2025/26 Women

Season Summary 

Exeter City Women finished the 2025/26 season in 7th place in the FA Women's National League (FA WNL) Southern Premier Division. Managed by Abbie Britton, the Grecians successfully consolidated their position in tier three following a challenging but resilient 2nd campaign at this level.

Following their standout 4th-place finish as newcomers the previous year, Exeter City navigated a highly competitive midfield pack, finishing the 22-match season with 30 points.

Season Highlights & Key Moments

• Stadium Venues: The team split their home matches between Coach Road in Newton Abbot (boasting a high-quality 3G surface) and the primary licensed venue, St James Park (SJP).
• Strong Holiday Form: A vital 6-1 thrashing of Gwalia United just before the Christmas break proved crucial for anchoring the team safely away from any relegation threats. They concluded their competitive league year back at SJP with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Gwalia United on 26 April 2026.

End of an Era: Major Departures 
- more below

The conclusion of the season marked a massive emotional shift for the squad as five long-serving foundational players departed the club:

1. Emily Toogood: The longest-serving player and modern-era record appearance holder (192 games ).
2. Abbi Bond: Veteran goalkeeper whose history stretching back to the 2015/16 campaign came to a close.
3. Jaydee Seaman: Dominant centre-back and occasional team captain.
4. Sarah Stacey: Clinical striker who previously claimed the golden boot during the club's rise.
5. Beth Ireland: Highly valued midfielder who leaves a legacy of over 650 combined appearances alongside her departing peers.

The historic group played their final official match at SJP during the league finale, followed by an emotional, commemorative 1-1 friendly against the University of Exeter Women on 9 May 2026 to officially close the book on the season.

First Team Results

Final Table 2025/26

FAWNL Cup

League Cup

WFA Cup 2025/26

*Chatham won 4-3 on penalties.

Devon FA Challenge Cup

Exeter City Women reported the following in April 2025 

Five long-serving members of Exeter City Women have confirmed they will leave the club at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Beth Ireland, Sarah Stacey, Abbi Bond, Jaydee Seaman and Emily Toogood will depart having made more than 650 combined appearances in red and white. All five players will still feature in the team's remaining league and cup games, with Sunday's match at SJP against Gwalia United an opportunity for the home supporters to bid farewell.

Emily Toogood is the longest serving player in the squad and the women's team modern-era record appearance holder, currently on 192 appearances. The defender joined the club in 2016 and has captained the side, achieved two promotions and won several county cups during her time in red and white.

Battling centre-back Jaydee Seaman arrived in 2021 from Plymouth Argyle, and quickly found a home in Devon's capital. A vocal, dominant leader in the backline, she has stepped in as captain on several occasions and built a unique bond with the supporters off the pitch.

Abbi Bond is another player whose time at City stretches back eras, having initially played for the club in the 2015/16 season. After spending several seasons at Buckland Athletic, the goalkeeper returned to Exeter in 2021 and became the club's undisputed number one, winning the Golden Glove in 2024 as City stormed to the league title. 

Fresh from playing over 50 times in the third tier, Beth Ireland joined fourth tier City in 2023 with the ambition of helping the Grecians reach the level she knew well. The box-to-box midfielder achieved exactly that less than nine months later, becoming a dependable presence in a midfield that won the title.

Finally, there are only a select group of players who can claim to have a century of goals for Exeter City, and one name on that list is Sarah Stacey. With 124 goals (and counting) in her five seasons in red and white, the striker made her presence at the top of the pitch in the third and fourth tiers known. Some say the marks from her knee slide are still etched into the turf at Home Park.

We will catch up with some of the departing players this summer to look in-depth at their time in red and white.

On the departures, Exeter City Women manager Abbie Britton said: "It goes without saying that these girls are going to be hugely missed and rightly so, they've helped shape what Exeter City Women look like now. Whether or not they've played every minute of every game, they have had a huge impact on everything we have built here. 

"But, with evolutions and the way that football works and the world we live in, things change. As much as we don't want change, we need change as a football team and club. I think somebody once said this was a part of their book, a chapter in their book, but this isn't the full story.

"Good luck to them, and thank you."

Thank you Emily, Jaydee, Abbi, Beth and Sarah.