Exeter City Women’s Team

I took my eldest Daughter to her first football match four years ago. It was Exeter City versus Morecambe, Kevin Ellison scored a Worldie before City won it with two late goals. As first games go, it was a good one to watch. I was not anticipating her to chat about the nuances of Reuben Reid’s hold up play on the journey home, but the main feedback was simply that she liked Grecian the Lion and Ethan Ampadu’s hair. It was a start. It was also an afternoon predominantly enjoyed as she had consumed ALOT of Haribo, come Full Time her body weight consisted of about 50% Starmix. Goals, Lions, Sweets… there was plenty to like.

The next game we watched together was at Cullompton, the soon to be Championship winning Women’s team of that year comfortably dispatched of the opposition, and my Daughter enjoyed the afternoon that little bit more. The freedom to move around the outside of the pitch, coupled with the intrigue in the players looking more like her and less like the players she saw on the Television, meant it was far more entertaining as a spectacle. Her next game was against Buckland Athletic at SJP, a rare outing for the Women’s team at the Park, the programme of the game is one she still has on display in her bedroom.

Fast forward eighteen months and a conversation with Media Guru Scott Palfrey, based around how I could assist at the Football Club, brought up the opportunity to manage the Media for the Women’s Team. I did not know much about Women’s Football at Tier Four level, or the team itself, outside of a few of the more recognisable names, so I would have to learn quickly if the quality of exposure for the Team was going to reach the level desired.

One of the many pleasing aspects to that learning process has been to find a progressive, devoted group of players and management, supported by the structure of a strong coaching system. The Team train twice weekly, undergo conditioning sessions and, as part of their season, travel considerable distances. Next Year’s National League campaign will see journeys to Southampton, Maidenhead, Chesham, Swindon and Cheltenham to name just a few. There is no monetary benefit, all the commitment, time and effort that goes into being an Exeter City player is through a desire to wear the shirt and a love of the game.

I see critique of Women’s football on Social Media on a regular basis, it tends to be misinformed, immature nonsense, centered around someone with a Premiership footballer as their Profile Picture screaming about equal pay. It often surprises me how supposed football fans can be so negative towards the Women’s game. I would love my Daughter’s to embrace football as they get older, they may not, I certainly do not force it and LOL dolls are certainly winning that battle currently, but should they do so, how important is it that they have opportunity to explore that and have the freedom to play? I would hope that some of these online experts will grow to have a different view of Women’s football when, years from now, they may be fortunate enough to have a young Daughter who develops a desire to play the game.

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At Exeter City, those pathways for young female footballers already exist. The Community Trust run regular sessions for Girls of all ages and abilities to, most importantly, enjoy the game and then, should they have a desire to progress further, develop in a more defined process. The Girl’s Development Centre can offer a continued coaching presence to a child’s game and perhaps pave the way to join the Women’s Football Academy at Exeter College. It is a pathway that has seen players represent not just Exeter City, but the National Team at College level and then go on to gain scholarships in the US. Playing for Exeter City is not just something boys can do. The young Girls who, with their families, are as much a part of Matchdays at SJP as anyone else, have that pathway and opportunity.

There is a picture in the archives of a young Emily Toogood meeting Paul Tisdale and of Connie Pengelly pictured with Ollie Watkins. Manfy Sharpe had the misfortune of totaling her car on the way to the 2018 Play Off Final, catching a taxi to Wembley to make the kick off, only to see the mighty Grecian’s humbled by Coventry City. (And you thought you had a bad day out that day!) This is a team consisting of many Exeter City supporters who, just like many of us, grew up wanting to play in the famous Red and White.

So, to this Weekend and why I wanted to write this piece. Abbie Britton and Aaron Wakley’s side face Plymouth Argyle in the Devon County Cup Final. COVID denied the team from competing in last season’s Final and so this offers an opportunity to lift the Trophy for the first time in six years. As that National Lockdown prevented the chance to train, this is a squad who kept their work ethic. Participating in conditioning sessions via Zoom, meeting fitness challenges set by the management and doing everything they could under the limitations to be in a successful position should football return. Since it has, they have won all four of their fixtures.

Personally, the past few months have been a lot of work, a lot of learning, but it has filled a huge gap in my football World with the following of the Men’s Team restricted to IFollow. As I stood on the touchline for the Semi Final against Marine Academy Plymouth two weeks ago, it offered a brief moment of reflection. Inwardly fuming at an official whose decision making I was not in agreement with for most of the game, it struck me that I was no longer just reporting on the team, but had a real desire to see them be successful.

If you have Exeter City in your heart, put on that Red and White shirt for the first time in a long time, head to Coach Road and cheer on this Team. It will be a tough fixture against higher league opposition and they will need our support. Women’s Football is growing, with or without the keyboard warriors, come and be a part of it at your Football Club #UTC

Mid Season Report

Saturday’s victory over Bradford City marked Matchday 26 of the 2020/2021 Season. The New Year fixtures often signal the half way point in a football calendar, yet in this unusual Season we are only just beyond that marker in the early days of February. The run in to May’s finishing line looks set to be more of a tired amble. The fixture congestion will almost certainly play a part for all football clubs, the weeks are tumbling by and, with bad weather and COVID affecting schedules, the fixture pile up looks set to bring the League to a point of near break. However, Saturday’s win set Matt Taylor’s Grecians back among the Play Off contenders and, as we seek our annual place in the League Two Wembley Showpiece, what has the first half of the Season taught us?

The focus of the Summer was how to continue moving forwards despite the uncertainty and restriction caused by the COVID outbreak. Put simply, the policy amounted to out with the old, in with the new. The theme for the season was to be that of promoting our young players, those who had starred so confidently in Leasing.com games, and enhance their talent and value by offering greater first team opportunity. If, as many will argue, football is cyclical, this was to be the beginning of a new cycle for Exeter City and Matt Taylor.

That focus, so clearly stipulated during the Summer, has been evident in the Season to date. City’s top ten appearance holders last year had an average age of 28, this Season it is 25. Experienced players such as Lee Martin, Nicky Law and Dean Moxey have been replaced in that Top Ten listing by the more youthful Jack Sparkes, Josh Key and Joel Randall. The January departure of Nicky Law is perhaps the best example of how this selection policy has benefited City. You will find few bigger Nicky Law fans than myself, it was a genuine pleasure to watch him in Red and White and he leaves after giving us some wonderful memories. However, despite his undoubted talent, Matt Jay has been heavily backed this season to make the “Nicky Law Role” his own. With 11 goals and a string of excellent performances to date, Matt has not only emphasised his own talent, but made it difficult for Nicky to break in to the team. Rewind 15 Months ago, the loss of Nicky Law in the middle of the season would have been monumental, bringing forth many to give the last rites on our season. Now, thanks to that more youthful focus, we have Matt Jay already succeeding in that role after taking his opportunity. Jay’s New Contract, for statistically the most creative player in League Two this season, was excellent business for the Club and well deserved for the player himself.

City’s attacking prowess has seen a significant improvement on last season. After 26 games Taylor’s Reds have 48 goals, last year, after the 37 completed fixtures, 53 had been scored. In the previous season City averaged 1.43 Goals Per Games, to date that average is 1.85. If you are anything like me, numbers like that do not mean an awful lot! So, more simply put, at those rates, had 46 games been completed last season, City would have scored 66 goals. Should the team continue on their current rate in 2021 that tally will be around 85 goals. That is an emphatic increase. Ryan Bowman scored fourteen League goals last season, to date, he is on 11, and that is after a slow start to the New Campaign. The Bowman-Jay partnership has been exceptional, it looks set to eclipse the last great goalscoring partnership at SJP of Ollie Watkins and David Wheeler, who themselves hit 34 goals as a duo in 2017. Not bad for a pairing who have certainly had their critics.

So, to the hot topic of the defence. There have been undeniable frustrations at the goals conceded this season. Many of these frustrations are based on the lack of pressure opposition teams have needed to force in order to score. In truth, it has been rare to see City under concentrated spells of pressure this Season, perhaps it is that slight drop in concentration that has been an issue? After 26 games last year City had thirteen clean sheets and would go on to finish the curtailed season conceding an average of 1.16 goals per game. Mean nothing again? I fully understand. Had 46 games been completed last Season, at that rate, City would have conceded 53 goals. At the current rate of 1.27 the Grecians will end up conceding 58. A five goal swing. Surprised? I certainly was. Yet, around the undoubted excellence of last year’s defensive lock outs, their where also not so good afternoons. It is also worth noting that since the five goals conceded at Cheltenham, the Grecian’s back line has become more resilient, with only 10 goals scored by the opposition in the last ten games. That goal a game average in recent fixtures is a far better return than the 1.44 goals per game that preceded it, and perhaps an indication that a new look defensive line, often supplemented with young players, is starting to find more consistency. Despite defensive worries, City’s perceived lack of solidity this season has come with the huge plus of many, many more goals. The task for Matt Taylor in these last twenty games will be to continue to tighten that back line without compromising City’s often, when the surface allows, fluid attacking football.

Taylor’s team has 8 points fewer than at the same point last Season, however the positives of this Season remain significant. Whilst advancing the next batch of highly talented Academy players, City have stayed financially stable, competitive and played some attractive football. The Transfer Window signings of Sam Stubbs and Jokull Andresson seem to point to the cyclical nature of the game. More young, talented footballers heading to SJP to be part of a team that will be built to take the Club to that next step, a step that it has agonisingly flirted with for close to five years now.

Who can tell what will become of this season, the fixture congestion will play a big part and it may be the battle of the fittest as appose to the most talented team that will earn promotion. All I do know is that, perhaps Cheltenham Town aside, I have not witnessed many teams in this incredibly tight division that I would consider better than City. Whilst many clubs will have concerns about the future, the proactive stance taken by City during the Summer will ensure that we can be excited about ours. If City do fall short, the likes of Joel Randall, Josh Key, Jack Sparkes, Alex Hartridge and, the increasingly pivotal, Archie Collins will have gained some vital experience in their development process. Moving beyond this Season, that experience will be priceless for Matt Taylor has he seeks to build the next cycle at Exeter City, and one that will centre prominently around the Club’s homegrown young footballers.

Football Finance – Again

The recent announcement that the reintroduction of crowds into stadiums was to be put on hold was met with a mixture of horror and disappointment. As supporters, the chance to watch our team live this season seems to be slowly diminishing. Yet, in board rooms across the country, this new reality could have fatal consequences. Any Club who hedged their bets on an October return for spectators will now be looking fearfully into the future. With the furlough scheme now drawn back and the positive cash flow gained by season ticket sales and sponsorship deals slowing, the grip is tightening. Macclesfield’s inevitable demise makes it two League Clubs lost in twelve months, where we stand in twelve months from now must be a cause for considerable concern.

In 2017/2018 League Two Clubs lost £13,500 per week on average, an overall loss of over £19 Million across the division. This is with supporters. Colchester United Chairman Robbie Cowling gave an interesting insight into the COVID income revenue recently and it was damning in its simplicity. The U’s income is around £54,000 on a regular Match Day. With their Ifollow subscriptions around 450 for the opening home league fixture against Bolton Wanderers, the income was reduced to around £8,000. A £46,000 loss in game one. If supporters fail to return this season those losses could amass to seven figures. This for a club who were already running losses in excess of two million pounds a season when they could receive supporters. A potential seven figure loss in Match day income is staggering, Macclesfield Town went out of business owing £500,000.

Ifollow is a positive facility. To watch League games for a £10 fee seems a fair price and it has improved in recent months. However, with Club’s pocketing around 80% of the purchase price, as generous as that appears, it in no way covers the loss in Match Day revenue. A family of four would purchase four tickets, perhaps a programme and probably refreshments. That same family will purchase just one Ifollow pass. Quite the drop in income. I would also suggest that those that enjoy lower league football do not have the same appetite for it on screen. Many that would happily attend a game at the Park may not be as eager without the sense of community and excitement you get with Live sport. For example, my Dad, at 76 years old, has no inclination to watch a streamed game but would have been present at all the games at the Park had they been available to attend.

So how do we “save” football? The Government has suggested that they are unwilling to offer funding to the EFL and you can understand why. Championship sides, under their own leadership, ran up losses of over £300 million in 2017/2018. Should public money be used to prop up businesses that have proved time and time again they are incapable of running to a budget? Championship Club’s spending this transfer window has exceeded £50 million, a drop off on recent years, but still a significant amount, so how desperate are they? Lower down the ladder the need for assistance becomes greater, but the story is similar it is simply the amounts of money that get smaller. COVID has damaged football immeasurably, but football was already wounded. If you fail continuously to balance income and expenditure then the variable of what has happened over the past nine months will inevitably leave the business in a near fatal position. EFL Club’s do not have rainy day funds.

The return of supporters would help, but that process will be a long one. Bars and Restaurants have reopened, but once you factor in social distancing measures, they are barely running at half capacity. It would be the same for football grounds. The other issue would be that, rightly, season ticket holders would get priority and, to be blunt, Club’s have already had their money and so the gain would not be significant to begin with. At Exeter, as an example, the road to having 5,000 spectators back at SJP, with around 3,5000 of them paying at the gate, appears months away. Sadly, I would be surprised if it happens this season.

The Premier League looks the most likely source for a rescue package and that would make the most sense given the undeniable wealth of that division. However, I cannot help but take the emotion out of the equation and ask “Would Sainsbury’s, as a richer top tier business, bail out a corner shop just because they were part of the retail family?” No they would not. Would they be expected to? No again. So is it really the Premier League’s responsibility to bail out the EFL? I anticipate they will and as so many Club’s are at the heart of their communities, and fundamental to what is great about football in this country, any bail out will be well received. Football Clubs are a lot more than football on a Saturday afternoon, the work completed by Community schemes during the week are as vital as any result or goal, the livelihoods of those that contribute to assisting their local community is as important as any other consideration.

However, taking League Two as an example, Club’s already receive close to £900,000 in “free” money from the EFL and the Premier League each season. The latter offering their funds under the guise of a “solidarity payment.” Despite that, they still lose close to that same figure each, per season. Now the demand is for more. This needs to be a moment where football in this country looks itself in the mirror and says “enough.” If Club’s continue to mismanage themselves is it really fair that the football community, as it is so loved to be called, keep bailing them out? From top to bottom there needs to be measures in place so that club’s running losses get punished. Watching Club’s stare over the edge of the cliff and see the resulting out pour of sympathy is sad to see, but when that Club publishes losses year after year is it any wonder that the end result is the trauma of possible extinction? Football has been self harming for too long, it needs an intervention and I hope this is that moment. Survival of all 92 League Clubs is paramount, but football clubs are like that mate who begs for £20 to pay an important bill, and then posts on Facebook the next week about his new 65″ Television. Football needs to start taking care of itself and it needs to start now.

Exeter City FC – Watkins, What next?

There have been many ups and downs in the Club’s ownership model, times when the ambition of it has been questioned, times when the viability of it has made some supporters pine for that wealthy backer, but last week was undoubtedly one of the good weeks. Perhaps the best week. To see a player who made his way at our club become the most expensive player in the History of a team with the prestige of Aston Villa was a proud moment. Ollie Watkins arriving in the Midlands was a big moment for him and an even bigger moment for us. If ever the Club needed a financial boost it is now, and this is a boost the size of which we could have only ever dreamed of.

At Exeter City we are not just producing the odd talent right now, we are prolific. When the Trust took over the carcass of what remained of the football club in 2003, the aim was to promote Youth. Eamon Dolan, who had been overseeing the Academy, if you can call it that, such was the lack of funding at the time, was appointed First Team Manager with the main aim to facilitate the progress of younger talent at SJP. The impressive part of this story is not this initial aim, it is the fact that 17 years later we are still driven by the same goal.

There have been darker moments. In 2014 the Club would seek a loan from the PFA to assist in covering costs over the summer months, a transfer embargo would accompany the lending. With City having narrowly avoided relegation that season, and with a four year period having elapsed since the last sale of an Academy product, how tempting to dilute the Academy? Other Clubs had done so, first team progression is what supporters crave and with attendances on the decline, why not shift funds back towards the First Team? It would have been understandable, I am sure many owners would have done so, but City did not. Within two years the fees from the sale of Ollie Watkins and Matt Grimes would give the club a new direction. Jordan Storey became a Grecian because Yeovil Town closed their Academy, Joshua Key joined City after Torquay United closed their Academy. How we have profited from the desire to stick to our principal aims as a Trust run club. Those critical decisions in bleak years should not be forgotten in better times.

Whilst the joy of such a windfall has been largely unanimous, I have read some negativity as well. One of the main complaints, as we negotiate the COVID climate, seems to reside around the question “where did all the money go?” Prior to 2017 our four previous league two finishes averaged out at 13th, after the financial bonus from player sales, the four proceeding league two finishes have averaged out at 6th, with three Play Off Finals as part of those placings. The Club broke the transfer record in purchasing Jayden Stockley, a signing that brought a whole heap of goals and a considerable profit. Added to this, half of SJP has been redeveloped and the Cat and Fiddle has had the crucial addition of a 3G pitch. I find it hard to believe the question “where did all the money go” is a genuine accusation, but we got plenty for the cash. Sadly a Wembley hex prevented a promotion being part of that equation.

The big question that now hangs over those in charge at SJP is “where does this money go?” The initial answer seems to be “nowhere at the moment.” No supporter wants to hear this, it’s just dull. Where’s the signings? Tell us who Matt can bring in to strengthen the side? That is what we want, but right now the best policy is pragmatism and practicality. The crowd testing at Cambridge’s Abbey Stadium was abandoned on Thursday, with new government rulings, the reality of having supporters back any time soon is now more distant. No fans, very little income. Should the Club really be making financial commitments towards a squad that we can only enjoy on IFollow? From a business aspect, a good team brings greater income, attendance increases and higher matchday income. Sadly, successful teams will receive little of those benefits this season. With that in mind, are we not better off focusing on these emerging Academy talents and utilising this new wealth when the climate is better?

The financial benefits from Ollie’s transfer are broad across all aspects of the club, but it is important that we do not, whilst using the funds, forget the principals on which the club is run. It would be hypocritical to, in the same breath of celebrating the success of one of our own, be annoyed at the fact that the club are choosing to promote youth this season over financing the arrival of more seasoned professionals. If our Academy products do not get a sustained opportunity then how do we produce the next Watkins or Ampadu? Developmental, perhaps, but in a season with little income and one in which it is arguable weather supporters will be able to attend in numbers, is this not the perfect time to blood these young players? If one thing the opening few games of this season is teaching us, it is that just because we are going with Youth it should not suggest we will not be successful. These kids look alright don’t they?

As I was mid way through writing this the news of Randell William’s seemingly imminent departure broke. At first I felt it may change the tone of the post, but on reflection I am not so sure. We have always been a club that does not stand in the way of someone who wants to progress their career, that is what adds attraction to heading this far south. We are a development club that adds value to the vast majority of players that arrive here, many use Exeter City as a stepping stone, and that is no bad thing. We get a good player, they develop and, more often, everybody makes a bit of money at the end of it. I see a similar trend with Randell, he was excellent last season and deserves to step up. In a season where we have committed to development, why not cash in on a player who will walk for nothing in the summer? If Randell leaves it will be a big disappointment, particularly on the eve of the season. However, having already stripped his budget, I am sure Matt will get funds to improve the squad this time around. The transfer window still has three weeks to run and there should be good value out there. If Randell moving on allows the Manager the chance to sign two or three players to improve the team as a whole then it may not be the death knell to our season that many will predict it to be. The best time to judge the effect of the departure of Randell Williams will be when the transfer window shuts on October 5th.

So, the Watkins money seems to be the equivalent of experiencing the excitement of winning the lottery and, as you look to the new house and car you are going to buy, being told you have to put it all in an ISA for a year. A mood killer for sure. The funding from players in the last four years is now on the verge of £10 Million, with a substantial amount of that still to be used. The Club have a good record of utilising the cash, making it work over a long period of time and achieving success. We have to trust that process. The COVID impact will be long lasting, there will be numerous stories, I am certain, of players not getting paid on time over the course of the season and, as crowds cease to return, the future is worrying for lower league football. Caution is key, I understand no one wants to hear that, hardly exciting is it? However, it is needed. Besides, whilst other clubs may have uncertain futures, ours is now secure. Whilst we see out the difficulties of the current climate, we get to watch a host of young talent develop and excel in a red and white shirt that you may, or may not, like the design of. Right now it feels like the club is on pause, but the future is certainly looking a lot brighter.

Exeter City FC – The Early Years

Last week commemorated 100 Years of League Football at SJP. Brentford would arrive in Devon and suffer defeat by three goals to nil on August 28th, 1920. Arthur Chadwick’s Red and White Army played in front of a crowd of over 6,000 as William Wright scored City’s first League goal. This week I look at the journey the club took to arrive at that moment, the First World War, grazing pigs, that Brazil trip, Egyptian Camels and, of course, debt issues… it’s quite the backstory.

The land that now constitutes St James Park had been acknowledged locally since the building of St James’s Church in 1836. The land would be rented out for various purposes, funding charitable projects, until the Football Club purchased it in 1921. Principally used as farm land in the early 1800’s, by the middle of the century the location would become synonymous with travelling shows.  “Hughes’s Royal Oriental and Grand Mammoth Equestrian Establishment” held a show on site in 1847 that would boast ‘the most magnificent Cavalcade ever exhibited in Europe.’ The travelling show would feature fifty horses, fifteen Egyptian camels, a group of “fairy” ponies and two elephants. As a season ticket holder in the mid 90’s I would have happily swapped the football on offer for an afternoon of camels and elephants, in truth it would have been tough to distinguish the difference at times. After several annual visits, the travelling show would eventually cease to visit and it would not be until the arrival of Geller, Lewis and Russell that the Circus would return to the Park.

In 1886 there was a clash between local residents and the site owner of St James Park, animals would again be involved. The Pigs who were occupying the field were grazing in too close a proximity to residents houses and this led to a report by the wonderfully named Inspector of Nuisances.

In the late 1800’s the venue began to take shape as a sporting facility. Cricket and Rugby would be played on a now, pig free, playing surface and the first Association Football match took place in 1894. Exeter AFC played against Minehead and started the game two players short, despite the early disadvantage the result went in City’s favour, winning by three goals to nil. In the press it was reported that the visitors were unhappy with the state of the pitch. In fairness, the report does state that the grass was “knee-deep” in places, so not easy to play whatever the 1800’s version of tiki-taka was. Clive Pring has performed many miracles given the surface at his disposal, but eroding out fifty years of camel hooves and severing knee high grass would have been some challenge.

Exeter AFC were now the lead club in the city and slowly encouraging crowds to attend games. Sadly though, after three years, the club were in debt. Of course we were, classic City. Tony Cascarino saving us with a cup draw was not needed on this occasion though, we simply formed a new club, Exeter United AFC being the chosen name. At this time, I am reminded of Gary Peter’s time as manager of the Club. During the bid to survive relegation he coined the phrase “Exeter United will not be defeated.” A nice sentiment, slightly undermined by the team being relegated, Gary walking out and his employers leaving the Club £4 million in the red. “United” indeed Gary. Thankfully, just like that cluster, Exeter United was short lived, failing to find a new pitch after St James park was unavailable due to preparation for another engagement.

With United’s demise, St Sidwell’s, known as the Grecians, were now the City’s premier club and would evolve into the team we now know. In 1908, before a large attendance, City drew 3-3 with Bristol Rovers in the first professional game at the venue. 3-1 down at half time, with the crowd behind them and feverish shouts of “Make it a draw, Exeter,” the equaliser finally arrived. Absolute Limbs. Flat Caps everywhere.

In 1910 the development of the Big Bank was born, known as the “Duke Bank” after MP Henry Duke helped persuade land owners to allow the club to lengthen the pitch, as was required by the Football Association. This adjustment allowed the club to now play cup games at the ground. FA Cup Holders Aston Villa would present the club with its biggest occasion to date, arriving for a 2nd round tie in 1914. In front of nearly 10,000 supporters, City lost 2-1. This would also be the first time a game at the Park was filmed.

Undoubtedly, the most significant moment before City embarked upon their history as a League Club, was in 1914 and the journey to South America. The team began their tour with a brief stop in Santos, making friends locally by misunderstanding a “no bathing” policy, getting arrested, and being escorted to the Police Station by Tram. Excellent start from the tourists. The Sunbathing Reds would then head to Argentina to play three games. A loss against Argentina North, a win against Argentina South and an eventful match against Racing Club. City took the lead in the game and this led to one of the home supporters producing a gun and threatening to shoot the referee. Aside from the mass arrest and almost being witness to a homicide, this leg of the tour was deemed largely successful.

The journey would be completed with a stop in Rio de Janeiro to play against the first assembled Brazilian national team, resulting in a 2-0 defeat. The two sides would lead different paths from here, one would win the World Cup five times, whereas the other would win multiple Devon Bowl Championships, including one in 1964 where the team received a victory cake.

The men who made the long journey to South America to represent our great club would return home to find the Country on the brink of War. After the Football Season ended that year, all professional games were cancelled as young men were needed to join the Forces. St James park was subsequently made available to the local military. Of the fifteen players who toured South America, only six returned to the club post war. Billy Smith, who was due to move to Everton, was shot by a sniper the day after the War ended, leading to an amputation of his leg. Arthur Evans would be one of four City players who were killed on Duty at the Battle of the Somme, twelve with Exeter City connections would lose their lives during the conflict. Young Men embarking on a career in football had been asked to train to fight in a War, requiring a level of bravery I find it hard to fathom, a stark reminder of how different a world we now live in. The memory of those who lost their lives in the conflict is honoured on a plaque at St James Park.

In 1919 the Southern League returned. Structural development would coincide with a return to action, structural development that changed little over the proceeding sixty years in truth. In 1920 the Club announced it would be joining the Football League and the stage was set for the season opener against Brentford. Twenty Six years in the making, change of home, change of name, cup ties, launching the Brazilian national team and some tragic loss. The Foundation for the football club as we know it had been set.

Please visit the Grecian Archive website and have a look at the wonderful work they do, this article leans heavily on their research and the curating of Exeter City’s History is a project that continues to gain momentum.

http://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/

Exeter City – Season Preview

It has been a nostalgic summer. The budget cuts, trimming of coaching staff, more players leaving than arriving and the faint scent of “transitional season” hanging in the air. Matt Taylor has, from the first day he was appointed, struck me as more mindful than his predecessor on voicing what the majority of the Club’s support do, and do not, wish to hear. I am in no doubt, under Tisdale’s tenure, that it would be around this moment, after such a turbulent summer, that he would be looking wistfully into a camera and muttering the words “we are what we are.” Words that always had a mixed response at best.

Adjusting to the ebbs and flows of an uncertain financial future is something that many Clubs are currently having to process and adapt to, for Exeter City, although this is undoubtedly an unprecedented situation, we have seen such reassessment before. Perhaps it is because of that experience that the mapping out of our future, alongside the contingency plan for it, has been so swift and unequivocal. Exeter City, in the era of the Trust, is fundamentally built on it’s Academy. In times of trouble, we resort to the very process that rebuilt the club from the mess that it was in some 20 years ago, the growth and development of young footballers. Far from turning to the benevolence of a wealthy owner, at Exeter we will always look to the next crop of Academy talent to produce for the club in the present and, hopefully, provide finance for the club in the future.

Our Summer policy has been simple. Out with the old, in with the young. Garry Warren, Craig Woodman, Lee Holmes, Dean Moxey and Lee Martin certainly gave last year’s squad experience, yet this Season’s squad now has only two players over the age of 31. Of the twenty four currently contracted, eleven of those are under the age of 23 years old. To publicly reinforce the direction this year will take, key squad numbers, vacated by departing experienced players, have been awarded to our best young talent. No bigger acknowledgment of that can be given than the reintroduction of the Number Nine shirt being awarded to Ben Seymour. He is presented with the biggest of boots to fill, but I anticipate Ben will give everything he has to make that shirt his own.

So, who are the players on which so much of this season relies upon? Jordan Dyer was awarded both the Young Player of the Year and Manager’s Player of the Year award whilst on loan at Tiverton Town last season. Jordan started in all three of our Leasing.Com Trophy games against League One opposition and, it would be fair to state, showed the ability to compete against such a standard. As a Coach, and subsequently as a manager, Matt Taylor has been a significant mentor in the development of both Jordan Storey and Dara O’Shea, so there is plenty to feel optimistic about when it comes to Jordan Dyer.

Alex Hartridge, Will Dean and Harry Kite all had consistent seasons whilst out on loan with their respective clubs last year. Central Midfield may prove to be the toughest area of the field to break in to for the younger players, however, with the fixture congestion over the course of the season, there will undoubtedly be opportunities. Alex Hartridge has the versatility to play in the centre of defence and at left back. He has already shown in his outings at first team level that he has the strength and composure that will prove valuable as he seeks to make this his breakthrough year.

Joel Randall and Josh Key may be the players who evoke the most interest from supporters. Talented, pacy, ball players with an ability to beat defenders in a one on one situation and also provide goals. I would imagine that both may well begin the season in the role of “impact substitution” but, as the season progresses, both will be hoping to seek a more regular role in a team that appears to have more pace, energy and creativity to it than Exeter City squad’s of recent years.

As a group, our Under 23’s qualified for the second round of the Premier League Cup last season, finishing unbeaten in their qualifying fixtures. City were the only League Two side to progress and one of only two clubs to do so outside the Championship. They destroyed Aston Villa’s Under 23 age group by seven goals to nil over the two fixtures played and, when many featured in the Leasing.Com Trophy tie against West Ham’s Development group, were also victorious on the night. There is every indication that this group is not being given a chance because finances dictate, they are being given a chance because they deserve it and have worked hard for it. Young players in this region gravitate towards Exeter City because the club develops well, but also, importantly, gives young players a chance to make an impact at first team level. If we want to continue with that reputation it is vital that this group are now given that opportunity. I strongly believe that should be the case, regardless of any potential income from the sale of Ollie Watkins

Outside of the promotion of youth, we have recruited Rory McArdle and Jake Caprice from Scunthorpe United and Tranmere Rovers respectively. Whilst Aaron Martin’s departure was a disappointment to me, his inability to deal with the physicality of Vadaine Oliver at Wembley underlined why Matt had made the decision to change up that area of the pitch. McArdle arrives having built a career out of being a more traditional lower league defender and has predominantly played at a higher level than the one he finds himself at now. Sharing the same forehead genetics as our Vodka, Jager drinking Centre Forward, McArdle should offer a resilient centre to a defence that, it is hoped, will not be as easily intimated as it was on occasions last season.

The arrival of Caprice suggests a change in tactic. Traditionally, a full back pairing of Woodman and Sweeney has offered stability, but not a great deal of a threat in the attacking third. Caprice and Sparkes are a different combination and how they offer pace, mobility and width to the team should move us away from last season’s total dependency on Randell Williams.

With a starting eleven that will stray little from the one that positioned themselves in the top three for the majority of last season, I see no reason to suggest it will not be another strong showing from us. I am sure the pundits will look at a lack of transfer activity and mark us down because of it, but a consistency in the squad from last season, coupled with more pacy, unknown talent from our squad depth, may actually prove a good combination and one that could surprise an “expert” or two.

With a large portion of the squad making their way in the first team environment, not all days will be good days. With development comes learning and learning often comes from mistakes. However, these players are our players. Their successes, of which I am confident there will be many, will offer more reward than that of any perspective signing that may have arrived at SJP had the financial landscape been different.

So, a familiar theme of rebuilding at SJP, with a familiar format to achieve the rebuild already begun. Seeing not just one of our own, but many of our own, represent the club will be the focal point for the season and one we should embrace and look forward to. This is, after all, what Exeter City is all about and a large part of how the club went from a Circus to being respected within the football community. Yet, perhaps the greatest moment of this season will not come from a goal or result, but from the opportunity to finally take up our spot, or seat, back at SJP after a long and difficult 2020. Here’s to another year of highs and lows, I would not expect it any other way #UTC

Exeter City (Episode 29)

The last sentence I wrote before the Play Off final stated “what could possibly go wrong?” I had not envisioned the answer would be “everything.” The slow start, the deflected opening goal, Ryan Bowman tripping over his own feet when through on goal, the sending off, the third goal, the fourth goal…Ouch. A lack of performance against Coventry City in 2018 felt like a trauma I would at least only have to live through once, this was worse. Tactics, substitutions, it can be discussed what went wrong all summer long, but the haunting Play Off defeats from previous seasons had an imprint all over this horror show of a performance.

I had high hopes for last Monday. Law of Average dictates we were surely due one, this was finally going be be our time wasn’t it? By half time I was sat alone on the sofa, the rest of the family had ventured upstairs, tired of hearing me rant and swear at a group of men running around in an empty stadium. Come the end the anger had subsided and in its place a numbness. Numb at another Play Off final defeat, Numb at another season in League Two and Numb from the performance. I felt something I had not felt with regard my Team for a very long time, embarrassment. Brutally humbled on national television, playing with a meekness I associate with Exeter City of an almost forgotten era. I had hoped this would be a celebratory look at the 2019/2020 season, instead it will be another autopsy on the disappointment of losing League Two’s most high profile fixture.

Providing analysis on the two seasons under Matt Taylor’s leadership is not an easy process, the early finish to the 2019/2020 season makes drawing definitive conclusions difficult. However, there are certainly patterns of interest in how the team have performed. City began with their now customary fast start, no defeats in the opening ten games, six of those resulting in maximum points, as Matt Taylor’s team set the division’s pace. Sadly, as is the role of pacesetter, City’s start would fade as the more accomplished runners began to overtake.

In 2018/2019 performances at SJP profited 39 points, in 2019/2020, with five games at the park outstanding, City had collected 37 points. Home form has certainly been productive this year, only one League defeat at the Park, and that one coming as far back as September. Last season saw a total of eight league defeats on home turf, being able to turn a difficult afternoon into points on the board perhaps no greater highlighted than the 3-3 comeback draw with Walsall in December. Away from SJP, at the point of the COVID suspension, City had registered eight wins on the road, beating the seven of last season with four games outstanding.

In each penalty box the comparative stories are similar. Taylor’s side averaged 1.3 goals per game in 2018/2019, with a marginal increase of 1.4 this season. Without the bonus of Jayden Stockley, this should be viewed as a positive, if only a small victory. Defensively, City have conceded an identical 1.1 goals per game in both of the past two seasons. The high number of clean sheets, fifteen was among the highest total in the EFL, alludes to a defensive improvement that may not have actually existed. This season City tended to either be impenetrable or leak chances with ease, that lack of consistency often a source of frustration for supporters and management.

So with many similarities, what did cause the improvement that led to a higher league finish and, once PPG had been implemented, a higher points total? In what should have been the first half of the season, the opening 23 games, City won seven games by a 1-0 scoreline. The team’s ability to see out tight games played a huge factor in garnering those extra points. The drift out of the automatic promotion positions that ultimately resulted in City have to endure another Play Off campaign, could be explained by the fact that, following the goaless draw to Colchester United, City failed to keep a clean sheet for the resulting twelve games of this campaign. Once the emphasis turned on the attacking element of the team to produce more in order to maintain the automatic push, City were found wanting. A stark reminder of the lack of resilience being shown post January is perhaps emphasised by the fact that, in the last seven games played away from SJP, six were defeats, and for the six goals scored a massive seventeen were conceded.

If we, as supporters, wanted to know what a Matt Taylor team looks like I think we now have a good idea. Resilient, hard working, defensively compact and able to make the most of the talent they possess. All traits you would associate with the man himself during his own playing career. The capitulation at Wembley was such an unlikely Exeter City performance. A team that had battled to see out so many narrow scorelines. A team that fought gallantly on New Year’s Day to win with ten men at Forest Green Rovers. A team that fought with this same robust Northampton Town side to win so impressively at SJP in December. A team that had overcome a first leg defeat, found a performance at an empty Stadium, and got to another Play Off Final. No character, No leadership, No heart. I do not buy that criticism. It is critique that comes more from our own hurt and disappointment than from what has been played out by this team over the season. This was a poor performance that, as small signs of progress started to appear, a sending off effectively ended any chance of a recovery.

“Bottled it.” I hate that phrase and I have heard it a lot this week. “They don’t want to go up” is the other one. To think a group who spent a whole season travelling the length of the country, working day in day out to improve and invest so heavily in the Club do not have the heart or desire to win a game of football is grossly unfair. All three teams that have walked out at Wembley have had their stars, those who have since moved on and those that will move on shortly, but all those defeats came up short because we were not quite good enough. Exeter City, under Tisdale before and now Taylor, are efficient, committed and organised. Over 46 games at this level that will get you a lot of points, yet on the big occasion, when you need that little extra quality, we have just not had enough of it. How the club and current manager can change our role as perennial bridesmaid, with the budget we have at our disposal, may just be played out this summer, if more by necessity than design.

The COVID situation will undeniably result in the make up of the 2020/2021 squad looking slightly different and I believe that to be a good thing. A view towards implementing youth into the First Team environment will be taken and this may help with the recruitment of the quality needed this summer. The likes of Jordan Dyer, Alex Hartridge, Noah Smerdon, Josh Key, Joel Randall, Ben Seymour, Harry Kite and Will Dean have been experiencing valuable educations whilst out on loan around the County. With the bulk of this group set to replace some of the clubs higher earners, many of which departed SJP this past week, the budget will be refined to being spent on only two or three players. Those signings will not arrive to make up the squad placings but to cause a real influence on the first team. The squad make up over the past few seasons has, in my opinion, been too reliant on senior professionals boosting the numbers and not enough of the Academy players providing those roles. Taylor needs to make certain that those arriving at SJP are of a higher quality than what we have and what has gone, he no longer needs to build a squad, but to build a better, more offensive, team. That is the challenge he faces this summer.

This season was another successful one. It is hard to keep saying that when the endings are always so painful, but when you look at the clubs City out preformed, and the budgets they had at their disposal, it is undeniably true. Matt Taylor does not need to rip it all up and start again, but he does need to learn the lessons of the past two years. A resilient, hard working team is a great characteristic to have, but, in addition to that, our budget needs to be concentrated more on first team quality and perhaps less on the overall strength of the squad. Injuries were certainly a reason, but Gary Warren, Lee Holmes and Craig Woodman are all senior professionals, who would have been paid accordingly, that left SJP this week having made only four league starts between them this season. Allowing our very talented Academy players the opportunities to replace these holes in the squad makes sound economical sense, COVID constraints or not.

 

Next season will be hard to predict, Wigan Atheltic going into administration is a stark warning of the pitfalls the impact of the last few months will have on football clubs, they wont be the last, I am sure of that. We are a club that manage our means, have made some tough, necessary decisions in recent weeks, yet despite it still look in a healthy position going into next season. Even if Matt failed to sign a single player, as it stands, a lineup of Maxted, Sweeney, Dyer, Parkes, Williams, Sparkes, Atangana, Collins, Law, Ajose and Bowman could greet us as the new season begins. The foundation of another talented squad is in place. However, recruiting two or three players of the kind of quality someone like Nicky Law has brought to SJP, will be crucial if next season is to be a succesful one and not a transitional one. Let’s face it, anything but the Play Offs.

This is my last post of the season. I have really enjoyed doing them, this one was actually quite therapeutic! Thank you for all the kind comments, I really do appreciate them as it makes the process a worthwhile one. I hope you all have a great summer and that we can get back to SJP for the new season. #UTC

Exeter City (Episode 28)

I have always felt that when Exeter City negotiated their way out of League Two I wanted it to be at the right time. The buoyancy of the club in recent seasons has been an enjoyable journey to be part of, losing consecutive Play Off Finals may well have left an overriding emotion of disappointment, but rarely has the club been so competitive over such a lengthy period of time. Talented players have come and gone, we have experienced a change in manager and a serious development of the club’s infrastructure, yet through it all we have won a lot more matches than we have lost. So, should Matt and his squad find a way past Northampton Town on Monday evening, are Exeter City Football Club ready for the task of competing at a higher level?

In 2008, after consecutive promotions, City entered League One with the club at one of the peak points in it’s history. The squad of that era had the aggression of Matt Taylor, the tenacity of Matt Gill, the guile of Ryan Harley and the industry of Adam Stansfield and Richard Logan. Matched against Clubs with the type of budget we could only look upon in awe, City competed, and ultimately survived, that initial season. Just. After a final day victory over Huddersfield Town, newly crowned Player of the Year Matt Taylor would state that the Club would need to increase their spending power to compete better. Taylor, understandably, left that summer for the lure of Charlton Athletic to underline the point he had made.

In the second season the restraints placed on Paul Tisdale were loosened. Daniel Nardiello, John O’Flynn, Jamie Cureton, Troy Archibald-Henville and David Noble all arrived at SJP and the squad was given a new lease of life. Better results followed. A stunning finish to the 2010/2011 season saw City finish in 8th position, one place outside a Play Off for Championship football. Then, as it can do, reality hit. A squad that needed to be kept together and gradually improved upon was instead dismantled. The competitive budget that had been given to Tisdale had one major drawback, the Club could simply not afford it. Key players departed and, with respect, less talented replacements arrived. Relegation followed, more cuts came with it and, without any income from Player sales, the struggle to keep the club in the black was once again a topic of discussion. Paul Tisdale would often talk of financial cycles, much eye rolling from the public usually accompanied it, but it was a reality the club had to live with. From Troy Archibald- Henville slaloming his way across the Hillsborough turf to Jack Stacey smashing in a late winner in front of a packed Big Bank, the gap would be six uneventful years.

So when I talk of the timing being right, this is what I mean. A three season blast at League One level, only to see a far greater period of time recovering, it is not a cycle I wish to see repeated. However, Exeter City then was a different Club to what it is now. St James Park stands as a quaint, compact venue. Would travelling Sunderland supporter’s mistake it for the other St Jame’s Park? Clearly not, but they would be covered, well accommodated and have adequate facilities for their trip south to be a pleasant one. A far cry from the experience offered up to disgruntled Leeds United supporters in 2009. The Cat and Fiddle based Training Facility has also improved. Seeking alternative pitches during the Winter season, as our own had flooded, was not unusual when we last resided in League One. Paul Tisdale’s not so subtle Press comments that this situation was the cause of certain player’s injuries appeared a plea for help. The implementing of the 3G surface has been a significant advancement, upon signing, many players have commentated positively on the facilities at the Cat and Fiddle, something you would not have found too often in 2009.

Those Financial Cycles that were a popular topic before, well, Matt Grimes changed a lot of that. Grimes departed SJP for a fee that would set a precedence for all that followed. It was not a fee the club settled for in a desperate grab for funds, it was obtained through hard work. Not only did Grimes set the level for what the Club wanted for it’s Academy products, but, alongside Ollie Watkins, showed the quality at Exeter City. Preston North End would, in my opinion, not have paid £750,000 for a player as inexperienced, although clearly talented, as Jordan Storey had those players who had left before him not shown the value for money an Exeter City Academy Product could offer. We may be losing one or two at a younger age, but the ability of the club to produce the type of footballer that will be able to generate income certainly seems more certain now than it was then.

Financially, promotion may prove an unexpected blessing. There can be no more motivational graphic before Monday than the one that illustrates just how “Northern” League Two will look next season. Another year in the fourth tier will see a lot of miles covered. However, promotion could see a welcome boost to attendances at the Park. Portsmouth, Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Bristol Rovers, Swindon Town and Plymouth Argyle would all likely fill the away facilities, while many other clubs would travel in better numbers than is currently the case. It would not be inconceivable to see an average away attendance of 500 supporters over a season, if not more. As a League One club our funding from the EFL and Premier League would also receive a boost. The jump from £902,000 to £1,220.00 would surely help fund the anticipated increase in playing budget.

As for on the pitch, it is unlikely to be easy. Of those promoted from League Two last season, Lincoln, Milton Keynes and Tranmere, all have found life tough. However, clubs with similar budgets to ourselves, Wycombe, AFC Wimbledon, Burton, Shrewsbury, Rochdale and Accrington, have managed to find ways to survive and develop in League One. We should also not underestimate that, as previously in League One, we have a talented young manager. Matt’s ability to be flexible in his tactics, set a team up to be defensively sound and make decisive calls on selection should be a positive if the trip to Wembley proves successful. As with last time, some of the current heroes will make that step up, some will not. Making those tough decisions is not something Taylor seems to have an issue with.

The comfort of being comfortable is a luxury the club has enjoyed for a considerable period now. I admit, I am comfortable with it to. Watching competitive, often winning, football is what we want from a Saturday afternoon, but perhaps now really is the time. The COVID impact will help level the field, it will have a far reaching impact on many of those clubs who were already struggling to survive and, with an array of talented youngsters at our disposal, Exeter City should be in as good a position as any. The Leasing.Com Trophy competition highlighted just how good that next group can potentially be. Finally, and without any logical summation, we deserve this don’t we? Play Off Final number three in four years, no club has knocked on the door of League One harder. So, are we ready or not? Certainly ready to improve on our last efforts in the third tier. With the City of Exeter growing exponentially and the possibility of a summer cash influx from the sale of Ollie Watkins, who knows, maybe the club is about to embark on the start of it’s most exciting era to date? First it is Northampton Town and Wembley, our bogey team at our bogey stadium, what could possibly go wrong…

 

Exeter City (Episode 27)

Face masks, testing, social distancing and the echo of empty stadiums. Many publications and media outlets have spent the past week morbidly claiming this as the new face of football. As Swindon Town’s financial issues were laid out at the High Court recently, the threat of administration looming, at our level, I could not help but feel that this is the new face of football. The sport we love is in trouble. Television deals will take care of the Football elite to the point where little damage will be caused, a blip perhaps, but those SKY and BT subscriptions will creep up and all will be right in their world. However, in the EFL, the argument over who goes up and who goes down may prove an insignificant footnote in the plight of lower league football.

Let me be clear, the Coronavirus lockdown is not the sole reason clubs in the EFL are in financial peril. It will be easy for Owners to claim so, but the current situation is purely the straw that broke the back of a weary camel. Poorly run, over budgeted, under resourced and barely solvent football clubs are not an anomaly, they are commonplace. The accounts for the 2017/2018 season highlighted that in League Two the average weekly loss for a club was £13,500. The average loss per club over the season a staggering £802,000. How many sectors in business would exist with those numbers? League Two sides receive an estimated £472,000 for competing, regardless of the position they finish within the league. Clubs also receive a £430,000 “solidarity payment” from the Premier League, the type of “solidarity” that allows a Premier League club to purchase a young talented Welsh player for a pittance of what they are actually worth for example. So before clubs start pencilling in the budget for a season, they have £900,000 guaranteed income to rely on. Yet, the average loss is still £802,000? Incredible.

Swindon Town’s situation was of little surprise. In their relegation from League One in 2016/2017 they were losing £34,000 a week, a deficit of £1.768 million over the year. Lee Power, an owner who is not universally liked in Wiltshire, has loaned the Club close to £6 Million in his tenure. I read one supporter mock the notion that Power was a “Sugar Daddy” owner, if throwing six million pounds at something and getting nothing in return does not qualify him for that then I am not sure what does. Power’s investment has kept the club afloat, just. By September 2019, football finance expert Kieron Maguire, devised that the club’s losses were at £11 Million and exceeded their assets. A grave situation it would seem. Fast forward to January 2020 and the “Ginger Pele” signs a lucrative deal to stay at the County Ground and ultimately secure promotion. The stupidity of it all blows my mind. It is like if Flybe had tried to resolve their financial issues by purchasing a Jumbo Jet.

Swindon Town are not alone, just the latest club off the rank. You do not need to look too far in League Two to find other red flags. Forest Green Rovers have established themselves as a competitive League Two side, yet the cost of getting the club to the Football League totalled £12 million worth of losses over a six year period. Clearly running a budget at over £2 million a season will help achieve success, but as a business model? If Dale Vince has spent this fortune building the Gloucestershire club, I dread to think what money is going into Salford. A legal loophole used by the Greater Manchester club prevents access to their wage budget through the published accounts, I wonder why they might want to keep that from public knowledge? As millions has been invested into that football club I present their average attendance for this season of 2,997 without further comment.

Newly promoted clubs are not the only guilty ones. In 2017 Colchester United published a loss of £3 Million. In 2018 they published a loss of £2.37 Million. The Essex club have now borrowed close to £25 Million from their parent company, that is a figure that feels worthy of a pause for thought. Northampton Town lost £42,000 a week in 2018, the monies they owe on borrowings are now £5.5 Million. With the knowledge that this is a club who received a £10.25 Million loan from the local council, seemingly “lost” a significant portion of it that resulted in a £3 Million public investigation into the club and it’s then owners, the fact they are still not run on budget is simply staggering. Cambridge United and Crewe Alexandra are other clubs who appear to struggle. Both have reported losses around £800,000 in the last two years of their accounts. I would like to think that if you lose close to a Million Pounds in one season then you make necessary cuts to avoid a repeat, not in football, it appears the “we go again” mentality reflects into the Boardroom.

Locally, Plymouth Argyle are a club not making money. The stadium is a magnificent venue, the redevelopment of the Mayflower Stand evolving Home Park to a level beyond the one the club plays at. However, that is a project funded by the benevolence of one man. Argyle lost £1.3 Million in their relegation season and will make further losses this season. In 2019 a portion of the clubs losses were converted into shares, a procedure that had already been carried out in 2016. Coupled with his purchase of the club from James Brent, Simon Hallett has now put as much as £11 Million into Plymouth Argyle football club in his two year involvement. When you look a short way up the M5 to Bristol Rovers, they are a club that owe £16 Million in loans to a parent company in Jersey. Madness everywhere.

The question posed to all football clubs should be a simple one. If the owner of your club cannot provide additional funding, is your business sustainable? If it is a No, you have a problem, and it is a No, in a LOT of cases. We live in a time of uncertainty, if, as anticipated, events of the past few months result in a difficult financial climate and owners have to stop investing and tighten their own outgoings, what happens to those expensive toys they play with?

So how do we govern football better? The EFL get a lot of blame, rightly so in many cases, but I do have a slight issue with some of the vitriol. I work in retail, if I run my business incorrectly and fail to budget accordingly, then it would not be the National Retail Association’s fault if I went bust, it would be my own. Where the EFL needs to step in is to make certain that clubs who run losses receive punishment and, perhaps more importantly, help to address their issues. Look at Cambridge and Crewe, if those £800,000 losses continue season after season where does it end? As fans we also have a duty and this can be the hard bit. We just want to watch a successful team, a love of football rarely includes a love for economics. When Swindon Town are not buying players and being relegated, yet the owner has pumped in £6 Million, that is a red flag. It appears that after criticism Power did not cut their budget to erode the losses, he budgeted to try and spend their way out of trouble. A mindset that clearly underlines that the loss of Bury and how it came about resonated in no way with other Football Clubs. Ultimately, for many Clubs to meet a budget they would have to significantly cut outgoings, this would feasibly lead to poor on field results and criticism from supporters, so, rather than face that, the running up of considerable losses continues. If Bury had played their Academy players for the 2017/21018 season then they may well have been relegated out of the Football League, however, those supporters may still have had a club to support and rebuild. Running losses to the point of no return is the way football has been heading for too long and perhaps the events of 2020 may save football from itself? Bury going out of business was sad, but did owners fight the EFL for rule changes? Few acted because it did not effect them. The Coronavirus lockdown effects everyone and perhaps that will bring about needed change. As an example, Cambridge United may be a club that are fearful of cutting costs as it will effect their ability to compete, if all clubs are also cutting their outgoings then perhaps it will alleviate that fear and bring a healthier future? You can only hope so.

For Exeter City, this could have come at a worse time. We have some cash resources and though it was hoped they could increase the base budget for another season sadly that may no longer be the case. The club have lost out on approximately 30,000 paying customers from the remaining home games alongside the extra capital of those attending a play off campaign. You cannot recover that cash, it is gone. Had this happened in the summer of 2015 when the PFA were asked to provide the club with a loan, our future could have been a lot bleaker. The now realistic possibility of the next crop of Academy players forming a significant part of the first team squad is an exciting prospect, the Leasing Trophy Semi Final highlighted just how talented these players are. Cuts will undoubtedly be made, but I would anticipate them being manageable ones as appose to severe ones.

With a decision now due on the seasons completion, it appears we will lose out on promotion to one club on the brink of administration and who’s debts exceed their assets, one who has lost considerable amounts of money in recent seasons and one who is largely propped up by the generosity of one man. We will share the play offs with two clubs whose collective debt is greater than £30 Million. I hear the words “Financial Fair Play” often, clearly not working is it? Being well run means next to nothing, surely it should count for more?

Whatever happens from here, most lower league clubs face an uncertain summer. We are Lucky though. No one will walk away from SJP. A likely recession will not affect the amount to which an owner can prop up our business, just how we map out our future. Many clubs have been walking a financial tight rope for some time and I genuinely fear that we may not start the season with the same clubs that we premutruely finished it with. Fortunately, and due to some considerable hard work over many years, whilst this will not be an easy time, Exeter City will not be one of those clubs that fights for it’s survival.

Exeter City (Episode 26)

Driving away from The New Lawn last season, and most certainly Wembley the previous two years, I was ready for a football hiatus. Nothing charges me up for summer of Test Cricket more than the sobering reality of another season on the League Two treadmill. However, after watching an indifferent display at Walsall, accompanied with the all too familiar sub standard officiating, who could have predicted that afternoon would prove to be the season’s last? Should the EFL somehow come to the unlikely decision to continue the season, what is a certainty is that supporters will not be in attendance.

So how do we fill the gap that football fills in our lives? As a teenager, I spent a lot of my Saturday evenings sulking. The anticipation of trip to SJP was usually subdued by the reality of the football on show. We lost. A lot. Arguably, even the “kid a quid” scheme did not offer value for money. One afternoon, after losing to a last minute goal, my Mum lovingly brought me a post match glass of Cresta Lemonade and Cherry Bakewell, classic adolescent nourishment, before offering some words of comfort. “It’s a only a game.” Anyone but the person who gave birth to me would have had the bakewell launched towards them on the half volley at such a comment, but she was right, it is just a game. Still, it does represent more than that. That hollow Saturday feeling is not entirely sport related. It’s missing that pre match drink, those faces you only see at the football, that half time drink, travelling with your mates to watch your team get robbed by another Huxtable horror show, celebrating on the Bank, that post match drink… A Football club is its own community, we feel part of it, and that is what I miss. So, with this lengthy lay off, how do we maintain that connection? One person who has excelled in giving us all our football fix during Lockdown is Exeter City Marketing Manager Scott Palfrey. This week I got to speak to Scott about his role at SJP and life in Lockdown.

Scott started work at SJP in 2016. After studying Film and Television at University, he worked in Marketing at Exeter College. After a year with the St Loye’s Foundation, Scott applied for his current role at SJP and started in March of that year. His first game was the one where a supporter travelled the 350 miles from Carlisle to let off a smoke bomb in the Old Grandstand toilets and subsequently get arrested for his stupidity, never a dull moment. Growing up Scott wanted to be a football commentator and working in the Sports industry seemed an ambition that would be hard to fulfil. Scott would achieve that dream when, after a successful interview, he would join the club he had supported since the 90’s. Working for the club you support does have its difficulties though. “In my eyes it’s a positive as everything I do, the way I do it and why I do it, is for the right reasons because it is what I’d want to see as a supporter. Obviously it can be hard too. In the dark days of not winning at home for months you had to remain professional whilst the world was tumbling around you as a supporter, so it can be hard.”

Scott’s commitment to the content we recieve as supporters is evident, his creativity is rarely surpassed by other Social Media accounts at our level, and the freedom he is given is consistent and of great assistance in doing his job. ” I had a vision of where I wanted to take our output and communications and, after showing what I can do, I’ve been allowed to roll with it. I have an incredibly strong relationship with our CEO Justin Quick who I run things by, it’s a great help and he is so supportive.”

The main constant visable, or audible, throughout the content we see is the willingness of the playing squad to participate. Moody players, wanting to get home and annoyed by having to give the media guys the time of day, would certainly harm the content. Thankfully, that is not the case at Exeter City. “They are so helpful, and this period has emphasised this hugely. Jake Taylor is the perfect Captain and is open to helping out in any way he can. We are mindful that we try not to ask too much of them during the season as it’s more important they put their time into winning a game of football. Recently, whilst I was getting some pre-match footage at a game, Alex Fisher approached me and said the players really appreciate the efforts and content the club produces. It was a really nice touch and shows what a class act the dressing room is.”

Social Media is a difficult platform to negotiate, it tends to be about extremes, it is either people sharing happiness or sharing anger, and often people sharing anger about others happiness. Upsetting almost anyone can be easy to do, even with the best intentions in mind. Tone can be difficult to gauge, especially when those reading can be of all ages. “I started out very basic and to the point, but now I think we get the tone about right. I try to be in good humour. You’re never going to please everyone, we try and be informative, fun and engaging – the key is to make sure you read and think about what you are going to post first.”

Trolling is something that is second nature in any form of media work. You could spend hours creating something only for @argyledanny69 to respond with “shit club, irrelevant mate.” (Thanks for that Danny) Generally, society works on the basis of “if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all.” Not Social Media. It must be a frustrating and, on occasions, hurtful part of the job. “In the beginning I took a lot of things to heart. When you’re seeing horrible things online and directed at the club, as the person behind that account, it can upset you. You learn to quickly ignore it and become thicker skinned. You have to be careful who you reply to and I always check first!”

One of the key aspects to Scott’s work is his personalising of the interactions he has. From Birthday messages to young supporters, retweeting supporters memories and milestones, linking up with Turkish YouTubers and the offer to listen to a supporter who may be experiencing some tough personal experiences, Scott’s interactions are far reaching and variable. That openness of communication may mean little to some, to others, it can be vitally important. “To a lot of people the club is more than a Tuesday/Saturday thing. If we can be there for people to reach out and brighten up their day then why not? We might be a football club but we want to have some personality in what we do. We opened our DMs on Twitter, not all clubs do that as an avenue for supporters to get in touch, or if they just want a chat, but we’ve kept a few people company and helped during these tough times.”

The Lockdown period has seen Scott produce, in my humble opinion, some of his best work. We have been treated to full length repeats of classic matches every weekend, had the opportunity to question players and the manager on Twitter, seen Junior Grecians show their creativity with colouring competitions and Lee Holmes’ inspired Volcanoes and also been treated to a touching tribute to all those Grecians working within the NHS at this time. The importance of keeping people together is fundamental. “For us to keep operating as much as we can and coming up with new content to keep people entertained is huge, things such as Connor providing a workout video or the players doing Q&A’s have been great, as well as catching up with former Grecians like Jamie Cureton. It just shows how huge nostalgia is in football.”

The ambition to become a commentator may have passed by, but Scott has been honing his interview skills during Lockdown. Be it former Promotion winning full back Steve Tully, Captain Jake Taylor or Manager Matt Taylor, incidently wearing the facial hair of someone who has been held hostage, it is a process Scott has enjoyed. “Simon (Larkins) generally handles the interviews as it is part of his job and he is good at it, so I only do them if I’m covering. The recent ones have got some good feedback, I’m very much the type that would like to ask an open ended question and let the person run with it rather than interrupting. I’d say I’m far from a natural, but Matt Taylor seems to enjoy my interview style, as he’s told me as much, and they are going okay at the moment.”

Realistically, it appears we will not return to the Park until the scheduled new season at the absolute earliest. A mammoth five month period without football will certainly be felt by many, but reminiscing on better times when we were all together at SJP has been a blessing and, hopefully, brought an added acknowledgment for Scott’s work. With many of the staff at Exeter City on the Government’s furlough scheme, it is worth taking time to show an appreciation for all those who keep showing their dedication and commitment to the Club and us as supporters. At times of unprecedented uncertainty we are lucky to have people like Scott working for the club we love. Until we can all get back to the park and do the thing we enjoy, supporting the team, I am sure the great content to pass the time will keep coming from Scott. Just don’t have him on your Connect Four team, absolute shambles…