Who Are They?
Formed 116-years ago as St Sidwell’s United, Exeter City are based just outside Devon and are one of the several fan-based owned clubs. The Grecians were one of the longest serving members of the football league in a period which lasted from 1920 to 2003 before relegation to the Conference. Their more common name as Exeter City came about in 1904 when they were given their new name and played on an old park which was made for fattening pigs. That ground is now known as St. James’ Park.
City are also the first club to play a national team from Brazil which occurred in 1914. They played giants Fluminense in a pre-season friendly following a tour of South America. The result of the match is undisputed with several claiming a 3-1 victory to ‘Flu’ whilst others say the match ended in a 3-3 draw. Despite the controversy, City and Fluminense are now partner clubs. Exeter also have several famous football fans which include singer Chris Martin, Joss Stone and even Michael Jackson who was made an honorary director for the football club in 2002.
How Did They Perform Last Season?
Exeter enjoyed a delightful season last campaign where they finished 5th in League Two and managed to reach the play-off final where they sadly lost to Blackpool 2-1. The Grecians looked fairly comfortable throughout the season where they attempted to keep constant pressure on the top three.
The League Two play-off final could have seen the city of Exeter complete a successful double after Exeter Chiefs won the Premiership in rugby union at Twickenham. Their brave performance against Blackpool summed up their excellent season after being second from bottom at the end of November. Current boss, Paul Tisdale, is currently the second-longest serving manager in the football league, just after Arsene Wenger.
Our Last Meeting
The last meeting came in the second round of the FA Cup at St. James’ Park where City stormed to a 2-0 victory. It would be the first time Exeter had reached the third round in 11 years when they took on Manchester United in the 2004/05 season. The tie occurred in December 2015 when Jordan Tilson and Ollie Watkins proved the difference between the two sides.
How To Get There
The three hours and 25-minute journey will take you onto the M6 South from Stoke as you jump onto the M5 at Birmingham. Continue on the M5 for several miles where you will continue until the A379 towards Dawlish/Exeter/Exmouth. Take the third exit on the A379 where you will reach Exeter.
By Train
The closest train station to the ground is St. James’ Park, which is just a short walk away. However, most fans will arrive at Exeter St David or Exeter Central then get a local train to the ground. The two main stations are just a short 20-minute walk from the stadium so all options are good ones.
Odds On Promotion
Sky Bet have put Exeter City as one of the favourites to get promoted at 4/1. To win the league odds can be seen on their website as 16/1.