Exeter City punching above its weight in the third tier of English football

It’s fair to say the past few weeks have tested us, with results not falling our way. But we always knew this season - just like those before it - would bring challenges.

That’s the reality of competing at this level. I think sometimes it’s easy to forget that Exeter City has always had to punch above its weight, finding smart, innovative ways to compete against clubs with far bigger budgets and resources.

Yes, that makes life tough at times - especially when up against teams who can buy players and pay wages for the kind of depth we simply can’t. But let’s not forget, we’ve beaten the odds before, and we can do it again.

This is part of our story, part of what makes being Exeter City special and part of what makes our supporters so special.

We’re still only 10 games into the season, some of the new players have only been in the building a couple of weeks and we have several key players who are on their way back from injury, and not quite ready to play the full 90 minutes.

So, we need to keep the faith, keep backing the boys, giving them our voices, belief and energy, we’ll come through this period stronger and ready to seize the opportunities ahead.

The Huddersfield game also saw the return of Jake Edwards to SJP. Jake, who played for Exeter between 2004 and 2006 and later went into football administration becoming head of the second and third-tier competition in the United States, as well as chief executive of Huddersfield Town, came down to the match with his wife and kids and unfortunately went home with all three - plus the points!

As well as the action on the pitch, there’s also a huge amount that goes on off the pitch. It was wonderful to see Martin Weiler, a key member of our Museum team, giving former player Bobby Rackley, who played for the Club in 1958, a tour of the ground.

It was his first time back to SJP for 65 years and it was an incredibly moving experience for everyone involved. The Museum team gave him a team photo from his time with the club and showed him the programmes where his appearances were recorded for posterity.

Elsewhere, our partner charity Exeter City Community Trust were in the spotlight this week for their community work, showcasing their new Change Our Path programme.

The initiative pairs some of our men’s and women’s players with youngsters who are disengaging from school and at risk of becoming involved in crime. It’s an inspiring project, funded by the Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), with additional support from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Devon and Cornwall.

We’re proud to be one of only 14 clubs taking part in the pilot, and it’s already making a real difference.

That sense of impact and inspiration carried onto the pitch too. One of the women’s team players involved in the COP programme, Sophie Gillies, was among the scorers in what proved to be a Super Sunday for Exeter City Women.

The team topped their group and advanced in the FA WNL League Cup with a five-nil thriller against Abingdon United. Next, they face Watford at Coach Road on Sunday October 5, followed by Real Bedford away on October 12, before their highly anticipated clash against Plymouth Argyle Women at St James Park on October 29 – just six days after the men take on Argyle.

And for the men, there’s long old 500-mile round trip to Lincoln on Saturday. This is followed by Reading at home on Saturday October 11, Stockport away on October 18 and then the Devon Derby at SJP on October 23.

As ever, it’s you, the supporters, who make the difference, so see you there. Up the City!

Julian Tagg Exeter City FC President and Director of External Affairs