Terry Skiverton was one of the 500 players who were out of contract in the summer but the Yeovil stalwart has put pen to paper on a new one-year deal at Huish Park. The prospect of scrambling for a contract with hundreds of other players is a difficult scenario to swallow so the 33-year-old was delighted to extend his stay in the West Country. This will ensure he has been a resident in Somerset for ten years during which time the Glovers have won promotion twice. They are no longer a non-league giant but a bona fide member of the Football League and that brings problems of its own as expectation levels rise. Givemefootball's Ian Clarkson spoke exclusively to Skiverton as he puts behind him the uncertainty of being out of contract and prepares for a decade with Yeovil.
Q:YOU ARE PART OF THE FURNITURE AT YEOVIL NOW AREN'T YOU?
A:I have been here since the days of the Conference in 1999 and probably seen off five managers! There has been Colin Lippiat, Steve Thompson, David Webb, Colin Addison, Garry Johnson and now we have Russell Slade. Most of those years we have been competing at the top of whatever division we have been in but last year was a battle against relegation. However, when you stay up it is just as rewarding. We were going quite well before Christmas but I think we suffered a delayed hangover from losing in the play-off final the previous season and blew a gasket.
Q:WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANY PLAYER WHO IS STILL OUT OF CONTRACT?
A:I remember when I left Wycombe and went to Welling as I had dropped out of the league. It was tough and I was lucky as I joined Yeovil and we won the Conference to get back into the league. Not everyone is as fortunate as that so I would advise everyone who is out of contract to work their socks off. You can't go on holiday with the lads and have a drink because pre-season is on you before you know it. You have got to be fitter and stronger than anyone else at the club for the first week if you get a trial as the footballs don’t always come out for a few days. There are still plenty of opportunities to get one and two year deals as so many clubs are taking players on shorter contracts nowadays. You have to make sure that you take your chance and you need to prepare.
Q:WAS IT A DIFFICULT SEASON LAST YEAR?
A:There has been an air of uncertainty at the club as it has risen so fast and so high and then all of a sudden the crowds have started to dip slightly and the wages have had to be restructured. We had a lot of good young players at the club who had good reputations and moved on so there is a period of transition as we have gone from being a big non-league club to a smaller league club. We have still got to get quite a lot of players yet but I am confident we will be fine for next season. We will have to work harder than anyone else and if we can aim above the middle of the table and push for the play-off places then I think it will be a good achievement for us.
Q:WERE YOU HAPPY TO SIGN FOR ANOTHER YEAR AS THERE ARE A LOT OF PLAYERS STILL SEARCHING FOR A CLUB AREN'T THERE?
A:I was delighted to sign for another year as there are a record number of players out of contract I think. I am 33 now and I struggled early on last season with injuries but came on strong in the second half of the campaign. I have been out of football before and I know how hard it is to get back into the League.
Q:HAVE YOU HAD ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT YOU WILL DO WHEN YOU FINALLY HANG UP YOUR BOOTS?
A:I have been on the PFA (Level 2) Coaching course with Guy Whittingham and Jamie Robinson this summer at Cheltenham Town Football Club. There were four or five of us from Yeovil who attended and I really got a lot out of it. Everyone got something out of it but it is a lot harder than you might think. I am going to coach Yeovil's Under 14s at the Centre of Excellence next season too and at one stage in the distance I would love to manage Yeovil. That would be an ambition of mine but that is quite a few years away yet!
Q:ARE QUITE A FEW OF THE PLAYERS KEEN ON COACHING AT HUISH PARK?
A:Yeovil has very strong links with the community and eight players went out once a week last year to coach in the local community. It is a unique club really, as we have a huge catchment area of supporters and 99 per cent of the lads live in the local area. That means we have a few afternoons few a week and we all want to put something back and it works well.
