As Brian Godfrey was seeking to replace some of the club's proverbial 'back room staff' who had left since the departure of previous manager Bobby Saxton to Plymouth Argyle, local physiotherapy practioners Polly Evennett and Anne Hansell offered their services to the club shortly before the Grecians embarked on their run to the quarter-fnals of the FA Cup in 1981.

Given the media interest in City's fortunes, and the fact that Polly and Anne were amongst the few women employed in such a role at the time, they were the subject of what might later have been described as "old fashioned reporting" by both the Daily Express and the Daily Mirror.

The reality was that Polly and Anne were experienced, qualified physiotherapists who had been in private practice in Exeter for a number of years. Polly, who originally came from Cornwall, worked for City for several years and was later physio for the Devon county rugby team. Her brother Graham Angell played for Exeter RFC.