Chris Gillard was a reserve team player for Exeter City in 1963, who played against Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup.

He played for the reserves and the Colts and was still playing in 1965/66, in the club's Western League team.

Chris's lifelong passion for football was fostered in the playground of the old Landscore and Hayward's primary schools and evenings with friends in Newcombes playing fields. Unlike today organised competitive youth games were few and far between and generally limited at Haywards Primary School to twice annual games against Sandford and John Stocker school in Exeter. The first regular fixtures came in the late 1950's when Crediton United reformed an under 15's youth team. Chris recalls a rude awakening to the Exeter Youth League.

"One of the first league games we played was against the Foxhayes Youth Team playing at Exwick and if my memory serves me right we lost 24-nil. In those days secondary school sport at the Haywards and QE Grammar schools I attended focussed on rugby so there were no opportunities to play school football games."

With other youth football players however Chris was soon drafted into Crediton United's Reserve's team and by the time he was sixteen into the 1st team. "My first taste of adult football was at East Budleigh where the occasion was marred by several of the Crediton Reserves players walking off the pitch in protest at refereeing decisions. Eventually they were persuaded to return and the game completed needless to say I was not over impressed. My first 1st team game was at Topsham. In those days the team always travelled by coach and after the game everyone retired to the local Lord Nelson pub in the town. I felt very awkward as under 18's weren't allowed in pubs then but captain Mike Mathews smuggled me in."

Chris played regularly from then on and was eventually recommended by Chairman Harry Elston to the Devon County F.A. for their Under 18's team. Chris recalls "Walter Sanders a County F.A selector came to watch me and I was selected to play against Dorset at St James Park a few weeks later. The difference in playing standard and particularly fitness levels was enormous and playing at "left - half' I was given the run around by Dorset's classy inside right and we lost by about four goals ending my initial involvement with the team." The following summer the newly appointed Exeter City manager Cyril Spiers invited interested youngsters for trials for their Exeter and District Team. The previous season the Football Association had ended the Maximum Wage Structure meaning players wages were increasing and as a result the number of professional players at Clubs decreased. City were then running a Fourth Division, Western League and Devon and Exeter League teams so were relying more on amateur players to fill the Reserves and "A"team. Chris played in pre-season trial matches and was asked to sign amateur forms by the then "A" team secretary Reg Tilt.

"I had always been keen on all physical sports and loved the training sessions which were held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at St James Park. This compared to nowadays was fairly basic mainly consisting of jogging and sprinting around the track and up and down the Big Bank terraces. In those days City also had a small training ground behind the big bank where small side games could be played. This was pretty basic and it was not uncommon to have to retrieve footballs from the railway track in the cutting behind the ground." Chris played regularly in the "A" team which was then in the Exeter & District Premier Division. In those days this was a strong league and contained many teams like Tiverton, Dawlish Town, Exmouth Town, Willand Rovers, Elmore, and Heavitree United who eventually went on to Western League Football. There were quality players playing in the League including many ex pro's. As well as the E & D League games City had entered the 1962-3 F A Youth Cup and although 18 by the time of the 1st game Chris was still eligible to play. Chris recalls this period as probably the most memorable of his football career. "The team was a mixture of a couple of full-time pro's, five or six apprentices and five or six amateurs. We played and beat Newport County, Torquay United, Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle to reach the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup. We were drawn to play Arsenal away at the old Highbury ground and played them in a midweek afternoon game losing in front of a crowd of a few hundred by a score of 3-0 to a team containing players like John Radford, John Sammels and others who were to become Arsenal 1st team players." Ironically the reporter covering the match for the Express and Echo made two of City's amateur players Alan Riding and Chris as best City forward and defender respectively. In the same 1962/3 season, which was marred by severe winter weather, Chris also played again in the County Youth team. He continued playing as an amateur for City for a further three seasons playing mainly in the "A" team but also playing Reserve team games and during the 1963-4 season in the Devon County Senior team. He was also invited to play in a representative game for the City of Exeter against the French City of Rennes flying to Rennes for the then Annual Twinning Sports Festival. City's manager during most of his time there was Jack Edwards. The Reserves team manager of the time was ex City keeper Barney Singleton who's priority was Reserves team success rather than encouraging young talent and as a result only two of the many young players through the four years, Derek Grace and Bruce Stuckey went on to play professional football.
 

At the start of the 1966/7 season Chris left Exeter City to follow many of his former team mates to join Dawlish Town. They were the top team in the Exeter & District Premier Division at the time attracting good players because of the superb playing surface and competition for places was very competitive. Chris was also still playing in the Devon County F.A team at the time affecting regular appearances in the Dawlish team. That season the Devon County F.A in their wisdom decided to introduce a Plymouth based team manager to run the County team rather than a selection committee and as a result the team became Plymouth based players orientated. Following a drubbing from the Cornwall CFA team a lot of the Exeter area players were dropped ending Chris's six years involvement with the County F.A teams.

Dawlish Town were heading for their first of a succession of five Exeter & District Premier Division in six seasons but Chris found himself competing with others for team places. At the same time Crediton United were enjoying a successful season challenging for the Senior 1 title. Early in 1967 he was approached by Committee members Harry Elston and Colin Smith from the Club and agreed to transfer back to his home town side where many of his friends were playing. The team won the Division and were promoted to the Premier Division the following season.

A couple of season's later Crediton United followed the rising trend by appointing its first team manager, in the shape if lan Grinney, and the team had several years of enjoyable participation in the Premier Division under lan, and subsequent managers Alan -(Wiffer) Matten, Fred Davey, Ken Grainger, Trevor Scott and Brent Howard. In the mid 70's however the team were relegated again to the Senior 1 Division. Chris was a regular member of the team during this period. During Alan Matten's time as manager he was asked to play as a forward and after playing as a defender until the age of 28 found a new lease of life. Chris recalls "We were struggling for someone to score goals and Alan asked me to play upfront. I enjoyed the new challenge and started scoring a few goals. After a while I must have made an impression because I received a phone call from Tony Long manager of the Exeter City Reserves team asking if I'd be interested in helping them out as they were short of strikers. As it happened we had an important Cup game at Willand that week so turned him down. He rang eight years too late." In the summer of 1976 Crediton United moved to Lords Meadow and to celebrate the occasion welcomed the full Bristol City 1st team squad which had just won promotion to the old Division 1 for a pre-season friendly. The match was arranged by Trevor Scott a close friend of City's long serving Trevor Tainton as part of his benefit year. Chris was captain of the United team at the time and felt it was a great experience. "Bristol City brought down a full first team squad for their first game after winning promotion for which the Club had to guarantee £500 forTrevor Tainton's benefit fund. It was a memorable day and one of the highlights of my playing days at Crediton." Chris continued to play 1st team football until his late 30's and when the Club formed a 3rd team took on the position of joint manager to help youth team players, including sons lan and Kevin, progress into senior football. When the Club joined the Western League in 1989/90 the Reserves team were accepted into the Western League Combination Division and Chris became a joint team manager with Jon Guy and David Job.

Chris had joined the Club's Committee at the end of the 1967 season and still remains a member having been Vice Chairman for many years, Chairman for several and treasurer for the past six seasons. Having now reached the grand age of 70 years he would like to take a back seat but stay involved with less responsibility. Chris has great concerns over the future of the Club." I have been very fortunate to be a part of the successful development of the Club had a great time playing football and made many friends. I have also been very lucky to have had the support of my wife Mary throughout nearly 50 years together. She enjoys watching sport in general although nowadays her preferences are mainly for athletics, cycling, tennis and cricket. Grass routes football is going through a bad patch at the moment and like most clubs our administrators are getting older. Support at all levels is suffering because of the games poor image. We have a few keen younger members but they will need support and help if Crediton United is going to maintain and improve its current status. We are at a critical stage"

From Chris Gillard's own archive. November 2024.