Well-Rounded Sarll Putting Smiles Back On Glovers Faces

Spiky is expected. Short and sharp almost a guarantee. A 4-1 FA Cup reverse in front of your own fans does that to you.

He doesn’t answer, despite instructions to call at this time. We’re a few minutes after the hour. Maybe we’ve missed our chance.

But a lot like Yeovil Town this season, Darren Sarll is full of surprises.

“Sorry….I’m really sorry,” he shouts after calling back moments after. “I couldn’t get my fat a*** across the room to the phone quickly enough!

“I’m putting on weight and my backside is weighing me down these days. Feels like I’m getting old as well which doesn’t help reaction time.”

It instantly dawns why a club which suffered such strife over the summer, ending their 16-year stay in the Football League, are enjoying the rehabilitation job many were fearing.

Then, a warning. “The weather is so bad down here at the moment that you will want to bring two scarves.

“But keep one in your bag. The rain will soak it through within an hour and you will need the other one to try and keep warm. Other than that it’s a great place, promise!”

Speaking to us ahead of BT Sport’s live Saturday tea time home fixture with Dover Athletic, the “old” 36-year-old manager isn’t in any mood to dwell on Tuesday night.

“These games happen,” he said. “If there was a perfect science to football we would all be applying it.

“There are little things called human beings which prevent that! Nobody likes losing but there’s little point in looking back, not when things are as they are. I’m not going to start pulling things to pieces.

“We’re in a nice position. Two days before pre-season it was just me at the kitman - all I did was try to add something and we can’t grumble about how things are.”

The mood seems right to bring up one of the first articles to appear on google when you search for the Glovers’ boss’ name.

It’s easy to look back and smile with the team sitting just a point behind the leaders, but some fans weren’t sold straight away.

A story on SomersetLive was headlined: “From hope to trepidation - Yeovil Town fans react to Darren Sarll's appointment as new manager”.

A lot of laughter later, he said: “I’ve not seen that! Well, I like to think they see the club is heading in the right direction now.

“It’s not about winning people over as such. It’s about building relationships.

“I’m just a normal guy, but I do like to think I add some authenticity to it all. When I was at Stevenage, maybe I couldn’t be myself because of the pressure involved in keeping a club in the EFL.

“Now, I’m more me. I laugh when I want to, and I criticise when I want to. I can be more myself and bring that to the job. Hopefully that has helped, especially with the players who let me tell you are a wonderful group.

“Being where we are in the table is fantastic but do you know the best thing is? The team have totally re-connected with the public.

“There wasn’t really a relationship there last season but now I think that’s all changed. Winning helps of course, but some does personality and performance. They want a committed team and that’s what we’ve seen.

“We’re building. Dover will be another hard game, they are coming here on a high after beating Southend United in the FA Cup but we want to showcase the club in the right way.”

PICTURES BY PINNACLE & YEOVIL TOWN