Billy McDevitt was Exeter City’s fourth manager and held the position between 1929 and 1935. In charge of the club at the time of the 1931 run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup he was City’s most successful manager before the Second World War. He had previously played for the Grecians having signed from Liverpool in 1925.  

An inside-forward (although originally a half-back), he had started his senior career with Belfast Celtic before a brief spell with Swansea Town in 1921/22. Returning to Belfast for a season, he joined Liverpool in 1923/24 but only made four league appearances prior to signing for Exeter City for a substantial fee in 1925. Brought to the club by Fred Mavin, he went on to make 125 league appearances for the Grecians scoring on nine occasions. 

Appointed as successor to Dave Wilson in February 1929, after the Scotsman had been in post for less than a year, Billy was initially the Grecians’ player-manager. However he soon gave up playing because of a thigh injury, and making signings such as Arthur Davies, Jimmy Gray, Jack Angus, Stan Barber and Percy Varco, he was able to make up for the loss of Cliff Bastin and Wilf Lowton to bigger clubs. A 16th place finish, at the end of his first few months at the helm, was followed by 13th place in a 1930/31 season that became a cornerstone of the club’s history with a remarkable run to the 6th round of the FA Cup with wins over Northfleet, Coventry, Derby, Bury and Leeds and a replay defeat at the hands of Sunderland.

After securing 7th place in 1931/32, City’s best-ever league season was the next of Billy McDevitt’s achievements as the Grecians finished second in Division Three (South) in 1932/33 with Fred Whitlow breaking the club’s scoring record by netting three-three times in the league. Then, in 1933/34, City won silverware by beating Torquay United in the final of the Division Three (South) Cup.

By this time other clubs were expressing an interest in Mr McDevitt’s services and he reportedly turned down an offer from Queens Park Rangers in 1933. Yet it was to transpire that his achievements with City had reached a plateau and, after securing eleventh place in 1934/35, the subsequent campaign started poorly and Billy tended his resignation in September 1935 after almost exactly ten years at St James’ Park as player, player-manager and manager..

Mr McDevitt later managed Belfast Celtic and Distillery and died in 1966.