John Newman: 1933 - 2025

All at Exeter City were saddened to hear that former player and manager John Newman has passed away aged 91. 

John Newman ranks as one of the club's longer-serving managers. With four top-nine Division Four places during his time, he was also more successful than many and laid the seeds for the 1977 promotion success that followed a few months after he left the club.

Starting his career with Birmingham City in 1951, he made sixty league appearances (and also appeared in the 1956 FA Cup final) before clocking up a similar number with Leicester City between 1957 and 1960. He then made just short of 300 league appearances for Plymouth Argyle prior to signing for the Grecians in an £8,000 deal in 1967. Quickly establishing himself as a key player, he was an obvious candidate for the managerial seat when Frank Broome departed in April 1969. Indeed, the appointment was no great surprise as John had appeared to be the man-in-waiting for several months and, at the age of thirty-five, the timing was ideal for all parties. 

Given the club had only once finished above 17th position since the relegation from Division Three in 1966, the 9th place achieved under John in 1970/71 offered a hint of promise. Unfortunately the real breakthrough never occurred on his watch although the subsequent 15th, 8th 10th, 9th and 7th placings were a markedly better sequence than anything City had achieved since the introduction of Division Four save for the 1963/64 promotion campaign.

Threatening to resign in 1971, he lasted the course better than many of his predecessors but ultimately the 7th placed finish in 1975/76, and the strong start to the following campaign, attracted the interest of other clubs. Although it may have been a surprise in December 1976 that he went to Grimsby Town in particular, at that stage struggling in the league above, the Grecians must have been gearing up to the parting of the ways for some time and, just as Newman had been anticipating Frank Broome's departure, the same was now true for Bobby Saxton.

History records that Saxton saw through City's promotion in 1977, and the start of a commendable stab at remaining in Division Three until 1984, whilst Newman could not save Grimsby from relegation. But promotion was achieved in 1979 even though John Newman had left to become assistant manager of Derby County before the Mariners' second successive promotion in 1980. But he did become Derby's manager in 1982 and also took charge of Hereford United, his hometown club. 

Our thoughts are with John's family and friends at this very sad time.