Historical Football Kits

 

Exeter City

Formed 1904

Founder member of Division Three 1920. Relegated to the Conference 2003

Promoted to Coca Cola League Two 2008.

Kit History

 

 

 

St Sidwell's United

prior to 1904 a

 

 

 

Exeter City

 

 

1904

1907-1908 a

1910-1911 a

1911-1912 a

1913-1915 a

1920-1921 a

1924-1927 a

1929-1930 a

1932-1933 a

1933-1934 a

1934-1935 a

1936-1937 a

1939-1940 a

1947-1948 a

1948-1949 a

1950-circa1952 a

1952-1953 f

1956-1957 a

1958-1959 a

1962-1963 a

1963-1964 a

1966-1968 a

1968-1972 a g

1972-1973 j

1973-1975 g

Admiral

1975-1977 a j

Adidas

1977-1979 a g j

Adidas

1979-1980 a e

Adidas

1980-1982 a

Spall

1982-1984 a k

Spall

1984-1986 a k

Ribero

1989-1991 a

Ribero

1991-1992 a h

Matchwinner

1992-1993 a

Matchwinner

1993-1994 h

Matchwinner

1994-1995 h

Le Coq Sportif

1995-1997 b h

Arrow

1997-1998 b h

Arrow

1998-1999 b h

Beaver International

1999-2000 b h

Beaver International

2000-2001 b h

Beaver International

2001-2002 b

Bergoni

2002-2003 b

SHO

2003-2005 b d

SHO

2005-2006 b o

SHO

2006-2008 c

 

Background

In 1904 Exeter United disbanded and St. Sidwell's United FC (previously St. Sidwell's Wesleyans and St. Sidwell's Old Boys) took over the former club's ground at Bradford's Field. The new club was named Exeter City. Inhabitants of St Sidwell's parish had been known locally as "Greeks" for at least 300 years according to "Southey's Commonplace Book" published 1669. A century later Andrew Brice suggested in "The Mobiad" (published 1770) that this was a reference to the classical Trojan wars with the Greeks (who lived outside the walls of Troy as the citizens St Sidwell lived outside the boundaries of Exeter). Exeter City became known as "The Grecians."

The fledgling club won the East Devon League at the first attempt and moved up to the Plymouth & District League. In 1906 local butcher Albert Bradford sold his field to the club for the princely sum of £40. Renamed St James' Park, the club have remained on the site to this day. In 1908 City adopted full-time professionalism and joined the Southern League.

The club continued to play in the green and white of the St Sidwell's club until November 1910. According to legend, after a poor start to the season they decided green was an unlucky colour and adopted red and white shirts instead. After a 0-0 draw, City won five games in December and the new colours became established.

Remarkably for such a small club, Exeter embarked on a tour of South America following the 1913-14 season, playing matches in Argentina and Brazil. In 1920, as members of the Southern League, City became founder members of Division Three in 1920. They generally finished in the lower regions of the divison and by the time World War Two brought about the suspension of League football, City had applied for re-election four times. After the war, hooped instead of striped jerseys, then plain red and even Arsenal-inspired red and white shirts were tried but there was no improvement. Indeed City had to apply for re-election three more times between 1951 and 1962.

In 1964 City achieved promotion for the first time but after two seasons of struggling, they were relegated back to the basement. Promoted again in 1977, the Grecians managed seven seasons in Division Three before being relegated in 1984 and enduring yet another re-election application in 1986. In 1990, City achieved their first senior honour by winning the Fourth Division championship but four years later they dropped back into the basement division. After struggling near the bottom of the league for the next eight seasons, John Russell and Mike Lewis took control prior to the 2002-03 season. After a disastrous campaign that saw three different managers come and go, City finished second last and were relegated to the Conference, the first victim of the new two-up two-down arrangement.

Shortly afterwards the club was sold to the Exeter City Supporters' Trust with debts of £4.5m while police investigated allegations of financial mismanagement. The former chairman and his deputy were arrested and in 2007 Russell was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment for fraudulent trading while Lewis was given a community sentence.

The Supporters' Trust took over the management of the club and succeeded in stabilising City's finances and consolidating their position in the National Conference. In May 2008 Exeter reached the play-off final where they beat feelow former-League members Cambridge United, to regain their League status after an absence of five years.

Sources