Steve Stott for a calf injury and Adrian Foster for an ankle injury.

Out of the team for sure are Thommo himself with the calf injury that has largely kept him out since Easter, plus Dave Norton, also suffering from a calf injury, and Murray Fishlock with back problems. The latter three are expected to be back in contention in about two weeks time.

Meanwhile Steve Thompson went live on air for his first interview as Head Coach on Twentyman Talks Back on BBC Radio Bristol tonight. In the short interview, Steve again reiterated that he was keen to take the job on a permanent basis, but said that his main objective was to get Yeovil Town playing better and winning games.

Steve said his philosophy in football was to drive the team on passion and to attack the opposition. When asked about his preferred formation, Steve believed there was room for both a wing-back formation and a 4-4-2 formation within a coaches strategy, but stated that he had a marginal preference for 4-4-2. However, he did not elaborate as to whether he would try that out tomorrow, or whether he would largely persevere with the existing tactics until he had dealt with a few training sessions. He did, however, say that he had already, more or less, chosen his first starting line-up for the Dover game.

He said he regarded fitness as "something I believe we can improve upon" and said he regarded it as a vital factor in modern football.

Finally Steve praised the home supporters for getting behind the team in all home games so far this season, including the Sutton defeat, and said he hoped they would do the same tomorrow. He admitted to a few pre-match nerves saying that he hadn't slept too well on Thursday night as he had alot on his mind in preparation for his first big day in charge. All of us at Ciderspace wish Steve the very best of luck for the coming six weeks (and hopefully more!).

Today's Daily Telegraph makes claims that Terry Fenwick is being connected with the vacant position at Huish Park. The head coach role, which chairman John Fry wants to turn into a full time position, is currently held on a six week part-time trial basis by experienced player and fitness coach Steve Thompson.

However, today's Telegraph claims that Yeovil "may find it hard to overlook the claims of former Portsmouth manager Terry Fenwick, who would be prepared to go full time".

Yesterday, however, Fry was still suggesting that a different option could be on the cards in the latest club official press bulletin. In it he said "Mr Thompson has an excellent CV in football both as a player and coach. He lives with his family in the West Country and although he has another part-time position, this will not interfere with his responsibilities. Steve is a winner and is the right man for the occasion. We shall find out over the next six weeks whether or not he can secure the Glovers' top job on a longer term contract".

When apppointing Thommo as caretaker, Fry said in the same bulletin "Steven was an automatic choice for the job and the directors had no difficulty in making the appointment". Earlier in Thursday morning's Western Daily Press he said "Steve knows the non-league scene inside out and played under Martin O'Neill at Wycombe when they were promoted to the Football League".