A look at how Exeter City finally managed to escape League Two after a decade of planning
Exeter City has been tantalisingly close to promotion to League One over the last decade but with success in their grasp, they somehow contrived to let go when holding on would have been easier. Indeed, three play-off final defeats in four years would have been enough to make even the most stoic Exeter fan wipe a tear away en route home from Wembley after yet another crushing setback.
However, during those desolate drives from London that would lead down the M5 and into the calmness of Southwest England, following the madness of Wembley, there would be an acceptance that accompanied the raw pain that comes with missing out on promotion. Exeter City, were, after all, a fan-owned, community-oriented institution, which meant that everyone knew how the club operated. With this being the case, there was no outpouring of anger towards anyone at the club and perhaps there was still a feeling that the Grecians were, if anything, punching above their weight.
Yes, the summers would usually see temporary sorrow give way to pride as the city and its supporters began aspiring for another shot at promotion to League One. As things went, the start of the 2021/2022 season would mark a decade in the fourth tier of English football for Exeter, which meant that no other club had spent longer in the division. Still, patience was in abundance around St. James Park at the beginning of the campaign with no one asking the club to commit to any promises.
The best-laid plans go awry, but they also pay off
This time, however, manager Matt Taylor would spend the next nine months leading the Grecians to automatic promotion and out of the wilderness of League Two. Mercifully, the time had finally come to take flight from the division, which ultimately meant that a ten-year plan had been achieved. Essentially, the club had been relying on its famed Academy to produce the players that were needed to escape football’s version of Alcatraz which is why, as initially mentioned, the fans were able to accept so many failed attempts to get out of League Two.
The overriding sentiment was that the time would eventually come and that this homegrown approach would pay off. Put another way, the club didn’t need to deviate from the path it was on by splurging in the transfer market as Academy graduates like Matt Jay, Archie Collins and Sam Nombe would provide enough of a team spine to eventually achieve the goal of promotion.
Tellingly, under Taylor’s management, as many as 17 Academy players were in the squad when promotion was secured, which goes to show how much faith was put in the players coming through the ranks. Indeed, there has always been a close connection between Exeter’s u23s and the first XI, which means that for the majority of a typical week in training, the u23s will take part in matchday drills with the eleven that will run out of the tunnel on Saturday afternoons.
Furthermore, Taylor’s insistence on a 3-4-1-2 formation is followed right throughout the football club at every level, which allows the emerging players to seamlessly step into the first XI and do what the manager asks of them when the time comes, and it most certainly will at Exeter City.
New challenges await the Grecians
Of course, it’s worth mentioning that League One will be a marked step up in quality for a club that doesn’t make a habit of spending in the transfer market.
In general, a season of consolidation is what is expected at Exeter and even if we look ahead to the prices of another possible promotion, we'll see the Grecians given long odds of 14/1 to reach the dizzying heights of the Championship. These odds aren't the product of some rumour mill chatter, either. As any Bet365 review will demonstrate, the Bet365 brand is well-established as one of the best bookmakers in the UK and offer competitive bonuses, promotions and in-depth coverage to punters across a number of markets. Pundits are clearly keeping the hopes of ascension alive for the Grecians, but only time will tell.
In other words, the well-informed opinion is that chances of back-to-back promotions are slim and that Taylor may need to bring in one or two recruits in order to stave off an immediate return to the fourth division. In particular, the club will have to look at prioritising the need to bolster its firepower in the final third of the upcoming campaign. Only Northampton Town scored fewer goals than Exeter in League Two’s top eight, so whilst Taylor’s men could boast of having one of the best defences, there remains a pressing urgency to make sure goals are not hard to come by in League One.
This is a situation to watch develop over the summer with fans sure to keep an eye out for any local Devon news with regards to incoming transfers. Like anything this club does, however, there will be much thought put into the future with the onus on finding the answers from within. For the time being, a summer break is in order for everyone at Exeter City after a decade of back-breaking work and unwavering perseverance.
