Frances Farley- Director (2004-2014) and Operations (2004-2010) 

Quotes in the Charlton programme April 2010, after Frances had moved to another role outside of Football.

"Today is another step in the evolution of Exeter City FC. Frances Farley over the last 6 years has single handedly shaped, organised, and run with her team of volunteers what might be considered the least glamorous part of our rise from the ashes. As the Director in charge of Operations she has held massive responsibility matched only by the size of the work load undertaken.

"Starting back in 2004 Frances began looking after certain projects but it soon became clear due to her wealth of experience and pragmatic professional approach that the club needed her skills on a daily basis.

"To go into any kind of detail here would take far too long but her many triumphs include negotiations with the police, keeping our family stand in serviceable order, successfully defending the club against a £100,000 employment law suit, (twice!), not to mention all aspects ticket, HR and health and safety. “It is not possible to replace somebody like Frances, but we are delighted that she will remain as a non executive director on the club board to ensure that her wealth of experience and knowledge is passed on and utilised. “Frances is also evolving and has accepted a highly responsible job with DCC Schools as Business Manager which will reward her at rate that she deserves as opposed to the salary she received at Exeter City. Everybody will miss Frances and I personally will miss her day to day involvement, the expertise, and the considered advice that she brings, but am delighted, tinged with a hint of jealousy, that life for Frances is moving onward and upwards."

- Julian Tagg (ECFCVice Chairman)

"I am sorry to hear Frances is leaving; I am sure her contribution will be appreciated for many years to come by everyone at ECFC, and she has more than played her part in making ECFC perhaps the best example of our alternative for football. “Can you please pass on my best wishes for the future' and my thanks for her work for the club, and so by extension the wider Supporters' Trust movement."

- Dave Boyle (Supporters Direct)

"What can I say about Frances other than when her name appears on my phone - "Urgent Help" is required! Normally with situations that will have a devastating effect on, if the next home match can be played! “However, like most of the work undertaken by Frances, very few people would realize the key role she played in the day-to-day running of the less glamorous side of the football club."

- Nigel Parker (HBC)

"I read (with some sadness) that Frances was returning to her educational 'roots.' I remember you firstly as a family and as much valued volunteers during that incredible fire-fighting period in 2003. “Frances' work after I left in professionalising the administrative processes at the club, was a vital part of the renewal process, which brings us to where we are as a club, today.

"Watching "Grecian Voices" the other night reinforced for me what a fabulous club we have - and Frances will always be remembered as a stalwart who stepped up to the plate when loyalty came calling."

-Terry Pavey (Ex- ECFC Director at the start)

"Thank you very much Frances for all your hard work and commitment to the 'CAUSE'. You have been a very fair person to know and work for. “You only have the CITY in mind, and have worked none stop and taken a lot of stick for your single mindedness for the CITY. “ Thank you for being so genuine in your passion for the CITY. I hope and pray that your new job is as good a success as you have made the CITY."

- Colin Baker (Supporter)

“I have had the pleasure of getting to know Frances over the past five or six years of Trust ownership of the football club. We both share a passionate belief in the role that Exeter City should play at the heart of our local community.

"Frances has played a key role in two Trust projects - firstly, the Grecian Voices project, which saw £50,000 of Heritage Lottery Fund money to develop an Exeter City exhibition, and archive celebrating our club's history. “Alongside this was the 'Drumming up Support' project, which achieved £6,000 from the Arts Council for a drumming project for the club's young fans. “Frances has been tireless in promoting the football club as a hub for the local community - the Grecian Learning Centre is testament to Frances's love of education as well as highlighting how the club can help young people to improve them with the help of the football club.

"All the Trustees on the Board of Society wish Frances well in her new education post and are delighted she will still be a member of the club's Board of Directors."

-Tony Badcock (Exeter City Supporters Trust)

"This is a sad time for me; I have had a number of dealings with Frances and always found her helpful and a pleasure to work with all be it from afar.

"The number of hours she has put in will cost us dearly in the future with having to employ staff. Here wishing Frances a happy, healthy and wealthy future."

- Dave Knight (North Devon Grecians/Supporter)

"When I think about Exeter City, I think Frances Farley. If ever there was someone for whom the phrase "unsung hero" was written for then it is Frances.

"Her work behind the scenes has been unstinting and not always widely reported and she has been a true hero in the immense progress that the club has made since near extinction.

"Frances always had time for anyone with the best interests of Exeter City at heart and she will be truly missed."

- Matt Roach. (Exeter Airport)

"I have had the privilege of being able to work with Frances Farley over the years on all things disability wise at Exeter City F.C. With her understanding and commitment, great things are said about Exeter City on the disabled facilities we now have in place. “You will be missed greatly, not just by me but also by a great deal of others."

- Nick Saunders (ECFC DLO & ECDSA Chairman)

"Few people will be aware of all the work Frances (and indeed the whole Farley family) undertakes not only during the week but also on a Saturday to help the whole ‘matchday experience' happen and run as smoothly as possible for supporters. “Never one to shirk away from any situation, whether it is good or bad, she will be missed with all of her help and input. Frances will be a hard act to follow."

- Andy Crewdson (ECFC)

It is one thing to sit on a board of Directors and make policy decisions. It is quite another to work tirelessly to implement those decisions. This is Frances talent. Her hard work and attention to detail will be a major loss to ECFC. I wish her well in her new undertaking."

Dave Newbery (All parts SW)

"Frances came on board lat a very very difficult time for the club, when, following a great deal of optimism, it was obvious that the systems and clear thinking necessary for the club to move forward were not yet in place. As soon as I met her, I knew that she was the sort of person to take a clear and methodical approach and to make things happen.

"Over the following years her tireless efforts and logical approach (not to mention her ability to cajole others and make things happen in the deeply political atmosphere of a football club) proved that the renaissance of the fortunes of the club has been all about having the right team members off the pitch as well an on it." - Joe Reevy (Best Practice Online Ltd)

"In my opinion Frances' contribution to the running of the club and ensuring the match days have gone as smoothly as possible has been huge over the past six or so years. She also successfully defended the club (twice) when a former managing director charged the club with unfair dismissal.

"I know that she has given up a vast amount of time voluntarily for the well-being of the club and I am sure she will be glad of the opportunity now to spend more time with her husband and family."

- Pete Martin (Supporter)

"I got to know Frances through her request to me to help run the website during our stint in the Conference. Frances was one of the few directors at the club in that era and had a massive remit. Everything from ticketing arrangements to ground redevelopment.

"She helped push the website internally and this has gone on since to be a well run professional area of the club. Frances should be proud of all she has achieved during her time at Exeter City FC and I am certain that we would not be as well organised now if it were not for her hard and often unglamorous work."

- Oli South (Supporter)

"Having been involved with the club since 1999 on the matchday safety side, I have worked with a number of Directors who had the responsibility for H&S but who did very little about it.

"From the day Frances moved into post, she took on an understanding of what was required, and needed together with the responsibilities of trying to make the rest of the Board aware of the likely outcome resulting from incidents and how it could affect them and the club.

"She has put in time over and above that usually given to the job fighting for it in meetings with other official bodies and has been a tremendous support to myself and to the stewards. "So personally, I can see you will be missed, but on match days now you can visit the control room without fear of being put under pressure about the problems that occur all too often on match days!!"

Jim Eastment. (Safety Officer)

"It was during the upheaval and turmoil of relegation, administration and the Supporters Trust picking up the baton after those before had spectacularly dropped it, that I first was introduced to Frances. "I am sure it was Barry Sansom who first spotted Frances' level-headed

management skills and invited her to join the Supporters Trust to bring this much-needed asset to the Club. Me being a cynical old b****r, I thought, here we go again, no sooner do we lose one set of ineffective managers, here's the next sorry bunch".

" "How wrong I was, I do not mind admitting as much, looking back on how low those lows were back in the dark early days of the Conference, the reason why the Club has risen so far, so quickly is because of the unstinting efforts of those who value the community that is Exeter City FC. In addition, Frances is one of those that contributed most."

- Gary Nelson (Supporter and Volunteer)

"It will seem strange not to see Frances at work anymore, as she has been part of my working life going back to the Alex Inglethorpe period when we first met.

"The early days were characterized by there being a mere handful of us doing everything and thus it seemed the 'highs and lows' were intensely personal to our small band. It has been interesting to see how life has moved on in the club and the different challenges the club has faced, especially with the move to the Football League and games against the likes of Leeds. However, as Frances said, we handled Manchester United, so we will handle this - and she did!

"We shared an interest in Gillingham FC, things South Eastern and, initially, a shared appreciation of a quiet cigarette until I gave it up. I wish her the very best of luck in the future and am sure she will be both successful and happy as, with the support of her family, she gets her new colleagues organized!"

- Bruce Henderson (ECFC Business Development Manager)

"It will be hard to imagine working at the club without Frances. She's been part of the team for a long time now, that has worked so hard off the pitch to help take the club into less troubled waters and into a position where we can develop and flourish. “You need no end of skills and a large degree of patience to work at Exeter City and Frances has these. The higher profile nature of football clubs sees you having to deal the hefty corporate responsibility of the club to the wider world - to the police, councils, our own fans - and all conducted under a microscope!

"The fact is that Frances is a doer and sometimes the outside world never gets an opportunity to see this and therefore to appreciate this. It's evident to myself at the club just how valuable having Frances around has been.

"She's also a City fan and therefore has gone into bat on the club's behalf with appropriate vigour! We're lucky we have many people at the club who similarly passionate about our (City) cause.

"I will miss her support and wish her the very best in what sounds like an excellent new job but, at the same time, I can't say I'll miss her tea making. The chance to sample a mug of tea from her have sadly been rather too few and far between for my liking! One more week to put that right though, Frances - one sugar please!"

- Andy Gillard (ECFC Operations Manager)

"I shall be sorry to see Frances go. She is one of those people who is always busy sorting queries and problems, but she has always been a great help to me since I started, always having the time to stop her work in order to point me in the right direction whenever I have needed advice on things. I think she will be missed much more than she thinks from the day-to-day running of the club."

Sue Smith (ECFC Club Accountant)

"Exeter City's rocky journey from non-league ignominy to League One status has depended upon unstinting efforts from so many people both on and off the pitch.

"In the "Remarkable Rise of Exeter City", the success on the field brought about by Paul's management skills and professionalism of the coaching staff and players has been matched in equal measures by members of the Trust, supporter's groups, fans and Board of Directors. "To those groups Frances has brought expertise, enthusiasm and dedication more than equal to overcoming the many problems faced by the Grecians. “I certainly enjoyed working with Frances even though she gave me a hard time on the occasion I had cause to present some ideas to the Board!! Fortunately Exeter City Football Club Ltd. is not losing her skills and knowledge."

- Geoff Gearing (Season Ticket Holder