Mark Cooper: Yeovil Town appoint former Barrow boss as manager

Mark Cooper has extensive management experience in the EFL and National League

Yeovil Town have appointed former Barrow AFC boss Mark Cooper as their manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The 53-year-old has previously managed 10 clubs across the EFL and National League, leading Swindon Town to the League One play-off final in 2015.

He also oversaw Forest Green Rovers' promotion to the EFL in 2017.

"He is a manager I've admired for a long time," said club chairman Scott Priestnall. "Mark has the promotion credentials we are looking for."

Cooper left Barrow by mutual consent in March this year whilst he was serving an eight-match ban for comments he made to a female assistant referee.

The club was sitting just outside the League Two relegation zone at the time.

'This can be a big club'

Yeovil director Stuart Robins had said the club was looking for an 'experienced manager' to replace former boss Chris Hargreaves, who was sacked last week.

"It's good to be here," Cooper, who had a 22-year playing career spanning 17 clubs, told Yeovil's website following his appointment.

"I already know a few of the players and staff so I'm excited and really looking forward to it.

"If you look historically, this can be a big club. We need to unite; the players, the supporters. Everybody needs to come together and that can play such a big part."

The Glovers are currently 21st in the National League and occupy the final relegation place, one point adrift of safety.

They have won just once in their last 10 games in all competitions and scored just twice in their last seven games.

Challenging for promotion 'won't be easy'

Analysis - BBC Radio Somerset's Richard Hoskin

Mark Cooper comes to Huish Park with an encouraging CV for a National League manager.

Short term, his first job will be to get the team up the league table, and scoring goals. No team in the National League has scored fewer goals than Yeovil this season.

Long term, I'm sure his ambition will be to get the club challenging for promotion back into the Football League.

That won't be easy. He joins a football club where many supporters are concerned about issues off the pitch.

Mark Cooper will most likely be aware of those issues - and in his opening comments via the club, he said "we need to unite".