January 1964 started with two massive home games against promotion rivals. First up were fourth place Workington, one point behind the Grecians. Writing on the eve of the game in the Express and Echo, football reporter Tony Court said that City manager Jack Edwards ‘has got two simple slogans for success. These: 1. Harder training 2. Take each game as it comes’.

This approach worked well as City won the big match 2-1 in front of 7,286 fans. The Echo report was enthusiastic. ‘This victory gave the St James’ Park supporters skill, thrills and 90 minutes of the very best entertainment value that the Fourth Division can provide’.

Workington took an early lead but ‘as supporters shouted themselves hoarse, Exeter grabbed a 16th minute equaliser from Alan Banks and a 68th minute winner from a Derek Grace header’.

The following Saturday brought League leaders Gillingham to the Park. They were the only team in the division with a better defensive record than Exeter. In fact they had the best defensive stats in the entire Football League. Court described it as a ‘needle match’ and 10,905 turned up to watch.  Perhaps not surprisingly it finished 0-0 with ‘Gillingham living up to their reputation’.  City’s defence was praised ‘because it was just as safe without being so time wasting and crude’.

The month finished with two away games. Tony Court wrote that the 1-1 draw on a frost bound pitch at Southport was the reward for ‘Exeter City playing neat push and run football’. Alan Banks scored the goal after only 60 seconds.  

After an unbeaten run of 10 league games the Grecians finally came a cropper at lowly Bradford Park Avenue, losing 3-2. Despite the defeat City ended the month in fourth place and still on course for a first ever promotion. Court blamed missed chances, saying there ‘was no lack of fight, for they played as well as in the majority of matches this season’. The City goals were scored by Alan Banks and Derek Grace.

This had been a productive couple of months for Grace (pictured) with all four of his season’s goals coming in December and January. Signed from QPR in May 1962, he had a slow start to his Exeter career playing just once in his first season. But the inside forward prospered in the promotion year starting 32 games.  It was the highlight of his much travelled football career which included overseas stints in Canada and South Africa. Grace died in Cape Town in 2019.  

Promotion Factfile

The Gillingham game brought a new incentive for the City players. Previously they gained an extra ten shillings for every 500 additional spectators over 5,000 at home games. Nowunder a changed scheme they would get an additional £10 a week as long as they remained in the top four. And a further £10 if they were top.