1961-1967 Reg Rose
Biographical Text
Reg Rose was chair of Exeter City between 1961 and 1967. Although the club won its' first-ever promotion during his time at the helm, it was also a period of great financial uncertainty and cut-backs.
Described as a 'retired industrialist' from the North Midlands, Reginald James Rose had been farming near Axminster since 1947 when he joined the board of Exeter City in 1960. With chairman George Gillin attempting to hold matters together, Mr Rose soon offered a 'cash injection' of £17,000 and eventually assumed the postion of chair the following year. As other board members stepped aside to provide space for anticipated new investors, new money was not forthcoming and Messrs Rose and Gillin became the club's only directors for the foreseeable future. This led to Reg Rose using the channels of Maurice Golesworthy and the club programme to state in March 1962 that "Exeter City Football Club has now reached the most critical stage of its history".
Even when the board was strengthened, the club struggled to make ends meet as the early 1960s saw successive 21st, 18th and 17th place finishes in Division Four under the management of Glen Wilson and Cyril Spiers. But fortunes then took a marked turn for the better with the appointment of Jack Edwards as manager in May 1963 and the Grecians' first-ever promotion in 1963/64.
Unfortunately this proved to be the highpoint of Reg Rowe's time at the helm. Edwards left St James' Park in messy circumstances in January 1965 to be followed by the appointment of Elis Stuttard, further talk of financial dire straights, the narrow rejection of a takeover bid from former Plymouth director Ron Blindell and the departure from the club of vice-chair George Gillin. Relegation seemed sadly inevitable in 1966 as Stuttard gave way to 'Jock' Basford and later the returning Frank Broome. Meanwhile City, in common with a number of other clubs after Portsmouth had started the process, decided to scrap the reserves and colts sides in 1967 around the time Reg Rose was replaced as chairman by Les Kerslake.
Described as a 'retired industrialist' from the North Midlands, Reginald James Rose had been farming near Axminster since 1947 when he joined the board of Exeter City in 1960. With chairman George Gillin attempting to hold matters together, Mr Rose soon offered a 'cash injection' of £17,000 and eventually assumed the postion of chair the following year. As other board members stepped aside to provide space for anticipated new investors, new money was not forthcoming and Messrs Rose and Gillin became the club's only directors for the foreseeable future. This led to Reg Rose using the channels of Maurice Golesworthy and the club programme to state in March 1962 that "Exeter City Football Club has now reached the most critical stage of its history".
Even when the board was strengthened, the club struggled to make ends meet as the early 1960s saw successive 21st, 18th and 17th place finishes in Division Four under the management of Glen Wilson and Cyril Spiers. But fortunes then took a marked turn for the better with the appointment of Jack Edwards as manager in May 1963 and the Grecians' first-ever promotion in 1963/64.
Unfortunately this proved to be the highpoint of Reg Rowe's time at the helm. Edwards left St James' Park in messy circumstances in January 1965 to be followed by the appointment of Elis Stuttard, further talk of financial dire straights, the narrow rejection of a takeover bid from former Plymouth director Ron Blindell and the departure from the club of vice-chair George Gillin. Relegation seemed sadly inevitable in 1966 as Stuttard gave way to 'Jock' Basford and later the returning Frank Broome. Meanwhile City, in common with a number of other clubs after Portsmouth had started the process, decided to scrap the reserves and colts sides in 1967 around the time Reg Rose was replaced as chairman by Les Kerslake.
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