Yeovil began to involve Way in coaching during his recovery from the car accident, and he was officially appointed technical coach on his retirement. He stayed in that position through various changes of manager, helping Yeovil to promotion to the Championship for the first time in their history via the playoffs in 2012-13. Life in the Championship was always going to represent a huge challenge for such a small club, and they were relegated straight back to League One in 2014. The downwards momentum continued as Yeovil suffered a second successive relegation to find themselves back in League Two for the 2015-16 season after ten years away. The decline continued unchecked, and with the club bottom of League Two and without a win in twelve games, manager Paul Sturrock was sacked on 1 December 2015 with Darren Way appointed interim manager.
Despite recovery being a slow process, he was confirmed as the club’s permanent manager on 31 December 2015. A run of seven wins and three draws from their next twelve games carried Yeovil well clear of the danger zone, and the club managed to finish in nineteenth place, fourteen points clear as York and Dagenham & Redbridge were relegated with very low points totals. Way was rewarded with a new three-year contract, but the financial limitations he was operating under meant that his first full season in 2016-17 was always likely to be another struggle. Football League safety was finally secured with a 1-1 draw against Stevenage in the penultimate game of the season, but a run of just two wins from their last eighteen games did not bode well for the following season. Furthermore, the safety margin of four points was far closer than the season before.
Yeovil got off to a disastrous start to 2017-18 with an 8-2 defeat to favourites Luton on the opening day. The performance was so bad that the players offered to reimburse the supporters who had travelled from Yeovil. As expected, Yeovil never really escaped the bottom six for very long, and a run of three points from their last eight games saw them end the season in a similar fashion to 2016-17. Safety was only confirmed following a 0-0 draw with Forest Green on 24 April, a result which conveniently ensured survival for both clubs. Success in the cups belied their poor league form, reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup before Manchester United left Huish Park with a 4-0 win. The club almost reached Wembley in the Checkatrade Trophy, only losing by a single goal at Shrewsbury in the semi-final.
Under Darren Way, Yeovil have finished nineteenth, twentieth and nineteenth, and only survived by two points last season. Way is entering his third full season at Yeovil and has the benefit of having his UEFA Pro Licence. He will need all of that knowledge if he is to keep his side clear of danger again this time.
Key:
P = Promoted; R = Relegated; SF = Lost in play-off semi-final; F = Lost in play-off final; PO = Won play-off final; D = Demoted.
Figures are league games only; cup matches and playoffs are not included.
League position shown is either the position at the end of the season or the position at the time of departure.
Writer: Scotimp
Who Are The League Two Managers? No.23: Darren Way (@YTFC):https://t.co/LwgjoE1J7Z#Yeovil #YTFC #EFL
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) August 1, 2018
https://www.facebook.com/VitalLincolnCity/posts/1790627744306796
