Exeter City vice-captain Jake Doyle-Hayes says it is a "massive honour" to continue wearing the Club's iconic No.31 shirt for the 2026/27 season.
The midfielder becomes just the second player, after fellow Irishman Graham Cummins, to wear the supporter-funded No.31 shirt for a second consecutive campaign.
Speaking about his decision to keep the special number, Jake said: "It's a massive honour to wear the No.31 shirt for me and my family, so I'm delighted to continue wearing it for a second season.
"When I first got approached about it last season, when I first came to the club, I was really excited. It's a great honour. The connection between the players and fans is massive and, for me, to help bridge that gap is a big responsibility, but it's a responsibility that I really want to have.
"I've never really heard of any other club doing something like it. When I first heard about it, I thought it was really exciting and a massive honour, so that's why I wanted to continue wearing it."
The 1931 Fund is now entering its 17th season and is named in honour of Exeter City's famous FA Cup run in 1931. Formed in 2010 by a group of exiled Grecians, the initiative sees supporters each contribute £19 a month to help fund a donation towards a first-team player's wages every season which is another powerful example of the commitment and camaraderie that exists within a supporter-owned football club.
James Norwood became the first player to wear the No.31 shirt in 2010, with the likes of Graham Cummins, Pierce Sweeney and Jack Sparkes all following in the years since.
1931 Fund founder Alan Crockford was delighted that Doyle-Hayes chose to continue wearing the shirt.
"We're absolutely thrilled," Alan said. "We have a great relationship with all of our No.31 players, so for Jake to say, 'I love wearing the shirt and I'd like to keep it for another year,' is fantastic. To have a player of his quality wanting to continue representing the Fund is really exciting. It's great news."
Reflecting on how the Fund began, Alan added: "We started back in 2010 after the Club had won promotion to League One. We saw other clubs talking about investment and signing players, and we thought we'd have our own way of contributing.
"We managed to raise £15,000, which made a real difference at the time. Today, football finances have changed enormously, so while the amount may seem more symbolic, we still believe it's an important gesture. It shows supporters are willing to do their bit to help the Club.
"Every member contributes £19 a month. For those of us who live away from Exeter, it is our way of feeling connected to the Club. Even if work or family commitments mean we can't get to many matches, it's like having one turnstile click every month through our contribution.
"If you're an exile, or even a supporter who can't get to as many games as you'd like, and you're able to contribute £19 a month, we'd love to welcome you to the Fund."
Join the 1931 Fund
If you'd like to join Alan and the many supporters who contribute £19 a month to the 1931 Fund, please email: 1931fund@gmail.com for more information.