A look around the division next season
After looking at the first batch of Exeter’s divisional rivals for 2015/16 yesterday, today we consider another eight opponents that will visit St James Park next season.Manager – Ronnie Moore
Stadium – Victoria Park (8,240)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 344 miles
2014/15 position – 22nd
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: L1-2; Away: L1-2
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 9/2
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 9/1
Hartlepool were able to celebrate a great escape on the penultimate weekend – a 2-1 win at Victoria Park against Exeter secured the unlikeliest of survivals. But now the smoke has settled, the Pools supporters will begin to see their 22nd-place finish for what it is and want to avoid that kind of drama again. It is a marginally shorter journey for the Grecians than the visit to Carlisle.
Manager – vacant
Stadium – Brisbane Road (9,271)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 214 miles
2014/15 position – 23rd in League 1 (relegated)
Exeter City results 2014/15 – N/A
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 13/5
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 16/1
The manager’s chair at Brisbane Road is currently unfilled, after Fabio Liverani resigned two weeks ago – his side were winless in the final seven games en route to demotion. Ian Hendon has been the name touted in recent days to be the front-runner for the position – he’ll have a little rebuilding to do, with Scott Cuthbert becoming the latest departure as he landed at Luton.
Manager – John Still
Stadium – Kenilworth Road (10,356)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 210 miles
2014/15 position – 8th
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: D1-1; Away: W3-2
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 11/4
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 18/1
John Still looked likely to secure back-to-back promotions for the Hatters last season, only for a run of six straight defeats in March (followed by a dramatic 3-2 loss to Exeter on Good Friday) to halt their chances. Still has experience of guiding a club out of the division on his CV – he took Dagenham & Redbridge into the third tier in 2011, via a play-off final at Wembley.
Manager – Adam Muray
Stadium – Field Mill (10,000)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 224 miles
2014/15 position – 21st
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: L1-2; Away: W3-2
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 11/1
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 11/2
No team in League 2 picked up fewer points on the road than Mansfield last season – although the Grecians were one of three sides to suffer a home defeat to the Stags, along with Newport and Wimbledon. Despite guiding his side perilously close to the drop – including losing eight of the last nine fixtures – Adam Murray continues to occupy the hotseat after taking over in December.
Manager – Jim Bentley
Stadium – Globe Arena (6,476)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 288 miles
2014/15 position – 11th
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: D1-1; Away: W2-0
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 14/1
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 5/1
Despite attracting the second-lowest gate in League 2 last season – averaging just shy of 2,000 per game – Morecambe had another solid season with a top-half finish. The Shrimps had a hand at the top of the table by acting as spoilers for play-off finalists Southend and Wycombe – they denied both sides automatic promotion by beating them in the final two games.
Manager – Terry Butcher
Stadium – Rodney Parade (7,850)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 95 miles
2014/15 position – 9th
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: W2-0; Away: D2-2
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 9/2
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 12/1
The Exiles’ biggest capture of the summer to date has been in the appointment of Terry Butcher as manager. The former England international, who had spent five years managing in Scotland with Inverness and Hibernian, now takes charge of a Welsh club which is still licking its wounds – five losses in the final six games denied Newport a chance to extend their season into the play-offs.
Manager – Chris Wilder
Stadium – Sixfields (7,653)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 188 miles
2014/15 position – 22nd
Exeter City results 2014/15 – Home: L0-2; Away: L0-1
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 100/30
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 18/1
The Cobblers continue to be considered as potential promotion candidates, despite a couple of underwhelming seasons. They threatened to play a part in the race to League 1 last season and put together a spell of eight wins in ten games between January and March, but ultimately they never climbed higher than 10th. However they boasted wins-to-nil in both games against the Grecians.
Manager – Ricardo Moniz
Stadium – Meadow Lane (21,388)
Distance from St James Park (by road) – 211 miles
2014/15 position – 21st in League 1 (relegated)
Exeter City results 2014/15 – N/A
Sky Bet promotion odds 2015/16 – 100/30
Sky Bet relegation odds 2015/16 – 14/1
Last time the Grecians visited Meadow Lane, Scot Bennett was on the scoresheet for the Grecians. This time around, he’ll be on the books for the Magpies following his move to the Midlands. Dutch gaffer Ricardo Moniz – who has experience coaching in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Poland – was unable to prevent relegation when he arrived in April.