Exeter

Early history

Exeter City F.C. was formed from two predecessor clubs, Exeter United F.C. and St Sidwell's United. Exeter United was a football club from Exeter, Devon, that played between 1890 and 1904. In 1904, Exeter United lost 3–1 to local rivals St Sidwell's United and after the match it was agreed that the two clubs should become one. The new team took the name Exeter City and continued to play at Exeter United's ground, St James Park, where Exeter City still play today. Exeter United was formed from the cricket team of the same name and were one of the first football teams with the moniker "United". St Sidwell's United (which had also been known as St Sidwell's Wesleyans and St Sidwell's Old Boys) was a club that had formed from the regulars who frequented the Foresters Inn in Sidwell Street, Exeter, although the public house was always known as the Drum and Monkey. The team played in St Sidwell's old colours of green and white.

On 10 September 1904, Exeter City played its first ever competitive match, a 2–1 victory at St James over 110th Battery of the Royal Artillery, in the East Devon League. The attendance was 600, and the winning goal scored by Sid Thomas, who was to serve the club in various capacities for seventy years. City topped the East Devon League with eleven wins, two draws and one defeat in its first season, and transferred to the Plymouth & District League for next three seasons. In 1908, Exeter City A.F.C. became a limited company. City became a full-time professional team, and applied successfully for membership of the Southern League, replacing Tottenham Hotspur.

A wooden grandstand was erected, and the club entered into a leasing arrangement over the ground. On 3 October 1908, City recorded its record FA Cup win by beating Weymouth 14–0. The match was in the first qualifying round. James "Daisy" Bell scored six goals and ten of the goals came in the first half. City changed to its current colours of red and white in 1910. This was after having had a poor start to the season (only two wins out of eleven). City abandoned its supposedly unlucky green and white kit, and turned out for the first time in red and white striped shirts at home to West Ham United on 12 November. The result of the game was a 0–0 draw, but five consecutive league wins came for the club in December, and the change of colours stuck.

City made an historic tour of South America in 1914, during which time it played eight matches against teams of Argentina and Brazil. The last match on this tour on 21 July 1914 was an encounter with the first Brazil national football team playing under the authority of a national football association, in this case the Federação Brasileira de Sports, precursor of today's Confederação Brasileira de Futebol, founded just the month before. Brazil, featuring its first great star, Arthur Friedenreich, won this match at the Laranjeiras stadium, Rio de Janeiro, home of Fluminense Football Club with 2–0. The tour yielded five wins, one draw and two defeats. The only other loss was in a match that kicked off 12 hours after the players got off the boat. Exeter City were invited by the Football League to become founder members of the Third Division in 1920.

Football League (1920–2003)

City's historic first match in the Football League took place on Saturday 28 August 1920, when Brentford was the visiting team to St James Park. Exeter won 3–0. At the end of the season, the third tier of the League was being geographically divided, thus City was assigned to the Third Division South. In 1931, City reached the sixth round of the FA Cup, losing a replay 4–2 to Sunderland in front of its largest ever home gate. Fifty years later, City reached the sixth round again, but lost 2–0 to eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur. Earlier Exeter had beaten Newcastle United 4–0 having beaten Leicester City in the previous round.

In the 1932–33 season they achieved their highest position in the League, 2nd in the Third Division South, but remained there because at the time only the champions were promoted. It was the closest they ever came to promotion to the second tier of English football. In the 1963–64 season, City achieved their first ever promotion, going up to the Third Division. However, City were relegated just two seasons later. They would remain in the Third Division until 1977, when they achieved promotion under the guidance of Bobby Saxton.