Season Review 2004/05
originally published in the Italian Masters programme 27th May 2005

If ever there was a season that perfectly encapsulated the joys and uncertainties of following Exeter City Football Club, then 2004/05 sit. The Grecians started the campaign in was optimistic mood, having just missed out on a play off place by one point the previous season, but at the same fime there were still major financial problems to overcome, notably how to meet the terms of the Creditors Voluntary Arrangement.

The Red or Dead campaign was launched and various ingenious schemes were unveiled by supporters as they went about trying to raise £500 each. All proceeds were to go towards paying off the CVA and it was hoped that a large sum of money would be raised by that method.

What transpired though was like a gift form heaven. City had battled their way through to the third round stage of the FA Cup, having knocked out Football League sides Doncaster Rovers and Grimsby Town al along the way. No one could have forecast the euphoria as the Grecians were paired with Manchester United and a trip to Old Trafford.

If that was like being in the fairy land of make believe, what happened next was even more incredible as City shocked the footballing world by holding Sir Alex Ferguson's men to a goalless draw. The replay back at the Park attracted the attention of the media worldwide, and a full house thus eaming City even more cash. The fairy tale ended in defeat, but not before the club had gone from one which was on skid row, to one that had a rosy future, although no money, having settled all the various outstanding debts.

The Nationwide Conference season had kicked off with a visit to St James' Park by Morecambe. There was little to indicate how the season would eventually pan out as Sean Devine netted the first goal of the campaign in a 1-1 draw watched by an attendance of 3,449.

By the end of August, City found themselves languishing in 14th place, having drawn 3-3 at Woking, winning 2-1 2-1 at Northwich Victoria, but then sustaining staining two consecutive defeats at home to Canvey Island (0-1) and on the Bank holiday Monday at Famborough Town (1-2).

City also suffered a major blow with the injury to Glenn Cronin. At first it was thought he would be OK to play again within a few weeks, but it was then revealed that he would be out for the rest of the season. The inspirational player would be a huge loss to the side.

Despite this set back, City's form picked up in the month of September as the team remained unbeaten. The month started with a 3-2 home win over Crawley Town and a 1-1 draw at Scarborough. There then followed wins against Stevenage Borough (2-0) and Forest Green Rovers (3-2) before Tamworth held the Grecians to a 2-2 draw at the Park. The final game of September was an away tie in the LDV Vans Trophy where City triumphed over Oxford United.

With Exeter having climbed to ninth place in the Conference league table, expectations began to grow that a good season was in prospect. However, manager Eamonn Dolan decided that he couldn't tum down an offer to run the youth academy at Reading and left the club. Speculation as always was rife as who would replace him, and the choice was narrowed down to two - both former City players - Shaun Taylor and Alex inglethorpe.

Eventually it was announced that inglethorpe had won the race to become Exeter City manager, having previously been a player under then Watford manager Steve Perryman. The pair were to once again team up at the Park, as Inglethorpe left his post at Leyton Orient where he had worked with the youth team.

October proved to be a month of mixed results - a win over Aldershot Towndraws against Carlisle United and Gravesend and Northfleet, and defeats against Halifax Town and Barnet. Misfortune once more fell upon a City player as Barry McConnell was carried from the field in the Aldershot game with a broken leg.

The month ended with an FA Cup tie against Braintree Town - little did anyone know where the run in the competition would eventually end! -- Goals from Sean Devine and Jake Edwards gave City a fairly comfortable 2-0 victory.

City continued to hold a mid-table position by the end of a November - a month, like October - that brought a mixed batch of results. The Grecians made their exit from the LDV Vans Trophy with a 1-2 home defeat at the hands of Swindon Town. In the Conference Leigh RMI were walloped 5-1whilst a creditable 0-0 draw at Accrington Stanley and a 0-1 defeat at Burton Albion meant that City by then were in 11th place.

The FA Cup run continued with a magnificent result against Grimsby Town and 1-0 win. The

reward was another home tie, this time against Doncaster Rovers, who had beaten Tiverton Town in the previous round. Nearly 4,800 spectators saw City dump out yet another Football League side following a 2-1 victory. A third round place beckoned - Manchester United - the rest is history!!

By the end of the year - 2004 - City were in 6th place in the Conference, three consecutive wins over Scarborough, Hereford United and Tamworth, having catapulted them up the table.

January was inevitably dominated by the two FA Cup ties with Manchester United, but nevertheless City still recorded wins over Hereford (again), Billericay Town (in the FA Trophy after a replay) and Forest Green Rovers. The only blot on the form book was the 1-0 defeat at top of the table Bamet.

City were still very much in the hunt throughout the months of February and March, although by then they had made their exit from the FA Trophy, suffering a 4-0 beating at Grays Athletic. Although once again the results had been a bit mixed, the club were well positioned to mount a serious play off challenge as the season moved into it's last month.

However, disappointing results at home against Dagenham and Halifax Town made the task all the more difficult. As things turned out, it was down to the last day of the season to decide just who would be in the final play off position. City made the long trek to Carlisle, and although they won, results went against them elsewhere and for the second consecutive season a play off spot was missed by just one point.

Chairs Report 
Presented at the Club Annual General Meeting - 13th July 2005.

The period since the last AGM in September 2004 has been a momentous one forthe club, both on and off the field. It would be easy to concentrate solelyon two matches that have profoundly affected the fortunes of the Club. However it is important to note that even before talking about them, an enormous amount of work has been undertaken to underpin the fabric of the club both in terms of the playing side and in the infrastructure of the grounds and facilities, as well as in trying to place the Club on a more stable position from which it can move forward.

Perhaps the most wide reaching change has been the arrival of a new manager. Eamonn Dolan served the Club loyally over 11 years, and during the last 18months of his tenure he served as Manager, bringing the Club to the edge of the play-offs in our first year in the Conference. However the opportunityto return to his abiding passion, youth coaching, at a club with fantastic facilities and a large budget meant that he left for Reading in October 2004. We cannot praise Eamonn's efforts too highly.

The decision to appoint Alex Inglethorpe as his successor might have come as a surprise to many, but he has brought with him an acute footballing brain, steely determination to succeed and a vision about what he wants Exeter City Football Club to be. We are, as ever indebted to the hard work that has been undertaken, not only in this appointment but elsewhere by Steve Perryman our Director of Football.

The two games against Manchester United are so well documented, none the less it's timely to acknowledge the huge support that the Grecians enjoyed atboth Old Trafford and St James' Park.

It was, perhaps in view of the way that events have transpired, surreal tobe asked by Manchester United fans, in the guise of Shareholders United about being a fans owned club! The matches produced for everyone who wasthere a different set of memories, and of course an enormous financial benefit.

Thereafter the rest of the season was a constant 'catch-up' situation, and as with season 2003-2004 the club ended up one point away from a possible play-off place.

Financial constraints mean that we have asked the Manager to approach the 2005-2006 season with a budget considerably reduced from the last two years, and it is a mark of his integrity that he has agreed to attempt to rebuild the squad within those restraints.

Those restraints have been called for to redress the fact that we continueto live dangerously close to our means, though it's pleasing to report that the visit from the F.A. Financial Unit in April this year, found much to applaud in the club, and relatively few areas in the "could do better'category.

At a recent meeting with the Supervisor of the C.V.A. he indicated that heintends to discharge it only at the end of the full 24-month periodproscribed, that is to say he hopes that it will be completed on October16th this year. It is, perhaps, regrettable that the full term of thearrangement has in part been brought about by the insistence of some tochallenge some areas of it.

I feel I must mention some groups of fans and some individuals who continueto labour hard for the well-being of the club. The Supporters' Clubcontinues to give both selflessly and generously to support a wide range of projects. Exile groups continue to strive hard as well, with the North Devon Grecians and London Grecians at the forefront. The Supporters' Trust has continued to raise money to allow parts of the infrastructure of the fabricand buildings to be given some long overdue attention, as well as supporting in other ways.

The staff at the Club have continued to work above and beyond what might beexpected. Sally Cooke continues to be indomitable, and though it's invidiousto pick out other individuals I intend to do that by mentioning five.

Dacre Holloway who has quietly assumed the mantle of grounds and estates, Pete Bishop and Adrian Sproston have been at the forefront of work parties, Dennis Lee has created a magnificent data base for our benefit and use and Mike Cooper seems to spend an inordinate amount of time helping out around the offices.

Sadly I must note the passing of Malcolm Thompson our ground safety officer, taken quickly at a relatively young age. He was a true supporter and fan, as well as fulfilling his more practical role with the club, superbly.

The Club Board have met a staggering 23 times since the last Annual General Meeting, and two Directors resigned, Barry Sansom who was a stalwart through the transitional stage of Trust ownership resigned in December 2004, and Roger Monk summers left in May 2005. We thank them both for their valuable contributions and hard work.

Tony Badcock has joined us on the Board; the Chair of the Trust elected in January 2005 and David Newbery joined and took over from Geoffrey Styles (who remains on the Board) as Company Secretary. Both are making significant contributions to our work, and the size of the Board will be increasedduring the next year.

I would like to place on record my thanks to all my fellow Directors for their hard work and support. I'd also like to remind shareholders that with the exception of the one paid employee of the Club on the Board, none of the Directors receive remuneration

for their work which in several cases amounts to work which engages them at the Club for up to 30 hours in a working week.

Having changed the dates of the accounting year these accounts cover theperiod to May 2004, and do not therefore take account of the Manchester United factor. I have talked in my last two reports about having been restrained in commenting about the situation that the Trust inherited when it took control of the Club in May 2003, and the brutal heritage revealed by the CVA. Therefore these figures reflect an improvement in the financial situation within the clubif not in the dramatic ways that we might have hoped, they do reflect that the club has started to move towards some sortof stability tempered by the need to honour commitments made before we started to run the club.

It should be noted that these accounts are for a much shorter period than last years, which make direct comparisons difficult. I would summarise them as showing a small improvement in the overall financial situation of the club and a more stable platform for the future. However until the CVA is discharged it's difficult to envisage quite what the situation will be like there after. I would like to thank Stephen Golby at Mole and Company for his work in preparing them.

Finally I hope that during the next year the Club will able to move forward at an ever increasing pace freed in the first place from the constraints that the CVA have imposed upon us, secondly that some 'unfinished business' from 25 months ago which continues to hamper several operational areas within the club is resolved conclusively, and that thirdly, and possibly most importantly, we are able to support a club and a team that will strive to live up the motto of the City of Exeter "Semper Fideles"