The force not the farce is powering Exeter City as they prepare for the Devon Derby

 

Exeter City were playing at home to Forest Green at St James’ Park on Saturday. This Division 2 top of the table clash, was not one to be missed so I jumped on the bus with my buddy Grant and headed into town. City has always been in the blood. My mum was born in Exeter and I have always had an affinity with the place since living there in the eighties. Much has changed at the club since local jeweller Ivor Doble, sold on to Terminal fraudsters John Russell and Mike Lewis in 2002. We soon had Michael Jackson appearing in his Pope-mobile and David Prowse (Darth Vadar) as celebrity fans. For a while it was quite surreal, hanging out with Uri Geller at Darlington and going mental as Sean Devine stroked home a late equaliser, but it was more of the farce than the force which was with us and inevitably we crashed out of the football league in 2004. On that bleak, wet day, I’d sat in the old dilapidated grandstand and watched the obligatory pitch invasion at the end, wondering whether we’d ever return. Fifteen years later so much has changed and what the club has achieved is a truly remarkable transformation. Much of the stadium has been rebuilt. The old grandstand is no more as is the old cowshed terrace which sat opposite. Both constructed in corrugated iron and railway sleepers were Valley parades in the waiting but have now been replaced by modern day stands offering a perfect viewing platform with corporate hospitality boxes. The home end – The Big bank, which incidentally is the biggest football terrace in the country has even got a roof and a sponsor – Thatcher’s Cider. It was difficult to work out whether it was the former or the latter helping to echo the Red Legions chanting as they kept up a strong beat for the 90 minutes. Not to forget the opposition, the away end – formerly 10 rows of terracing, open to the elements has now had a makeover courtesy of  Barnet FC, who sold us there’s. It’s now a sleek grey structure with a lid which helped to intensify the atmosphere as the Forest Green drummers provided the percussion for their team. The ground still has gaps with terraced housing staring down onto the pitch but that’s its charm and there are few clubs in the country that can boast they have their own railway station, adjacent to the pitch. These changes would have been unlikely probably impossible, if the supporters trust hadn’t taken ownership and dragged the club from the mire. Tony Cascarino also helped, drawing the no 64 ball in the FA cup third round draw to pit us away at Manchester United. The rest is history. City now are a regular fixture at the top with one of the best Youth Academy’s on the south coast. It’s helped develop talents like Ollie Watkins and Ethan Ampadu, whose sales have been carefully invested nurturing the next generation of super Grecian. Several of them were on display on Saturday. Jack Sparkes born in nearby Exmouth, twisted and turned and supplied a sublime cross for the only goal of the game swept home by talismanic striker Ryan Bowman was a case in point. City played some exceptional football in the first half and should have scored more – it nearly cost them. Forest Green with more verve in the second half started to display their undoubted talent and were unlucky not to sneak a draw, forcing two good saves from City blocker Jonny Maxsted, the second exceptional from close range. However, City were good value at the end, deserving the points. The league is shaping up and things look good for Exeter after missing out on promotion in the last 3 seasons, but the barometer will go up another level in two weeks when neighbour’s Plymouth visit for the Devon Derby. Its always a big tribal event and the acrimony borders on mutual hate. It means the atmosphere will be electric and a defining victory or defeat could have massive ramifications for both clubs come the end of the season. With luck and good football hopefully it will be a Plymouth side who’ll be green with envy in a fortnight’s time floundering in Exeter’s wake.
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