Garth Dykes took over much of the statistical work for Exeter City: A Complete Record 1904-1990 following the death of Alec Wilson. He had worked on other books in the same series.

Garth, a Lancastrian, was a friend of the Exmouth-born Alex Wilson who was the instigator of the Exeter City volume in the complete record series published by Breedon Books. Alec, who had long compiled statistics relating to the Grecians on an ongoing basis, fell ill as the book was nearing completion and died in Leicester in August 1989.

Having already compiled the New Brighton and Oldham Athletic volumes in the same series, Garth stepped into the breach and worked with Maurice Golesworthy, a well-known sports historian from Exeter, to complete the task resulting in the book’s publication soon after City’s 1990 championship success.

Born in Blackburn in 1934, Garth went on to write further books - for Breedon and other publishers - on Blackpool, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Notts County, Stalybridge Celtic and Sunderland together with others on former Football League clubs and several more about Oldham Athletic in particular.