Pat Cavanan, a 20-year-old former Republic of Ireland youth international, was briefly with Exeter City in the middle of the 1965/66 season. Signed from Dublin club Home Farm, he was only at St James’ Park for a month or so. 

Arriving with teammate Tommy Sweetman in December 1965, both players were following in the path of Theo Foley (then playing in the top-flight with Northampton) who had joined Exeter City from the same club a decade earlier. Making his debut against Yeovil in the Western Counties Floodlit League on 15 December, he left City in mid-January 1966 terminating what had been a one-year contract.