Over 2,000 Yeovil supporters lined the streets of the town earlier this week as they celebrated their second league title in three years. The Glovers had been on the verge of lifting the League Two trophy but the crunch clash came at Southend in the penultimate fixture.
Locked together on the same number of points it was a real winner takes all fixture and Phil Jevons' second half goal proved crucial. Gary Johnson's boys then beat Lincoln 3-0 on the final day to seal the title and ensure that a huge green and white party started in Somerset.
Yeovil are now moving into unchartered territory but Johnson is determined to give this season's title-winning squad the chance to prove themselves in League One. "We might have to fine-tune a little bit, but most of the boys have deserved their chance," said Johnson, who signed a new contract himself last month.
"We've got to add to our squad anyway because of the new transfer window. We've got four or five boys that would like to join us, and they will add to this very, very good footballing squad. I wanted all those boys to know they're part of our future and that's why they can celebrate.
"Most of the boys have re-signed - there's only one or two left that want to re-sign. We don't make a big thing about that publicly but every lad that was involved against Lincoln has signed a new deal. Most of them signed at Christmas.
"I do that because I want them to know they're part of this football club. On days like this they want to be champions because their future is at this football club."
Over half of the squad were part of the Conference winning side two seasons ago and Johnson insists that continuity is vital to their success. "It's what I do," he continued. "If they're the ones that got us promotion then you have got to give them that opportunity. We have got a group of lads that we thought we could take two leagues up and then fine tune - and that's what we did.
"The board has backed me, the supporters have backed me, and the players have backed me - and that's why we are all having the fun that we're having."
Midfielder Kevin Gall believes that the supporters have been like a twelfth man to the Glovers this season. Johnson stipulates that every new signing has to relocate to the Somerset town and Gall maintains that family atmosphere has fostered a wining mentality.
"This title was for the fans really," said Gall. "We've given something back to them. It's been a big factor in our success, having most of the team living in the town. Most of us are not from Yeovil, but everyone has made us very welcome. Yeovil is a real football town now.
"When I first came it was changing that way, but people thought footballers had attitude. We've come here and we don't go swanning around the place, it's not like that. People respect us for what we do on the pitch and after training we go home and keep out of the way. It's the mentality of the people in the town towards the football club and it's been very important. We've run away with the title really and proved that we're the best team."
Yeovil chairman John Fry insists that the sky is the limit for his club, as long as they can keep hold of Gary Johnson. Armed with the finances of major benefactor – Jon Goddard-Watts, who has bankrolled the club's last two promotion campaigns - the future looks bright for the Glovers. And Fry believes that success next year is a possibility too.
"The people of Yeovil and the fans of the football club have been dreaming about this for years," said Fry. "We didn't only want to get out of the Conference, we also want to progress up the Football League. People are now looking higher still and we've got to give League One our best shot next season.
"If we can keep this team together and keep Gary Johnson and his backroom staff then we could have an incredible future. Gary Johnson is an absolute credit to this club and if people saw how hard he works and how committed he is, it's unbelievable. And he's got a great team of people around him who are capable of taking this club to a higher level."
