Julian Tagg is Exeter City FC’s director of external affairs and club president.
The overall trend is improving, and the results have definitely improved. It’s probably fair to say that the last two games have been a bit of a mixed bag, but that will always be the way as we move up the league table; every point matters and the rollercoaster ride never stops.
The adage “a game of two halves” certainly applied to our match on Saturday against Fleetwood, as we dominated the first half of the match. After the half, they came out looking like a totally different team and started throwing everything at us. However, it was another point secured, and the next game is up.
We play Peterborough on Saturday, and after we defeated them at SJP a few weeks ago, I’m sure they’ll be looking for retribution. This league, which we all know is difficult, does not offer “easy wins” or “must wins.” Instead, each game is evaluated on its own merits.
It will be an interesting, and maybe tense, game because we are now ranked 15th in the table with 40 points, and the five teams below us are all on 38 points. There’s no denying that the rollercoaster is getting faster as people compete for position.
The fact that our fans continue to cheer on our players both at home and away never ceases to amaze me. This weekend, a respectable contingent of over 250 devoted Grecians will travel nearly 500 miles round trip to see the Posh.
But forget about the football, what about the tennis racket case that goes missing? Every week, before they head to the training ground, Gary and Perks play tennis. They are fierce competitors. They often start their matches at six in the morning.
The tide has recently turned, and I hear that David “Djokovic” Perkins is starting to prevail, after Gary “Connors” Caldwell had been dominating him. How strange that just as these outcomes began to shift, the tennis match was abruptly stopped when the rackets vanished for no apparent reason.
Thanks to club sponsors Thrifty, who surprised Gary with a new racket when he was last in the Heritage Lounge, the mystery was solved when Perks’ racket was found buried somewhere in his bed (the mind boggles).
Speaking of the manager, it was fantastic to secure the victory at Wigan a week or two ago, particularly considering our previous two encounters with them.
And what was waiting for Nick Hawker and me at Wigan when we got out of the lift? nothing less than a massive portrait of our very own Gary Caldwell. Either that, or it was someone who resembled him greatly, sporting his 2013 FA Cup winning team. The game was attended by a large portion of Gary’s family as well, so I’m sure it brought back pleasant memories for everyone.
Many thanks to everyone who ensures that our club is a friendly and inclusive environment for all fans; we’ve progressed to the final three of the Football v Homophobia awards in the professional club category. We were defeated by none other than Manchester United and Arsenal, which is definitely amazing company to be in! Congratulations to Alan Quick, who puts in a lot of effort to support club initiatives and truly makes a difference.
At the top of their league, Exeter City Women are flying high and looking fantastic. The double header Her Game Too weekend takes place at St James Park on March 9 and 10, with the women playing Maidenhead on Sunday and the men playing Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
Come on out and support the team! The women’s games at the Park are always fantastic, and the atmosphere is truly family-like. additionally go to the club website, where a special ticket package for both games is available.
A very good Derby team, who happen to be in the league above, defeated the women 4-2 in the National League Cup Plate semi-finals on Sunday, marking a blip in an otherwise outstanding season. I would like to extend my congratulations to the 412 resilient supporters who braved the rain to show their support for the team.
Kudos to Kev and the management team members who ran the Exeter City Community Trust Half Marathon recently.
The group participated in order to raise money for the Exeter City Community Fund, which provides support to six nearby charities. More information about the fund is available at www.justgiving.com/campaign/ecfcrunforacause. They will appreciate it very much if you can give them a pound or two.
The Exeter City Community Trust, our partner charity, puts on these really well-organized events. Despite some parts of the course being flooded due to heavy rain on Saturday night, the team quickly redirected the course, pulling together like a proverbial swan—elegant and calm on the surface, but paddling like mad beneath the surface—and staged the event with only a brief delay before it began. They received 900 entries over the course of the two days.
Torquay United has been going through a rough patch, which culminated this week. At these moments, rivalries are set aside and everyone in football wants what’s best for the other team.
Everyone is aware of the difficulties with our ownership model, and we are constantly striving to make it better. However, we also understand that Torquay is not the first and won’t be the last club in this situation, so we will support them in any way we can, just like we would any other club.
So let’s continue to support our teams. We hope to see you at home against Bolton Wanderers on March 9 and Exeter City Women at SJP on March 10, following our match against Peterborough. Go, City!
