Cyril Spiers, celebrating his 60th birthday at the time, became manager of Exeter City in May 1962 but was only in post for nine months. Having played in the 1920s and 1930s, he had been manager of a number of clubs (including, most notably Cardiff City) in the 1950s and 1960s. Responsible for bringing City’s 1964 promotion-winning manager Jack Edwards to the club, Mr Spiers died within a few years of leaving St James’ Park. 

Born close to Villa Park, he made over a hundred league appearances in goal for Aston Villa between 1920 and 1927 before enjoying a productive stay with Tottenham Hotspur through to 1933. Suffering a bad injury, he then played a few times for Wolverhampton Wanderers where he was to become assistant manager to Major Frank Buckley.  

Entering management in his own right, he took charge of Cardiff City on the eve of war in 1939 and - also performing the role of secretary - steered the club through the war years before taking charge of Norwich City during 1946/47. Thereafter returning to Cardiff City, who he guided to promotion to the First Division in 1951/52, he managed Crystal Palace in the mid-1950s before scouting for Leicester City.  

Consequently, it was a surprise in May 1962 when Exeter City replaced Glen Wilson - one of the club’s youngest-ever managerial appointments - with the sixty-year-old Cyril Spiers who had been out of management for four years after a twenty-year managerial career. Taking on more of an administrative role as general manager, greater responsibility than usual was given to Jack Edwards, the club’s new trainer, who had known Mr Spiers since their time together at Cardiff City. 

As the Grecians made little headway in a 1962/63 campaign that ultimately resulted in a 17th place finish in Division Four (one above the previous year), Mr Spiers stepped aside in February to enable Jack Edwards to become caretaker prior to his eventual appointment as manager in May 1963. At the time the local press queried the whole manner of both the arrival and departure of Mr Spiers especially as he had requested time to build a youth policy and that, now, the first team hadn’t played for some weeks because of that winter’s ‘Big Freeze’.  

Scouting once more for Leicester City, Cyril Spiers died in Croydon - where he had lived since managing Crystal Palace - in May 1967.