Exeter

Grecians 2007

Exeter City v Darlington

Coca-Cola League Two

Saturday February 28th 2009, 3pm

Exeter used to be nothing more than a long, but pleasant trip to south Devon to stand in front of a hedge to watch football..Always a popular DAFTS trip.

Man to watch Jamie Forrester Experienced striker signed from Bristol Rovers on a permanent deal in the summer and is scoring roughly a goal every other game.

Full match previews on the D@rlo Uncovered website.

Ticket prices (depending on attendances to the end of 2008): Prices have been pegged to £16 (concession £10 OAP's/students, £10 under 18 in corner seats in the FlyBe stand. Adult and child family ticket is £21. But if attendances by the end of the year haven't risen by an average of 450 to around 4,000, prices will rise on January 3 to £17 and concessions £11. If demand, City sometimes give over the terrace behind the goal in the St James' end - it's a quaint, narrow, open terrace in front of a hedge. There are plans to eventually give the away end a facelift as part of ongoing ground improvements. Wheelchair users free (accompanied by a carer paying £2)

Exeter City FC:
St James' Park, Well St, Exeter, EX4 6PX, Devon
Tel: 01392 411 243
History: Formed in 1904 after a merger between Exeter Utd and St Sidwell's Old Boys, who had played at St James' Park for 10 years previously. The city was a rugby stronghold but a friendly between Arsenal and West Brom on the ground saw enough appetite for Exeter turn professional and replace Tottenham in the Southern League. Famous fact - in 1914 they became the first club side to play Brazil, on a tour of south America. Founder members of the Third Division in 1920, the Grecians spent 40 years in Division Four before winning their first promotion in the mid 1960s. Exeter faced near bankruptcy in the mid 1990s and again in 2003, when the club also lost league status before being helped by its supporters trust and a money-spinning FA Cup tie against Man Utd, having drawn 0-0 at Old Trafford in 2005. They then reached the Conference play-off final in 2007 at the new Wembley.
Record Attendance: 21,014 v Sunderland, FA Cup, 1931.
Capacity: 9,036
Last season: Conference play-off final winners
Honours: Div 4 champions 1989-1990
Record victory: 8-1 v Coventry City, Div 3S 1926
Defeat: 0-9 v Notts Co, Div 3S 1948
Nickname: The Grecians.
Colours: Red and white stripes
Manager: Paul Tisdale
Director of football: Steve Perryman
Chairman: Denise Watts
Players in: Marcus Stewart (Yeovil), Manny Panther (York), Craig McAllister (Oxford), Jack Obersteller and Ben Watson (both Grays).
Players out: Lee Elam, Jon Richardson, Andy Taylor
Famous fans/players/connections: Cliff Bastin (player), Richard Logan (ex-Darlo), Adrian Edmondson, Uri Geller (fans)

Click for Streetmap of ground

Anything worth adding? Please e-mail us any suggestions. Back to index page

Leave the M5 at Junction 30, follow the Sidmouth Rd and signs for middlemoor Park. Take Honiton turning at Exeter Arms roundabout, down hill to lights - left towards city centre onto the B3212 for about two miles into Blackboy Road, near the ground. Some street parking away from the ground, but there is a residents-only scheme operating.

The ground is an easy, straight 15 minute walk from the city centre. From the High Street, walk over the roundabout and into Sidwell Street, past more shops until you reach the Blackboy Rd roundabout (then it's a left sharp up the hill to the ground.)
Take bus N from St David's Station into town (or alternatively walk across the concourse and up St David's Hill). You catch the return near Marks and Spencer, in Queen Street, off the High Street.

A1 Cars Tel: (01392) 218888
Castle Cars Tel: (01392) 436363
Gemini Cabs Tel: (01392) 666666
Darlington FC Supporters Club
Coach: c6.30am cost TBC. Contact: 01325 243911. See Darlington Supporters' Club for more details.

Trains (TIMES TBC): Darlington 07:05-via London Kings Cross (09.50) Tube to Paddington 10.35- Exeter St Davids arr 12:38, Duration: 5hr 33 mins; Last train (NB: Tight for time): Exeter St Davids 17:32-London Paddington (19:55), onto Tube to King's Cross 20:16, 20:30-Darlington arr 23:09 Duration: 5hrs 37 mins. Fare: £105 rtn

Great Western HotelLocated close to Exeter St David's station, this has accommodation from about £40 per night B&B, as well as the CAMRA-recommended Loco Bar. Tel: 01392 274039

Clock Tower Hotel 16 New North Road Short walk from Queen Street station in the city centre, £30 single, £45 twin B&B. Tel: 01392 424545

Oakliffe Hotel 73 St Davids Hill Guest house close to St David's station, singles from £18.50, twins from £36. Telephone: 01392 258288

Thistle Exeter Queen Street Comfortable three-star hotel right in the city centre. 0870 333 9133

Real ale/Near the stadium
Brook Green, 31 Well Street/York Road Close to the ground with a range of ales on, recommended by CAMRA. Click for map
Other - city centre
If you don't want to try any of those listed, there are plenty of decent student-y style bars in town, if the ones listed here don't take your fancy...like the Duke of York, Sidwell Street, with the Paradise Tandoori in the same street having chicken tikka and chips for £3. Also, on the cheap side, there's a cellar bar Bar Bomba in Queen Street which has beer at 89p a pint a la Hogan's! There's also a Hogshead and a Walkabout on the road to the Quay.

Real ale/City centre & near station
Great Western Hotel Near Exeter St David's station, has Exe and Otter ales in the CAMRA-recommended Loco Bar, recently voted the best in the city for real ale, with around a dozen to choose from and friendly service. Also nuts and cheesy-snacks on the bar.DAFTS recommended. Tel: 01392 274039.
The Well House, Opposite Exeter Cathedral Decent pub, overlooking the cathedral green, with three or four real ales.
Double Locks Hotel, Canal Banks Spacious pub, by a canal - the clues are all there. Marsh Barton, up to 12 cask ales and food served all day.
The Ship Inn, Martin's Lane Old fashioned city centre pub in a narrow side-street between the High Street and the Cathedral green. Fairly decent ales and food served upstairs. Allegedly once frequented by Sir Francis Drake...

Near/at the stadium
Bowling Green, Blackboy Road Another near to the ground, cheerful Greenalls pub, friendly with pool and Sky TV. DAFTS recommended
St James's Centre, Exeter FC. Downstairs conversion in an old school has replaced the much-loved old Centre Spot club at the ground, with not quite the same atmosphere. Away fans are welcome again and they'd dropped admission charges on the last visit. Courage/Worthington beers, Sky, pool, skittles and table soccer.
Country pubs
The Jack In The Green Inn is a pub and restaurant on the old A30 near the airport in the village of Rockbeare, with good food - bar and restaurant menus - and a decent inn.

Eating
St James's Park is less than 10 minutes walk from the city centre, which has all the usual take-away chains. The nearest - close to the cinema - is KFC, while there's a decent chippy in Old Tiverton Road near the ground. .
Darlo fans at Lincoln at the end of last season

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Rail timetables Virgin Trains GNER National Express Online map Hotels/B&Bs Express & Echo Exeter Magazine

Surfing there...

Exeter City websites include the excellent ExeWeb - my favourite possibly in this division. There's also the We Are Exeter site on Rivals and the official site.

Next away matches:
Gillingham (Tuesday March 10th, 7.45pm) and Port Vale (Saturday March 14th, 3pm)

No responsibility is taken for accuracy, if in doubt check before travelling.