#ExeterCityFC

As you know you don't need to chat to someone for very long before the subject of which team you support comes up.(especially abroad because there is such an international interest in English football). It happens all the time. Of course what most people expect you to say is one of the big Premiership Clubs - Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool - Chelsea! My answer is not straightforward and usually is with proceeded with the line - "you have probably never heard of them". The first team I think of is Exeter City. Exeter is where I was born and brought up. It remains the place I go back to despite living away for perhaps 40 years in all.

To be honest I have never been a fervent Exeter City supporter - but they are my team - The Grecians. They are a hard team to follow - not much glory - but I find it hard to understand how your team can be anything other than your home town team - unless you are a glory hunter of course - as many are - ha!

Tonight was a bit of a walk down memory lane. Exeter City have reached the 3rd round of the FA Cup. That doesn't happen very often - the last time 11 years ago. What is more amazing is the whole match is live on terrestrial TV and Exeter are at home to Liverpool. The whole nation is watching little Exeter against the mighty Liverpool (in the past at least - ha!) - what a Friday night treat. Fantastic! So a couple of pints - fish and chips - comfortable arm chair - lights out - HD screen - here we go!

As usual the BBC did the build up well. They explained the Clubs former bankruptcy and its resurrection in the ownership of its supporters trust ( a great and unusual thing ). But Exeter remain a small club. Still 4th division (although they call it 2nd division now) - but with a club with a distinct history and hopefully a secure future.

The match itself was really entertaining. The pitch was in poor condition - so much rain - but Exeter played well. They went 1 up and 2-1 up. They played good football. The sell out crowd made fantastic noise. It was really exciting. Exeter almost did it - but Liverpool scramble a late equalizer. Not all bad - a replay (very lucrative for stretched club finances) at Anfield! Some real glamour for the players. Brilliant - and the hope they could giant kill again! (and play West Ham at home!)

It was such an enjoyable match - but it really was - and continued to be for a day or two - a walk down memory lane. I couldn't get Exeter City out of my head. So many boyhood memories sparked by seeing St James Park on the telly. They were great warm memories. I shall right a few down here for posterity - why not! They are in no particular order and very random and personal (I apologise!).

I cannot think of Exeter City without thinking about dear Grandad Brown. Grandad has been dead for years now. He still makes me smile. Grandad - Fred - my mums dad - was the one that took me to Exeter City as a young boy. (Obviously now you realise St James Park is a small ground - maximum capacity just over 8000 - but match days were big events and floodlit games especially seemed so amazing.) Crowds might have only been 3 or 4 thousand but it was a huge event for a young boy. What do I remember about Fred. Well everyone seemed to know granddad - alright Fred - alright Fred! What will they do today!? Lots of laughs and banter. Standing on the rail at the front. Hot Bovril at half time or was it Oxo and a pastie in tissue paper from a rickety old hut in the corner next to the Cow Shed. I remember how nice the crowd were to a small boy.
I remember Arnold Mitchell. Bald. City's captain, And Keith Harvey. Banksy - the great Alan Banks with his barrel chest. What a goal scorer. Other names over the years - Johnny Mitten, George Ley, Fred Binney, Lammie Robertson and Tony Kellow.
Fred later took me to Plymouth in 1966 after England had won the World Cup. The Football League (with most of the world cup stars playing) played the Irish League in front of 40000. That was a special memory.
I could banter with Grandad. I said to him once - granddad haven't you got a big nose. He said "son when god made us there was only 2 noses left - and I chose mine!" chuckling now!
Grandad had a bottle green Ford Classic (like an Anglia but bigger ) for years - with a weird inward sloping black window. (eventually he gave me that car - and I tried to hand paint it white and orange with domestic paint and a brush!)
I remember dancing around Whipton Barton primary school playground with the other kids. Exeter City had won promotion to the 3rd division. Four teams went up - Gillingham and Shrewsbury come to mind and maybe Brentford. That must have been in the early 60's!
When my parents were first married they lived with my nan (Vi - Violet) and granddad Brown in their house in Union Road - very close to St James Park. Later nan and granddad bought the corner shop right opposite the main grandstand in Wells Street. It was called Crescent Stores. Exeter FC had an account at the shop. The laundry lady would come over for soap powder to wash the kit - and the tea ladies for milk and sugar etc - all on the "tally". Grandad obviously got to know some of the players. On match days the shop would be very busy. Grandad would serve in the shop until almost kick off and then rush over the road for the whistle.
Have you ever heard of Cliff Bastin. Cliff was a local lad - a goal scoring winger that moved from Exeter to play for the great Arsenal side in the 1930's. Cliff is a legend in the English football hall of fame. Anyway the story goes my Nan Brown's (Vi's) brother - uncle Frank Brooks went to Ladysmith School with Cliff and played in the same football team. Apparently they were a dynamic goal scoring partnership with uncle Frank feeding Cliff Bastin!. I am sure this is right - Uncle Frank was a lovely quiet man. We remember he owned the fruit and veg shop in Magdalen Road with auntie Hilda and their son Tony and his wife Jackie. Things are going full circle now. My eldest granddaughter will start at Ladysmith school in September!
Back to Exeter City and St James Park. I remember the main grandstand off Well's Street - that remains unchanged it seems. The big bank remains the same - standing room only. The main change seems to be the Cow Shed opposite the main stand has become the main entrance and stand and my old boxing club building has been acquired by City for offices and hospitality. However seeing it on the TV against Liverpool nothing much seems to have changed. It is still small and atmospheric and noisy with a full house. (I was nervous the flood lights would fail as they so often used to do!). The pitch is a big flat pitch - a great pitch to play on - but on this night it was in a state through heavy rain (and apparently because the grass had been re-laid for the first time for many years - and it has been problematic - typical!)
One final indulgence - as I am talking about Liverpool - as teenager I played football for Heavitree FC at Wingfield Park and then a bit later for Dawlish Town. It was quite normal for us to have pre season friendlies and one year we played Plymouth Argyle. I was playing right back. The Argle left winger - so who I marked - was the great ex Liverpool winger Brian Hall. Brian had had fantastic success as a key part the great Liverpool side of the 1970's under Shankly and Paisley. Liverpool were league and European cup winners on more than one occasion. He was one of the famous duo (university graduates) of speedy tricky wingers - Heighway and Hall that alternated down either side of Liverpool's attacking flanks to deliver crosses for the likes of Toshack and Keegan. Brian - towards the end of his career was bought by Argyle for £45000 - a lot of money. My recollection was Brian didn't want to come anywhere near me - he hugged the touch line. But I have tackled Brian Hall - a big smile! He died recently - rest in peace - you were a great ambassador for the game Brian Hall.

So almost a week has gone by and the replay is at Anfield tomorrow. Fantastic - come on city. The draw has been made - IF Exeter beat Liverpool they have West Ham at home! Happy days.

I was down at Exeter last weekend. I enclose below some photos taken off the TV and the ground from the outside as now.

Come on the Grecians!!

PS - Exeter were beaten 3-0 in the replay at Anfield - but they played well and should be proud of the account they gave of themselves. There is always next year - ha!