Sunday 25th of May 2008 should be remembered by all Exeter City fans for years to come, for this was the day that our clubs fans could truly celebrate the end of an era:

Attending this work part were Elaine Davis, Sandra Please, Steve Moxey, Anne Moxey, Adrian Sproston, Catherine Jowitt, Dacre Holloway, Martin Lawrence, Brian Moore, Clive Davis, Sam Bigwood, Helen Bigwood, Martin Weiler and George Jowitt. - THANK YOU ALL!

Much of the foundations upon which Exeter City Football Club has been built, has derived from the ethos of community engagement and fans involvement with THEIR football club. How fitting it should be, that it was be a volunteer work party that marked our clubs passing out of the ranks of Non League football, with the removal of the "Blue Square Premier League" welcome sign outside the St James Park entrance at Stadium Way (exactly 5 years after a similar work party was assembled to erect a comparable greeting board upon the clubs relegation).

The work parties have been a resounding success at Exeter City Football Club, and have been a shining example of just how much can be achieved by a group of fans. The very first work party was organised some 5 years ago by club officials and like minded fans, in response to the rigorous demands placed on the club to improve its St James Park headquarters following the clubs relegation to the Conference. Five years have now passed, and much hard work done to improve our club both on and off the pitch.

Sunday's work party indeed marked the end of an era for Exeter City Football Club and its band of hard working volunteers, but the work does not stop here. Further work parties are planned for the summer with volunteers sought for the weekend of Saturday 7th to Sunday 8th June. This work party will mark the clubs annual Cat and Fiddle training ground work party, much marvelled by ECFC fans as the event of the summer, with painting, decorating and fun and games towards the evening. This event also gives volunteers the chance to camp overnight at the Club's training ground and meet up and talk about the season past (and WHAT A SEASON). Anybody interested in attending this event is urged to contact the Trust at trust@ecfc.co.uk for more details. Exeter City Football Club has now gone full circle and we now find ourselves back from whence we came. The start of the 2008-2009 season will mark our first in the ranks of league football as a fan owned club, a football club supported by its fans and rebuilt by the fans. The club has a lot to be thankful for and it owes its fans a huge debt of gratitude for the efforts of the last 5 years. The future is uncertain, but one thing is clear, the work parties will continue, whether it is fans sweeping up the terraces or painting the wooden cladding of the clubs training ground, the hard work will continue and so to will the clubs progression as a Trust owned club.

On behalf of the Board of Society of the Supporters' Trust, I would like to thank all who have lent their support to the club through the work parties over the last 5 years and to everyone who has helped our club progress back to the Football League throughout this time. I would also urge anyone who has yet to sample the work parties, to come along on the 7th or 8th of June to really get a taste for what being a community club is all about.

WITH THANKS

Martin Lawrence

ECFC Supporters' Trust Press Officer & Work Party Volunteer

For details on future and past work parties see here: http://www.exetercityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/WorkPartiesIndex/0,,10436,00.html