9th August 2013
Thanks to our sponsors of the Birmingham City game.
Match Sponsor – Western Gazette Programme Sponsor – Radio Cabs
Ball Sponsor – In Memory of former president Mr Norman Burfield
Huish Park opens its doors to the Sky Bet Championship this weekend and the visitors are former Premier League side Birmingham City.
The Blues have a decorated history, national silverware was won as recently as 2011 with a Carling Cup and their squad list is full of stars with Premier League and Championship experience.
However, this will not daunt the Glovers, who go into the game with two 1-0 wins in the bank.
Birmingham, managed by Lee Clarke, haven’t had the best of starts to the season, opening with a 1-0 home defeat against Watford and only progressing in the Capital One Cup with an extra time win over League Two side, Plymouth.
The game at the weekend looks like being close to a sell out with the away end already booked up in full.
It could be a case of de ja vu; the Glovers will have to deal with yet another player called Paul Robinson. Millwall’s captain may not have played last week, but Birmingham’s skipper, who goes by the same name, has a better chance of featuring.
One of Robinson’s defensive partners will need no introduction to the home crowd. Fulham loanee Dan Burn will be forever etched in Glovers’ history following his first half header at Wembley in the Play-Off final last May.
Burn will know all about the Yeovil players, and vice versa.
The two sides haven’t met in a competitive league fixture before, only a couple of friendlies have seen the sides cross paths.
In July 1997, Birmingham visited to play out a 1-1 draw, the then First Division side then bought both Jerry Gill and Howard Forinton off Yeovil less than a month later.
Before that, you have to rewind to 1986 where the two sides met at the old Huish and drew 0-0.
On the injury front, Jamie McCallister was on the bench for the first time this season, but was an unused sub for Yeovil.
James Hayter was rested from the squad entirely but should be back for this fixture, the Glovers also made four other changes.
The Blues also made changes for the Capital One Cup, including swapping ‘keeper Darren Randolph for Colin Doyle.
Elsewhere, some of their big stars including Nicolas Zigic and Marlon King are yet to make an appearance this season and Darren Ambrose is still suffering with a groin problem.
The League’s sponsors Sky Bet have make the home side slight favourites for the game, “Little Old Yeovil” really have come a long way in a short space of time.
The Championship comes to Huish Park… Don’t miss it.
Famous Fans.
Mike Skinner (Singer, The Streets), Jasper Carrott (Comedian) and Snoop Dogg was pictured in a Birmingham City shirt in 2011!
A foot in both camps.
Andros Townsend has spent time on loan with both sides, Howard Forinton, Darren Purse, Jerry Gill as well as a certain Dan Burn.