Exeter City Football Club is a professional
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club based in
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
,
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
, England. The team play in , the third tier of the
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to speculation and debate. The club is
owned by the club's supporters through the
Exeter City Supporters' Trust
The Exeter City AFC Supporters' Society, known commonly as the Exeter City Supporters' Trust and abbreviated as ECFCST, or simply The Trust; is a supporters' trust consisting of fans of Exeter City F.C., Exeter City, an England, English professi ...
. Exeter are one of two Devon clubs who compete in the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
, the other being
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
.
Exeter City was founded in 1901 and began playing their games at
St James Park St James Park and variants may refer to:
Municipalities
* St James Park, New Zealand, a suburb of Hamilton, New Zealand
Football stadiums
* St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
* St James Park (Exeter), Exeter, England
* St James Park, g ...
, where they remain to this day. They joined Division One of the
Southern League in 1904. After a
tour of South America in 1914 to generate awareness of football in the continent, the club became the first side to play a
national team
A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport.
The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exam ...
from
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. As a result, City and
Brazilian side
Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, ...
are now also partner clubs. Exeter were invited to help create the
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the division become the fourth tier level. In 2004, following the f ...
in 1920. They were assigned to the
Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to on ...
the next year and won the
Third Division South Cup The Football League Third Division South Cup was a football knockout competition open to teams competing in Football League Third Division South.
The competition was first held in 1933–34 and ran until the 1938–39 season. The cup was revived ...
in 1934. They remained in the division until becoming founder members of the
Fourth Division
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
in 1958. They were promoted in 1963–64, only to be relegated after two seasons. They were promoted out of the Fourth Division again at the end of the 1976–77 season and managed to stay in the Third Division for seven seasons before being relegated in 1984.
Exeter won their first league title in the 1989–90 season, gaining promotion as Fourth Division champions under the stewardship of
Terry Cooper. Relegated in 1994, they lost their
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
status at the end of the 2002–03 season. They spent five seasons in the
Conference
A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic.
Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...
, and recovered from defeat in the
2007 play-off final to win promotion out of the play-offs
the next year. Manager
Paul Tisdale
Paul Robert Tisdale (born 14 January 1973) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club Stevenage.
As a player, Tisdale represented Southampton, Bristol City, FinnPa, Panionios and Yeov ...
built on this success by winning promotion out of
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
in 2008–09 and Exeter survived for three seasons in
League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
. Returning to League Two in 2012, they have lost in the play-off finals in
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
and most recently in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, under
Matt Taylor. At the end of the 2021–22 season they gained automatic promotion to League One.
History
Early history
![Exeter FC v Brazilian team 1914](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Exeter_FC_v_Brazilian_team_1914.jpg)
Exeter City F.C. was formed from two predecessor clubs, Exeter United F.C. and St Sidwell's United. Exeter United was a football club from Exeter, Devon, that played between 1890 and 1904. In 1904, Exeter United lost 3–1 to local rivals St Sidwell's United and after the match it was agreed that the two clubs should become one. The new team took the name 'Exeter City' and continued to play at Exeter United's ground, St James Park, where Exeter City still play today. Exeter United was formed from the cricket team of the same name and were one of the first football teams with the moniker 'United'. St Sidwell's United (which had also been known as St Sidwell's Wesleyans and St Sidwell's Old Boys) was a club that had formed from the regulars who frequented the Foresters Inn in Sidwell Street, Exeter, although the
public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
was always known as the Drum and Monkey. The team played in St Sidwell's old colours of green and white.
On 10 September 1904, Exeter City played its first ever competitive match, a 2–1 victory at St James over 110th Battery of the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
, in the East Devon League. The attendance was 600, and the winning goal scored by Sid Thomas, who was to serve the club in various capacities for 70 years. City topped the East Devon League with 11 wins, two draws, one defeat in its first season, and transferred to the Plymouth & District League for next three seasons.
In 1908, Exeter City A.F.C. became a limited company. City became a full-time professional team, and applied successfully for membership of the Southern League, replacing
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
. A wooden grandstand was erected, and the club entered into a leasing arrangement over the ground.
On 3 October 1908, City got its record highest FA Cup win: Exeter City 14–0 against
Weymouth. The match was in the First Qualifying Round. James 'Daisy' Bell scored six goals, and 10 of Exeter's 14 goals came in the first half.
City changed to its current colours of red and white in 1910. This was after having had a poor start to the season (only two wins out of 11). City abandoned its supposedly unlucky green and white kit, and turned out for the first time in red and white striped shirts at home to
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
on 12 November. The result of the game was a 0–0 draw, but five consecutive league wins came for the club in December, and the change of colours stuck.
City made an historic tour of South America in 1914, during which time it played eight matches against teams of
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The last match on this tour on 21 July 1914 was an encounter with the first
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team ( pt, Seleção Brasileira de Futebol), nicknamed ''Seleção Canarinho'' (‘Canary Squad’, after their bright yellow jersey), represents Brazil in men's international football and is administered by the B ...
playing under the authority of a national football association, in this case the ''Federação Brasileira de Sports'', precursor of today's
Confederação Brasileira de Futebol
The Brazilian Football Confederation ( pt, Confederação Brasileira de Futebol; CBF) is the governing body of football in Brazil. It was founded on Monday, 8 June 1914, as , and renamed Confederação Brasileira de Desportos in 1916. The footb ...
, founded just the month before. Brazil, featuring its first great star,
Arthur Friedenreich
Arthur Friedenreich (18 July 1892 – 6 September 1969) was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. He was nicknamed ''The Tiger'' or ''The Original "Black" Pearl'', and was arguably the sport's first outstanding mixed-race ...
, won this match at the
Laranjeiras stadium
Laranjeiras (, ''orange trees'') is an upper-middle-class neighborhood located in the Rio de Janeiro#South Zone, South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Primarily residential, It is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, having been founded in t ...
,
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, home of
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, the ...
with
2–0. The tour yielded five wins, one draw and two defeats. The only other loss was in a match that kicked off 12 hours after the players got off the boat.
Exeter City were invited by
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
to become founder members of the
Third Division in 1920.
Football League (1920–2003)
![Exeter City match](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Exeter_City_match.JPG)
City's historic first match in the Football League took place on Saturday 28 August 1920, when
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
was the visiting team to St James Park. Exeter won 3–0.
At the end of the season, the third tier of the League was being geographically divided, thus City was assigned to the
Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to on ...
.
In 1931, City reached the sixth round of the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, losing a replay 4–2 to
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
in front of its largest ever home gate. 50 years later, City reached the sixth round again, but lost 2–0 to eventual winners
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
. Earlier Exeter had beaten Newcastle United 4–0 having beaten Leicester City in the previous round.
In the
1932–33 season they achieved their highest position in the League, 2nd in the Third Division South, but remained there because at the time only the champions were promoted. It was the closest they ever came to promotion to the second tier of English football.
In the 1963–64 season, City achieved their first ever promotion, going up to
Division Three
The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the division become the fourth tier level. In 2004, following the ...
. However, City were relegated just two seasons later. It wasn't until 1977 that they would return to Division Three, under the guidance of
Bobby Saxton
Robert Saxton (born 6 September 1943) is an English former professional footballer, manager and coach.
Career
Born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Saxton managed Blackburn Rovers for five seasons after a playing career as a utility defender wit ...
.
The end of the 1970s and the very early 1980s were regarded as City's most successful spell in the Third Division, including a finish of 8th in 1979–80 and an FA Cup run the following season. Star players included
Tony Kellow
Tony Kellow (1 May 1952 – 20 February 2011) was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward and made over 400 Football League appearances in the 1970s and 1980s.
Early career
He was born in Budock Water, a village near Fa ...
,
John Delve
John Frederick Delve (born 27 September 1953) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 493 appearances in the Football League for Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, Exeter City and Hereford United.
Delve began hi ...
and
David Pullar
David Harry Pullar (born 13 February 1959) is an English former footballer who played as a winger in the Football League for Portsmouth, Exeter City and Crewe Alexandra.
Pullar was born in Durham and moved to Selsey at the age of 14. He playe ...
.
City's only major trophy so far has been the Fourth Division Championship which it won in 1990. In that season, City won 20 league games at St James Park, and remained undefeated in 31 home matches, including dramatic draws against
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
in the FA Cup third round and
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
in the
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
4th round, both of which featured late equalisers for the visitors.
Following that promotion, City rarely shone at the higher level. The departure of manager Terry Cooper and key players such as Shaun Taylor, Richard Dryden, Clive Whitehead, Brian McDermott and Steve Neville left new boss
Alan Ball to pick up the pieces. There were some successes under the former World Cup winner—including winning both games against local rivals
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
in the clubs' first derbies for a decade in the 1992/93 season—but Ball left for
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
in January 1994 and the returning Cooper was unable to save Exeter from relegation.
Back in the bottom division, City struggled for nearly a decade, with chairman Ivor Doble taking the club into
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
and starting a chain of events that resulted in the sale of the club's ground.
In November 1994, the club almost went out of business and sold its stadium to
Beazer
Beazer was a family business for six generationsC.H.Beazer (Holdings) Prospectus, July 1973 before expanding in the 1980s into international housebuilding, construction and building materials group. After becoming overburdened with debt it was r ...
for £650,000, but were able to stay there after the local council took it over. After nearly two years on the brink of closure, the club came out of administration on 1 August 1996, although the problems on the field were far from over.
In 2003, City finished 23rd in Division Three and was relegated to the
Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
; Exeter were the first club to suffer automatic relegation without finishing bottom of the league.
City won their last game against
Southend United
Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. Southend are known as ...
1–0, but were still relegated as
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
's victory over
Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving ...
left the Grecians one point short of safety.
Conference era (2003–2008)
Following relegation to the Conference, the club was taken over by the
Exeter City Supporters' Trust
The Exeter City AFC Supporters' Society, known commonly as the Exeter City Supporters' Trust and abbreviated as ECFCST, or simply The Trust; is a supporters' trust consisting of fans of Exeter City F.C., Exeter City, an England, English professi ...
, purchasing a majority shareholding on 5 September 2003. In May 2007 two of the Directors who had been in charge during season 2002–2003 were convicted of fraudulent trading at the club, John Russell receiving a prison sentence and Mike Lewis a community service sentence.
Several million pounds in debt and with no big investor in sight, the Trust kept the club going through fund-raising activities amongst rank-and-file supporters. Complex legal arguments with both
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation ta ...
and football authorities meant that City's first season of non-league football was plagued by off-the-field uncertainty. The claim was finally dropped in June 2004.
In 2004, a Creditors Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) was put in place to reduce the club's debts. Through the club's "Red or Dead" scheme, hundreds of fans pledged at least £500 each to fund the CVA repayments, but the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
proved to be the income boost the Grecians had needed, as City drew
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
away in the third round of the FA Cup. City drew 0–0 at
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
in January 2005, gaining £653,511 as City's share of receipts from the 67,511 attendance. Further income from a televised replay—won 2–0 by United—coupled with ongoing fund-raising and unpaid work from the club's supporters helped the club to repay its debts, and the CVA was cleared in December 2005.
2004 also saw the club's centenary. In May 2004 a friendly fixture was arranged against a Brazilian masters team at St James Park, a celebration of City's South American tour of 1914. The Brazilian team, containing such notable players as
Careca
Antônio de Oliveira Filho (born 5 October 1960), better known as Careca (), is a Brazilian former footballer, who was deployed as a forward. During his career, Careca played for several clubs, most notably with Italian side Napoli. He also re ...
and
Dunga
Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri (born 31 October 1963), known as Dunga (), is a Brazilian football manager and former professional player who played as a defensive midfielder. Under his captaincy, Brazil won the 1994 FIFA World Cup and he lifted ...
, won 1–0.
![Exeter-Blue-Square-Premier-08-Celebrate-crop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Exeter-Blue-Square-Premier-08-Celebrate-crop.jpg)
City's first team finished the
2006–07 season in fifth place, qualifying for the play-offs. After beating
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
on penalties in the semi-final, City met
Morecambe
Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea.
Name
The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...
at
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, where they lost 2–1 despite taking an early lead.
Exeter reached the play-off final in the following season; this time Exeter looked to be heading out of the play-offs after losing the first leg of the semi-final at home to local rivals
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
2–1, but came back to win the second leg 4–1 with 3 goals in the last 20 minutes. In the final Exeter met
Cambridge United
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on N ...
in front of a Conference play-off record crowd of 42,511, winning 1–0 with a goal from
Rob Edwards, earning promotion to
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
.
Return to the Football League (2008–present)
League Two (2008–2009)
The club followed its success in the Conference by finishing as runners up to
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
in
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
. A goal from
Richard Logan helped Exeter to win promotion to
League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
with a 1–0 win away to
Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to red and white around 1 ...
on the last day of the season.
League One (2009–2012)
2009–2010 was Exeter's 45th season in the third tier of English football. They have played more seasons in the third tier than any club who have never reached the top two tiers. They survived their first season at this level for 16 years by one point; an 82nd-minute
Ryan Harley
Ryan Bernard Harley (born 22 January 1985) is an English former professional footballer who is currently assistant manager at Notts County.
His previous clubs include Bristol City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Swansea City, Exeter City and Milton K ...
goal against
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. The ...
on the final day of the season saw Exeter overcome the promotion chasers 2–1 and relegated
Gillingham in the process.
The club suffered a tragedy on 10 August 2010, days after the start of the
2010–11 season, when striker
Adam Stansfield
Adam Stansfield (10 September 1978 – 10 August 2010) was an English professional footballer who played as a striker. He competed professionally for Yeovil Town, Hereford United and Exeter City, and won promotion from the Football Conf ...
died of cancer aged 31. As a result, their next fixture against Dagenham & Redbridge on 14 August was postponed as a mark of respect. Exeter recovered well, however, and finished 8th in the league that season, one point off a playoff spot.
Following such a strong season, hopes were high for the
2011–12 season, but poor away form (with just two wins away from home all season) saw Exeter relegated to League Two. Relegation was confirmed on 28 April 2012, following a 4–1 defeat away to
Carlisle United
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
.
League Two (2012–2022)
![Exeter City FC League Performance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Exeter_City_FC_League_Performance.svg)
The club remains owned by its fans, through the Exeter City Supporters Trust. During the 2012–2013 season saw Exeter have a marginally successful season, spending the season travelling up and down the top half of the season from 1st place to 10th. Exeter set new club record for away wins in a single season, winning 11 of their 23 fixtures away from home.
City had one of the highest away win percentage of the season however disappointing home form lead them to fall into the playoff positions only to see a poor end-of-season run leaving them to fall into 10th position; despite their earlier automatic promotion and then reestimated playoff ambitions.
Tisdale claimed that injuries were to blame for City missing out on the play-offs.
At the end of the 2012–13 campaign, poor funds and lack of income led to an unfortunate squad trim with boss Paul Tisdale having to let go:
Jamie Cureton
Jamie Cureton (born 28 August 1975) is an English former professional footballer. A striker, he is currently player-manager at Enfield.
He began his career at Norwich City in 1994, and after the club's relegation from the Premier League at the ...
, lead goal scorer of the last campaign netting over 21 goals and the 2010 campaign (with similar statistics);
Guillem Bauzà
Guillem Bauzà Mayol (born 25 October 1984) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Welsh club Merthyr Town as a striker, second striker or attacking midfielder.
He spent most of his career in Wales and England, in representation of several clu ...
,
Kevin Amankwaah, unable to renew his contract despite his fan-favourite status and great playing abilities heralding fan chants and songs;
Mark Molesley
Mark Clifford Molesley (born 11 March 1981) is an English association football, football manager and former professional player who is manager of Gosport Borough F.C., Gosport Borough. He played in the Football League for A.F.C. Bournemouth, Bo ...
, despite being there only half a season;
Rhys Evans
Rhys Karl Evans (born 27 January 1982) is an English former professional footballer and goalkeeper coach. He played as a goalkeeper, who won two England under-21 caps.
Born in Swindon, Wiltshire, he began his career with Chelsea, where he stay ...
and later
Tully's new contract was withdrawn due to financial constraints. Despite this Tisdale managed to sign
Sam Parkin
Samuel Parkin (born 14 March 1981) is an English former footballer; a radio presenter for BBC Wiltshire, regularly involved with Swindon Town's coverage; and commentator for Chelsea TV. Throughout his career Parkin has played as a forward fo ...
and
Doug Bergqvist
Jan Douglas Bergqvist (born 29 March 1993) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Allsvenskan club Degerfors.
Career
Born in Stockholm, Bergqvist moved with his family to England when he was seven years old. He pl ...
.
![Exeter City in Brazil](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Exeter_City_in_Brazil.JPG)
In 2013–2014, Exeter participated in
Football League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
and the
Football League Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
, but they were eliminated in the First Round of the competition by
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
. In the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
Exeter City were knocked out by
Peterborough United
Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
in the First Round. In the
League 2
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
season, Exeter finished in 16th.
In pre-season, after a 0–1 friendly loss to
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
, the club went on a short tour in Brazil to commemorate 100 years since they played the
Brazil National Football Team
The Brazil national football team ( pt, Seleção Brasileira de Futebol), nicknamed ''Seleção Canarinho'' (‘Canary Squad’, after their bright yellow jersey), represents Brazil in men's international football and is administered by the B ...
. Exeter drew 0–0 against
Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, ...
under 23's and then beat sides
Tupi Tupi may refer to:
* Tupi people of Brazil
* Tupi or Tupian languages, spoken in South America
** Tupi language, an extinct Tupian language spoken by the Tupi people
* Tupi oil field off the coast of Brazil
* Tupi Paulista, a Brazilian municipalit ...
and a Rio Cricket Club 2–1 and 3–1 respectively. Exeter finished pre-season with 2–0 home losses to
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
and
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
.
Exeter City's opening matches of 2014–15 were a 1–1 draw against
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
in
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
and then a 0–2 loss against
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
in the
Football League Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
. Both matches were played at
St James Park St James Park and variants may refer to:
Municipalities
* St James Park, New Zealand, a suburb of Hamilton, New Zealand
Football stadiums
* St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
* St James Park (Exeter), Exeter, England
* St James Park, g ...
. In the
2014–15 FA Cup
The 2014–15 FA Cup, also called the 2014–15 FA Challenge Cup, was the 134th occurrence of the FA Cup, the main domestic cup in English football and the oldest knockout competition in the world. It was the first season when the BBC and BT Spor ...
in the first round, they were beaten 1–0 away to
Warrington Town, a club 100 places lower than them at that current point in the season. The game was also broadcast live on
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
. The Grecians finished tenth in League Two in 2014–15, their play-off push just falling short in the final few weeks.
City finished in 14th position in 2015–16, a season that included a memorable 2–2 draw against Premier League Liverpool in the FA Cup.
In the 2016–17 season, City started badly, and were bottom of the league by November. However, a turnaround in form saw Exeter finish 5th in the league, and earn a playoff spot. Following a thrilling 3–3 draw in the first leg of the semi-final at Carlisle, the second leg, tied at 2–2, looked destined to go to extra time. But, in the 95th minute, Jack Stacey's long range shot with his weak foot fired Exeter into
the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, earning them a spot at Wembley. The final took place on 28 May, and Exeter faced Blackpool. Their hopes for promotion were shattered when they conceded a goal within 3 minutes, and although they equalised, City eventually lost the game 2–1.
On the back of the play-off final defeat Exeter began the 2017–18 season unbeaten after 5 games, notably beating Cheltenham in a 7 goal thriller. Like in the season before, they reached the
play-off final
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, again being on the losing side, this time against Coventry.
On 1 June 2018, Exeter announced that, after 12 years as manager, Paul Tisdale had decided not to sign a new contract with the club, which announced that Matt Taylor, a former captain and Under 23 team coach, had been appointed manager.
League One (2022–present)
On 26 April 2022, Exeter gained promotion to the
EFL League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
following a 2-1 win over
Barrow at
St James Park St James Park and variants may refer to:
Municipalities
* St James Park, New Zealand, a suburb of Hamilton, New Zealand
Football stadiums
* St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
* St James Park (Exeter), Exeter, England
* St James Park, g ...
and went onto finish the
2021–22 EFL League Two season in second place.
Nickname
The club is
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
d ''The Grecians'', a name whose origin remains the subject of much speculation.
One suggestion is that in 1908 the club voted for the name because of its association with
St Sidwells
St Sidwell's is an area east of Exeter city centre in the ward of Newtown, Exeter, Newtown. Formerly a village in its own right, St Sidwells grew in importance along with Exeter thanks to its location on the main cart track between Exeter and th ...
parish. Historically people living in the parish of St Sidwells were said to have been known as "Greeks" or "Grecians".
[Southey's Common-Place Book. 4th Series. 21 July 1669. Exeter. (p380.)] This is possibly due to the parish's location beyond the city walls. For instance, in
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
's epic poem the ''
Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...
'' the Greek forces laid siege to the walls of
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...
.
However, perhaps more plausibly, the association arose because of rivalries between city boys and those of St Sidwells during the annual
beating the bounds Beating the bounds or perambulating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in parts of England, Wales, and the New England region of the United States, which traditionally involved swatting local landmarks with branches to maintain a shared ...
.
It has also been suggested the name derived from a group of children in St Sidwells who were referred to as the 'Greasy Un's'. A further possibility was that it derived from a jeweller's shop in Sidwell Street, close to the ground, which had a clock hanging outside displaying the name 'Grecians' on its face.
Yet another theory suggests that it is a corruption of ''Caerwysg'', the Welsh name for Exeter (Caer = fort, Wysg = Exe – fort on the river Exe, similar to the Cornish Karesk). Thus, citizens could have been known as ''Caer Iscuns'' and so possibly mutating to Grecians.
Supporters and rivalries
Famous fans
Famous fans include
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
frontman
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Univ ...
,
[Coldplay guitarist: 'I'd give it all up for Tottenham Hotspur'](_blank)
– NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
News. Retrieved 3 June 2010 Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter. He was part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s and had roles in the television series ''The Young Ones (TV s ...
,
[It's fun down here... life outside the Premier League](_blank)
– ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' (London). Retrieved 3 June 2010 Noel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds (born 22 December 1948) is an English television presenter, radio DJ, writer, producer, and businessman. Edmonds first became known as a disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg before moving to BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presente ...
, swimmer
Liam Tancock
Liam John Tancock (born 7 May 1985) is an English former competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in the Olympics, FINA world championships, and European championships, and England in the Commonwealth Games. He specialised in backstro ...
,
[Liam Tancock: 'I would always be in the fields looking for slow worms](_blank)
– The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
. Retrieved 17 August 2016 and
Hoosiers drummer Alan Sharland. Singer
Joss Stone
Joscelyn Eve Stoker (born 11 April 1987), known professionally as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to prominence in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, ''The Soul Sessions'', which made the 2004 Merc ...
signed up as a member of the supporters trust, being introduced to fans on the pitch as a new member during a
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
match against
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
.
[Pride in defeat for Exeter City](_blank)
– ''Exeter Express and Echo'' (This Is Devon). Retrieved 25 August 2011
– Exeter City Football Club, The Official Website. Retrieved 26 August 2011
In 2002 pop singer
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
was made honorary director of
Exeter City
Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...
.
[Jackson made Exeter FC director](_blank)
– BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
. 3 July 2002. Retrieved 1 May 2011 He visited
St James Park St James Park and variants may refer to:
Municipalities
* St James Park, New Zealand, a suburb of Hamilton, New Zealand
Football stadiums
* St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
* St James Park (Exeter), Exeter, England
* St James Park, g ...
with celebrity friend
Uri Geller
Uri Geller ( ; he, אורי גלר; born 20 December 1946) is an Israeli-British illusionist, magician, television personality, and self-proclaimed psychic. He is known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other ill ...
, who was also a director.
The crew of also adopted Exeter City as their home team and use their strip when playing games.
Rivalries
A survey conducted by
Football Fans Census
Football Fans Census (sometimes known as FFC), is the trading name of Football Fans Central Ltd, a small market research company which specialises in research into the views and opinions of English football supporters.
When the free-to-air dig ...
in 2003 revealed that Exeter City supporters consider their main rival to be
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
.
The two clubs first met in a competitive fixture in 1908 when both sides were in the
Southern League, and have contested matches intermittently during their histories due to Plymouth Argyle usually being in a higher division. Supporters also share a friendlier rivalry with
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
, a club whose supporters view Exeter as their main rival.
The two clubs are closer geographically and have met more often during their respective histories, having first played a competitive match in 1927 after Torquay were elected to
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
. Matches between the three clubs are known as Devon derbies. Despite their on-field rivalry, Torquay helped Exeter during their financial difficulties of 2003 by waiving their gate receipts in a pre-season friendly. This gesture was returned in 2015 when Exeter gave the Gulls their gate receipts as a result of Torquay's financial difficulties, having had to close down their academy and terminate the contract of manager
Chris Hargreaves
Christian Hargreaves (born 12 May 1972) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward and a midfielder from 1989 until 2010. He subsequently managed Torquay United from January 2014 until June 2015, and Yeovil Town from May ...
.
Players
Current squad
:
Out on loan
Retired numbers
Following
Adam Stansfield
Adam Stansfield (10 September 1978 – 10 August 2010) was an English professional footballer who played as a striker. He competed professionally for Yeovil Town, Hereford United and Exeter City, and won promotion from the Football Conf ...
's death from
colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...
during the
2010–11 season, the club retired his number 9 shirt for the following nine seasons. From the
2020–21 season onwards, the shirt number is worn only by players from the club's own academy. On 2 September 2022, it was announced that Stansfield's son
Jay Stansfield
Jay Stansfield (born 24 November 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Birmingham City, on loan from club Fulham. He began his football career with Exeter City, joined Fulham as a 16-year-old, and spent the ...
would return to Exeter City on a season-long loan basis, thus following in the footsteps of his late-father by wearing the number 9 shirt.
Notable former players
Notable former players include
Harry Gee
Harold "Harry" Gee (25 December 1895 – 1991) was an English professional association footballer from Haydock, Lancashire who played as a wing half
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play ...
who during the 1927–28 season made 29 appearances for the club scoring 2 goals. He retired from professional after just one season at the club suffering a career ending broken leg, Harry had formerly played for the championship winning
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club () is an English association football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, that competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, following relegation from the 2021–22 Premier League. Founded on 18 Ma ...
side of 1921/22.
Cliff Bastin
Clifford Sydney Bastin (14 March 1912 – 4 December 1991) was an English footballer who played as a winger for Exeter City and Arsenal. He also played for the England national team. Bastin is Arsenal's third-highest goalscorer of all time.
C ...
, who went on to play for
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Maurice Setters
Maurice Edgar Setters (16 December 1936 – 22 November 2020) was an English football player and manager. As a player, he made more than 400 appearances in the Football League for Exeter City, West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United, Stoke City, ...
, who won an
F.A. Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competiti ...
winner's medal with
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
in 1963, and goalkeeper
Dick Pym
Richard Henry Pym (2 February 1893 – 16 September 1988) was an English footballer best known for being the Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper at the first ever FA Cup final to be played at Wembley Stadium in 1923.
The game, known as the '' White H ...
, who later played for
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
and England. Pym's sale to Bolton in 1921, for a fee of £5,000, allowed City to purchase St. James Park.
Other well-known players include the prolific 1930s striker
Fred Whitlow
Frederick William James Whitlow (3 September 1904 – 6 January 1978) was an English professional Association football, footballer, who played in the Football League for Charlton Athletic and Exeter City.
Early career in Barry
Born in Bristol ...
,
Arnold Mitchell
Arnold Mitchell (February 18, 1918 – July 17, 1985) was a social scientist and consumer futurist who worked for SRI International and created a noted psychographic methodology, Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles (VALS).
Early life and educa ...
, who played 495 games for City,
Tony Kellow
Tony Kellow (1 May 1952 – 20 February 2011) was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward and made over 400 Football League appearances in the 1970s and 1980s.
Early career
He was born in Budock Water, a village near Fa ...
, City's record goalscorer, Ian Main, the gifted goalkeeper from the club's most successful years who died very young,
Fred Binney
Frederick Edward Binney (born 12 August 1946) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Torquay United, Exeter City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Plymouth Argyle and Hereford United, and in the North Ameri ...
and
Darran Rowbotham
Darran Rowbotham (born 22 October 1966) is a Welsh former footballer who made more than 450 appearances in the Football League playing as a striker.
Career
Rowbotham was born in Cardiff, Wales. He began his career as a junior with Plymouth ...
in the 1980s and early 90s. Former England winger
Lee Sharpe
Lee Stuart Sharpe (born 27 May 1971) is an English professional golfer, former professional footballer, sports television pundit and reality television personality.
As a player was predominantly a left winger from 1988 to 2004, he notably play ...
played four games for Exeter at the beginning of their 2002–03 Division Three campaign, scoring two goals.
Former City player
George Reader
George Reader (22 November 1896 – 13 July 1978) was the fourth man to referee a FIFA World Cup Final, the first Englishman (one of only 10 match officials from the United Kingdom) to do so, and the oldest match official at any World Cup in hi ...
went on to referee the
1950 World Cup final, becoming the first
Englishman
The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language, a West Germanic language, and share a common history and culture. The English identity is of Anglo-Saxon origin, when they were known in ...
to do so.
David Pleat
David John Pleat (born 15 January 1945) is an English football player turned manager, and sports commentator. Pleat made 185 Football League appearances for five clubs, scoring 26 goals. He had two spells as manager of Luton Town, and four as ma ...
scored 14 goals for Exeter whilst playing for them between 1968 and 1970. He went on to manage several successful clubs, including
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
,
before becoming a football media pundit for ITV and Radio 5 Live.
In recent times, Exeter City Academy graduates
Dean Moxey
Dean William Moxey (born 14 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays for National League club Torquay United as a full-back.
Moxey is a versatile player, naturally a left-back but also comfortable as a centre-back, left w ...
,
George Friend
George Andrew Jordan Friend (born 19 October 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Birmingham City.
In the 2012–13 season, Friend won Middlesbrough players' player of the season award. The following s ...
,
Matt Grimes
Matthew Jacob Grimes (born 15 July 1995) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Welsh club Swansea City A.F.C., Swansea City.
He began his career at Exeter City F.C., Exeter City, where he made ...
,
Ethan Ampadu
Ethan Kwame Colm Raymond Ampadu (born 14 September 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder for Serie A club Spezia, on loan from Chelsea, and the Wales national team.
Ampadu previously played for E ...
and
Ollie Watkins
Oliver George Arthur Watkins (born 30 December 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Aston Villa and the England national team.
Watkins is a product of the Exeter City academy and made his breakthrough ...
have gone on to play in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
, while
Danny Seaborne
Daniel Anthony Seaborne (born 5 March 1987) is a retired English professional footballer who played as a defender.
Seaborne began his professional career at Exeter City, having risen through the club's youth system; he signed his professional c ...
and
Elliott Frear
Elliott Thomas Frear (born 11 September 1990) is an English professional footballer, who plays for National League South side Bath City, as a winger.
Career
Frear signed for Exeter City at the age of 11 and progressed through the club's Centre ...
established themselves as regulars in the
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...
. Ampadu (son of former
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and Exeter City player
Kwame Ampadu
Patrick Kwame Ampadu (born 20 December 1970) is an Irish former footballer who played as a midfielder. Ampadu featured for clubs Arsenal, Swansea City, Leyton Orient and Exeter City in his playing career. He is currently an assistant coach for ...
) won his first
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
cap in 2017, and played for his country at
UEFA Euro 2020
The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2020 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2020) or simply Euro 2020, was the 16th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...
. Watkins, meanwhile, who while at the club was named 2017 EFL Young Player of the Season and left Exeter for a 'club record fee', won his first
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
cap in 2021.
Jamie Mackie
James Charles Mackie (born 22 September 1985) is a British former professional footballer who played as a striker or winger, most notably for Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, and Oxford United. Born in England, Mackie played for Scotland.
...
, who played for the Grecians between 2005 and 2008, went on to play 60 Premier League games for
QPR
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus R ...
, and picked up 9 caps for
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
.
In
a survey published by the
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) is the trade union for professional association footballers in England and Wales. Founded in 1907, it is the world's oldest professional sport trade union, and has over 5,000 members.
The aims of ...
in December 2007,
Alan Banks was listed as the all-time favourite player amongst Exeter City fans.
Hall of Fame
In 2014 Exeter City – in partnership with the
Exeter College, the
Heritage Lottery Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom.
History
The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
, the
South West Heritage Trust
The South West Heritage Trust is a charity which was formed in 2014. It is involved in the preservation and management of the heritage of Somerset and Devon.
In 2014 the trust took over the management of local archives for the Devon Record Office ...
and the
ECFCST History Group – launched the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame aims to recognise the achievements and contributions made by 'genuine legends' to the club.
The following players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame:
Non-playing staff
Corporate hierarchy
Coaching staff
Managerial history
Chairmen
The following have been chairman of the club:
![Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00050, Lord Richard de Abernon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-00050%2C_Lord_Richard_de_Abernon.jpg)
† Indicates spell as co-chairman
Honours and achievements
League
*
Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to on ...
/
League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
(Tier 3)
**Runners-up (1):
1932–33 – ''Exeter's highest ever league position''
*
Fourth Division
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
/
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
(Tier 4)
**Champions (1):
1989–90
**2nd place promotion (3):
1976–77,
2008–09,
2021–22
**4th place promotion (1):
1963–64
*
Conference
A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic.
Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...
(Tier 5)
**Play-off winners (1):
2007–08
**Play-off finalists (1):
2006–07
Cups and Trophies
*
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
**Quarter-finalists (2):
1930–31,
1980–81
*
Football League Third Division South Cup The Football League Third Division South Cup was a association football, football knockout competition open to teams competing in Football League Third Division South.
The competition was first held in 1933–34 Football League, 1933–34 and ran ...
**Winners (1):
1933–34
*
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
**Southern Section Finalists (3):
1992–93,
1999–2000,
[English Auto Windscreens Shield 1999–2000 : Southern Final](_blank)
– retrieved 20 April 2009 2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
Non-league
*
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
**Semi-finalists (1):
2005–06
*Devon St. Luke's Challenge Cup
**Winners (22):
1925–26,
1926–27,
1927–28,
1953–54,
1958–59,
1960–61,
1961–62,
1962–63, 1963–64,
1964–65,
1967–68,
1973–74,
1984–85,
1985–86,
1986–87,
1996–97,
1997–98,
2001–02,
2003–04,
2004–05,
2008–09,
2018–19.
*East Devon Senior Cup
**Winners (3): 1953–54,
1980–81,
1981–82
**Runners-up (1):
1903–04
Nineteen or 19 may refer to:
* 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20
* one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019
Films
* ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film
* ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film
Music ...
– as ''St. Sidwell's United''
*Trowbridge Charity Cup
**Winners (1): 1927–28
*Hospital Cup
**Winners (1):
1969–70
*Bill Slee Cup
**Winners (1): 1985–86
*
Brian Lomax Supporters Direct Cup
**Winners (1):
2017–18
Club records
*Largest league victory
**8–1 v.
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
, 1926
**8–1 v.
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
, 1935 (the score was 0–0 against Aldershot at half-time).
*Largest FA Cup victory – 14–0 v.
Weymouth, 1908.
*Largest aggregate score - 11-6 v Crystal Palace, Third Division South Cup 1933-34.
*Largest league defeat
**0–9 vs.
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League (division), National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 2 ...
, 1948
**0–9 vs.
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
, 1958.
*Record home attendance
– 20,984 vs.
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, FA Cup Sixth Round Replay, 1931.
*Record away attendance
– 67,551 vs.
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
at
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
, FA Cup Third Round, 2005
*Most away victories in a single league season
– 13 victories (from 23 matches) in
2016/17.
See also
*
Exeter City Supporters' Trust
The Exeter City AFC Supporters' Society, known commonly as the Exeter City Supporters' Trust and abbreviated as ECFCST, or simply The Trust; is a supporters' trust consisting of fans of Exeter City F.C., Exeter City, an England, English professi ...
*
Exeter City Women F.C.
Exeter City Women Football Club is an English women's football club, based in Exeter. They are currently members of the .
History
Elmore Eagles L.F.C.
The team was originally formed around 1997 when they were named Elmore Eagles L.F.C.
Exete ...
*
List of fan-owned sports teams
This is a partial list of professional or semi-professional sports teams that are owned by fans (via either a collective organisation or where the assumption of majority ownership by a small group is prohibited by the club's constitution or gov ...
References
External links
*
Exeter City Supporters' Trust official websiteGrecian Archive(official club archive)
*
{{Football League Two
1904 establishments in England
Association football clubs established in 1904
Football clubs in Devon
Football clubs in England
Sport in Exeter
Southern Football League clubs
English Football League clubs
National League (English football)
Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom
Fan-owned football clubs in England