Exeter City FC

The club made an historic tour of South America in 1914, during which time they played against teams in Argentina and Brazil. In the latter country they became the first club to play against the Brazilian international team. During the First World War, City, like so many other clubs, stopped playing. City were invited by the Football League to become founder members of the Third Division in 1920, which became regionalised into a southern section a year later. Their historic first match in the Football League took place on Saturday, August 28, 1920, when Brentford were the visitors to St James Park.

Disaster struck in the mid-1920s when the grandstand was destroyed by fire. For several matches the players had to change in a nearby public house in Sidwell Street. Gradually however, funds were raised to construct a new stand, the same one in use up until the end of the 2016/17 season. Exeter City soon found that the increased costs involved in being a Football League side were a real burden, and they had to sell some of their best players in order to balance the books. These included goalkeeper Dick 'Pincher' Pym and inside forward Harold Blackmore, who were both sold to Bolton Wanderers, although part of the transfer fee received for Pym helped towards the purchase of St James Park allowing the club to continue to own the ground until 1995.

Another player who was to go on to great things was locally-born winger Cliff Bastin. As a 16-year-old he made an instant impact and was quickly snapped up by Arsenal, where his name was later to feature among the club's all-time greats. He featured in the all-conquering Highbury side of the late-1920s and early-1930s.

Back at St James Park however, the early-1930s were among the most successful in the Exeter City’s history. In 1931 City enjoyed an excellent run in the FA Cup reaching the sixth round before losing to Sunderland in a replay at St James Park in front of a record crowd of 20,984.  

Two years later City achieved their highest league position when they finished as runners-up in the Third Division South, only one club being promoted at that time.

Once again war intervened and Exeter City stopped playing between 1939 and 1945. The Grecians found themselves in the newly formed Fourth Division in 1958, where they remained until the 1963/64 season, when they won promotion for the first time in the club’s history.  

There had been an amazing transformation at the club, for in 1961, the alarm bells were sounding. Financial problems had shackled the club, and there were fears that Exeter City would go out of existence altogether.  

The club’s stay in the Third Division was to be a short one however, as Exeter were relegated after two years. It was to be 1977 before the club managed to win promotion again, this time managed by Bobby Saxton. That spell in the Third Division proved to be a much more successful one, lasting seven years, before dropping back into the league’s basement division. 

Exeter also enjoyed another memorable run in the FA Cup in 1981, again reaching the sixth round before losing to the eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur then captained by Steve Perryman, formerly City’s director of football.

In 1990 Terry Cooper’s team won the Fourth Division Championship, remaining unbeaten at home all season. However, the club were back in the bottom division four years later and facing mounting financial problems which culminated in November 1994, when the club had to appoint administrators to run their affairs. St James Park was sold to Beazer Homes for a figure of around £650,000. Exeter City Council stepped in to buy back the ground from Beazer Homes at the end of the 1995/96 season and then leased it back to the club.

This was a way of maintaining league football in the city. With the club coming out of administration on August 1, 1996, the traumatic days were finally coming to an end and for the first time in many months the club started to look to the future.

Finances continued to improve, and the club embarked on a redevelopment scheme for St James Park, which included the Big Bank end of the ground and the demolition of the Cowshed terrace to be replaced with an all-seater stand, together with refurbishment of the former St James School building into new offices, social club and corporate hospitality/conference and banqueting facilities.

Unfortunately, the close-season in 2003 proved to be the most traumatic in the club’s history. Police raided the club and took the chairman, his wife and the vice-chairman for questioning. Debts were mounting and the majority shareholder asked the Exeter City Supporters’ Trust to take over the day to day running of the club.

The club’s history has been played out predominantly in the bottom division of the Football League, but at the end of the 2002/03 season City were relegated to the Football Conference. This meant that the club would start its centenary year outside of the League that have been a member of for over 80 years.

Despite the ongoing off-field problems, the team started well in the Conference with a small squad, and many of the promising trainees featured at some stage. The Supporters’ Trust became the majority shareholders after acquiring the shares from Ivor Doble, and the aim was to stabilise the finances, which involved a CVA and to turn Exeter City into a true community run club.

The club celebrated its centenary with a prestigious friendly against a Brazil Masters XI (including World Cup winning captain Carlos Dunga) at St James Park during the summer of 2004, also marking the 90th anniversary of the Grecians’ tour to South America.

After battling through the first and second rounds of the FA Cup in 2004/05, defeating Football League sides, Doncaster Rovers and Grimsby Town respectively, Exeter were drawn away at Manchester United. They produced an amazing result, drawing 0-0, thus earning a replay back at St James Park, which was televised live. The dream ended with a 2-0 defeat, but not before the club’s debts were pretty well wiped out thanks to the match receipts from the two ties.

For the second season running the Grecians just missed out on a play-off spot in the Conference by one point at the end of the 2004/05 season. However, the club were the second-best supported non-league club in the country with an average home attendance figure only bettered by promoted side Carlisle United.

The team started the 2005/06 season in fine form and topped the Conference table for a while. However, they slipped off the leading positions in the second half of the campaign to eventually end in seventh place. City had a great run in the FA Trophy before losing at the semi-final stage to Grays Athletic over two legs.

In June 2006, manager Alex Inglethorpe departed to take over a youth coach position at Tottenham Hotspur and he was replaced at St James Park by Paul Tisdale, who was formerly with Team Bath.

Tisdale transformed the club’s fortunes in his first three seasons in charge.

An unforgettable play-off semi-final in 2006/07 saw the Grecians beat Oxford United on penalties to set up the club’s first ever trip to Wembley where they were beaten by Morecambe.

But the Grecians came back strongly the next season and qualified for the play-offs with a game to spare. After being beaten 2-1 by Torquay United at St James Park in the semi-final first leg, Tisdale’s side pulled off one of the club’s greatest ever comebacks with four goals in an unforgettable second half at Plainmoor to win 5-3 on aggregate and set up a return to the national stadium.

Rob Edwards’ first half header won the match for City against Cambridge United and the Grecians were promoted to League Two after five seasons of non-league football.

Things would get even better in the 2008/09 season as the club clinched back-to-back promotions on the final day with a 1-0 victory at Rotherham thanks to Richard Logan’s far post header which saw the club return to the third tier of English football for the first time for fifteen years.

City dropped back down to League Two in 2012, and finished just oustide the play-off places in the 2012/13 season. In 2015/16 season they also had another memorable FA Cup experience as they beat Didcot Town and Port Vale to set up a third-round tie with seven-time winners Liverpool at St James Park. Paul Tisdale’s side more than matched their illustrious opponents and were unfortunate not to come away from the game with a victory having twice taken the lead through Tom Nichols and Lee Holmes. The Grecians had to settle for a 2-2 draw and lost the replay match at Anfield 3-0.

The 2016/17 campaign would see the Grecians have a difficult start as they sat rock bottom of the league in November 2016 with key players missing out through injury. But, in an incredible season, City managed to climb the table with a stellar end to the season and eventually finished in fifth place, claiming a play-off place.

They were drawn against Carlisle United in the semi-finals, and yet again, Tisdale and his players produced a quite remarkable occasion. The Grecians travelled to Cumbria for the first leg and found themselves 3-1 up at Brunton Park before the home side levelled to set up an exciting night at St James Park for the second leg.

And what a night it turned out to be as the Grecians raced to a 2-0 (5-3 agg) lead on the night with two goals from academy graduate Ollie Watkins. But, in a crazy 10-minute spell, the Cumbrians fought back to level the score on the night to 2-2 (5-5 agg) after goals from Jason Kennedy and John O'Sullivan. As the match crept into the fifth minute of injury time, up popped young loanee Jack Stacey from right back, who curled an exquisite effort with his left foot into the far corner from the edge of the box to send the Grecians to Wembley.

However, the trip to the capital ended sadly as City were beaten 2-1 at Wembley. The Grecians rallied through David Wheeler's goal towards the end of the first half to level the score at 1-1, but a second-half strike from Mark Cullen confirmed heartbreak for the Grecians as they remained in League Two.

The 2017/18 campaign would prove to be Tis' final year in charge of the Grecians, and again it was a year where City competed well towards the top of the division. A stellar start to the campaign put the club in a strong position early on, battling against the likes of Luton Town, Accrington Stanley and Wycombe Wanderers, all teams who managed to squeeze ahead of City to confirm automatic promotion places at the end of the season.

The Grecians were made to settle for fourth-place finish, having narrowly missed out on automatic promotion by just four points to Gareth Ainsworth's Wycombe. In the play-offs for the second season running, this time City were drawn against Danny Cowley's Lincoln City. In the first leg at Sincil Bank the sides played out a competitive goalless draw which preceded another remarkable evening at St James Park.

A wonderful performance in front of the television cameras saw the Grecians march into the lead with a well-taken goal from season top scorer Jayden Stockley, before Hiram Boateng produced a piece of individual brilliance to run the ball from his own half and bend an effort into the top corner of the goal. It then got better for City as Ryan Harley provided another moment of magic for the club when he fired an exquisite effort from distance into the goal as City confirmed their place at Wembley for a second season running.

But, in what turned out to be Paul Tisdale's final match in charge of the Grecians, asc City fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Coventry City in the capital. Goals from Jordan Willis, Jordan Shipley and Jack Grimmer did the damage for the Sky Blues, despite young loanee Kyle Edwards pulling a goal back late on for the Grecians.

After failing to agree terms on a new contract ahead of the 2018/19 season, it was decided that Paul would depart the club after 12 years of service and left having provided a number of fantastic memories for all at St James Park.

Paul Tisdale departed Exeter City with the club in good health. After 12 years, Tis, along with former director of football Steve Perryman, left the Grecians in a strong position both on and off the field.

In a swift appointment the club board opted to select under-23 manager Matt Taylor to step up and take the first team job. A hero for many of the City faithful following his no nonsense displays for the Grecians in central defence as a player, the club appointed a man who had impressed as a coach under Tisdale.

In the 2017/18 season Matt guided the young Grecians to the knockout stages of the under-23 Premier League Cup as they stormed their group stage beating the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Sunderland and Hull City, before losing out on penlties to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

After proving an excellent candidate to take over the first team, Matt was handed the role on June 1, 2018. Matt took charge of his first match as first team manager on the opening day of the 2018/19 season in a 3-1 win over Carlisle United as the Grecians began a new era in positive fashion.

His first season in charge of the Grecians saw them finish ninth in Sky Bet League Two, only a point outside the play-off places. 

Matt's second season was a frustrating one for the team that was cut short through the Covid-19 pandemic and it saw the Grecians just miss out on promotion on PPG. City would make the play-off final against Northampton Town but would suffer a comprehensive 4-0 defeat.

The 20/21 season was almost completley played behind closed doors and City again looked to push for a play-off place but would just miss out on the final day of the season.

Matt's fourth season in charge was one to remember for the Grecians, as he guided the team to second place in EFL Sky Bet League Two and a return to League One for the first time in a decade!

After making a very strong start to life in Leauge One, Matt Taylor departed the club to join Championship side Rotherham in October.

City's 2-2 draw with Bristol Rovers was Matt’s last match as manager of Exeter City. 

Gary Caldwell joined Exeter City as First Team Manager on October 24.

Gary, 40, joins the club on a long term contract. The former Celtic and Scotland defender, was most recently assistant manager at Hibernian.

Prior to his appointment at Hibs, Gary managed Partick Thistle and Chesterfield; these appointments followed a stint as manager of Wigan who he led to a successful promotion to the Championship.

“As a supporter-owned club, Exeter City is unique and it was vitally important that we chose the right person to continue our journey. The club is in a strong position, having been promoted to League One and made a great start to the campaign, which sees us in eighth position in the table. Gary brings a great deal of experience to our club and we’re excited and optimistic for the future.”