 | ||||
| Full name | Exeter City Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Grecians | |||
| Founded | 1901; 124 years ago (1901)[1] | |||
| Ground | St James Park | |||
| Capacity | 8,720[2] | |||
| Owner | Exeter City Supporters' Trust | |||
| Chairman | Richard Pym | |||
| Manager | Gary Caldwell | |||
| League | EFL League One | |||
| 2024–25 | EFL League One, 16th of 24 | |||
| Website | www | |||
 Current season | ||||
Exeter City Football Club is a professionalassociation football club based inExeter,Devon, England. The team play inEFL League One, the third level of theEnglish football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to speculation and debate. The club isowned by the club's supporters through theExeter City Supporters' Trust.
Exeter City was founded in 1901 and began playing their games atSt James Park, where they remain to this day. They joined Division One of theSouthern League in 1904. After atour of South America in 1914 to generate awareness of football in the continent, the club became the first side to play anational team fromBrazil.[3] As a result, City andBrazilian sideFluminense are now also partner clubs.[4] Exeter were invited to help create theFootball League Third Division in 1920. They were assigned to theThird Division South the next year and won theThird Division South Cup in 1934. They remained in the division until becoming founder members of theFourth Division in 1958. They were promoted in 1963–64, only to be relegated after two seasons. They were promoted out of the Fourth Division again at the end of the 1976–77 season and managed to stay in the Third Division for seven seasons before being relegated in 1984.
Exeter won their first league title in the 1989–90 season, gaining promotion as Fourth Division champions under the stewardship ofTerry Cooper. Relegated in 1994, they lost theirFootball League status at the end of the 2002–03 season. They spent five seasons in theConference and recovered from defeat in the2007 play-off final to win promotion out of the play-offsthe next year. ManagerPaul Tisdale built on this success by winning promotion out ofLeague Two in 2008–09 and Exeter survived for three seasons inLeague One. Returning to League Two in 2012, they have lost in the play-off finals in2017,2018 and most recently in2020, underMatt Taylor. At the end of the 2021–22 season they gained automatic promotion to League One.
Exeter City F.C. was formed from two predecessor clubs,Exeter United F.C. andSt 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 nameExeter 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 thepublic house was always known as the Drum and Monkey. The team played in St Sidwell's old colours of green and white.[5]
On 10 September 1904, Exeter City played its first ever competitive match, a 2–1 victory at St James over 110th Battery of theRoyal 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, replacingTottenham Hotspur.
A wooden grandstand was erected, and the club entered into a leasing arrangement over the ground.[6] On 3 October 1908, City recorded its record FA Cup win by beatingWeymouth 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 toWest 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.[5]
City made an historic tour of South America in 1914, during which time it played eight matches against teams ofArgentina andBrazil.[7] The last match on this tour on 21 July 1914 was an encounter with the firstBrazil national football team playing under the authority of a national football association, in this case theFederação Brasileira de Sports, precursor of today'sConfederação Brasileira de Futebol, founded just the month before. Brazil, featuring its first great star,Arthur Friedenreich, won this match at theLaranjeiras stadium,Rio de Janeiro, home ofFluminense Football Club with2–0. 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 bythe Football League to become founder members of theThird Division in 1920.[8]
City's historic first match in the Football League took place on Saturday 28 August 1920, whenBrentford was the visiting team to St James Park. Exeter won 3–0.[8][9] At the end of the season, the third tier of the League was being geographically divided, thus City was assigned to theThird Division South. In 1931, City reached the sixth round of theFA Cup, losing a replay 4–2 toSunderland in front of its largest ever home gate.[10] Fifty years later, City reached the sixth round again, but lost 2–0 to eventual winnersTottenham Hotspur.[11] Earlier Exeter had beaten Newcastle United 4–0 having beaten Leicester City in the previous round.
In the1932–33 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 theThird 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 ofBobby Saxton.[8]
The end of the 1970s and the early 1980s were regarded as City's most successful spell in the Third Division, including an 8th-place finish in 1979–80 and an FA Cup run the following season. Star players includedTony Kellow,John Delve andDavid Pullar. In 1990, the club won its first major trophy when they won the Fourth Division title.[12] In that season, City won twenty league games at St James Park, and remained undefeated in 31 home matches, including dramatic draws againstNorwich City in the FA Cup third round and Sunderland in theLeague Cup 4th round, both of which featured late equalisers for the visitors.[13] Following that promotion, City rarely shone at the higher level. The departure of manager Terry Cooper and key players such as Shaun Taylor, Richard Dryden, Clive Whitehead, Brian McDermott and Steve Neville left new bossAlan Ball to pick up the pieces. There were some successes under the former World Cup winner — including winning both games against local rivalsPlymouth in the clubs' first derbies for a decade in the 1992/93 season[14]—but Ball left forSouthampton in January 1994 and the returning Cooper was unable to save Exeter from relegation.[15]
Back in the bottom division, City struggled for nearly a decade, with chairman Ivor Doble taking the club intoadministration and starting a chain of events that resulted in the sale of the club's ground.[8] In November 1994, the club almost went out of business and sold its stadium toBeazer for £650,000, but were able to stay there after the local council took it over.[16] After nearly two years on the brink of closure, the club came out of administration on 1 August 1996, although the problems on the field were far from over.[6][8] In 2003, City finished 23rd in Division Three and was relegated to theConference National; Exeter were the first club to suffer automatic relegation without finishing bottom of the league.[8] City won their last game againstSouthend United 1–0, but were still relegated asSwansea City's victory overHull City left the Grecians one point short of safety.[17]
Following relegation to the Conference, the club was taken over by theExeter City Supporters' Trust, purchasing a majority shareholding on 5 September 2003.[18] In May 2007 two of the Directors who had been in charge during season 2002–2003 were convicted of fraudulent trading at the club,[19] John Russell receiving a prison sentence and Mike Lewis a community service sentence.[20] Several million pounds in debt and with no big investor in sight, the Trust kept the club going through fundraising activities amongst rank-and-file supporters. Complex legal arguments with both theInland Revenue and football authorities meant that City's first season of non-league football was plagued by off-the-field uncertainty.[21] The claim was finally dropped in June 2004.[22]
In 2004, a Creditors Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) was put in place to reduce the club's debts. Through the club's "Red or Dead" scheme, hundreds of fans pledged at least £500 each to fund the CVA repayments, but theFA Cup proved to be the income boost the Grecians had needed, as City drewManchester United away in the third round of the FA Cup. City drew 0–0 atOld Trafford in January 2005,[23] gaining £653,511 as City's share of receipts from the 67,511 attendance. Further income from a televised replay — won 2–0 by United[24] — coupled with ongoing fundraising and unpaid work from the club's supporters helped the club to repay its debts, and the CVA was cleared in December 2005.[25]
2004 also saw the club's centenary. In May 2004 a friendly fixture was arranged against a Brazilian masters team at St James Park, a celebration of City's South American tour of 1914. The Brazilian team, containing such notable players asCareca andDunga, won 1–0.[26] City's first team finished the2006–07 season in fifth place, qualifying for the play-offs. After beatingOxford United on penalties in the semi-final, City metMorecambe atWembley in thefinal,[27] where they lost 2–1 despite taking an early lead.[28] Exeter reached the play-off final in the following season; this time Exeter looked to be heading out of the play-offs after losing the first leg of the semi-final at home to local rivalsTorquay United 2–1, but came back to win the second leg 4–1 with three goals in the last 20 minutes.[29] In the final Exeter metCambridge United in front of a Conference play-off record crowd of 42,511, winning 1–0 with a goal fromRob Edwards, earning promotion toLeague Two.[30]
The club followed its success in the Conference by finishing as runners up toBrentford in League Two. A goal fromRichard Logan helped Exeter to win promotion toLeague One with a 1–0 win away toRotherham United on the last day of the season.[31] 2009–10 was Exeter's 45th season in the third tier of English football. They have played more seasons in the third tier than any club who have never reached the top two tiers.[citation needed] They survived their first season at this level for sixteen years by one point; an 82nd-minuteRyan Harley goal againstHuddersfield Town on the final day of the season saw Exeter overcome the promotion chasers 2–1 and relegatedGillingham in the process.[32]
The club suffered a tragedy on 10 August 2010, days after the start of the2010–11 season, when strikerAdam Stansfield died of cancer aged 31.[33] As a result, their next fixture against Dagenham & Redbridge on 14 August was postponed as a mark of respect.[34] Exeter recovered well, however, and finished 8th in the league that season, one point off a playoff spot.[35] Following such a strong season, hopes were high for the2011–12 season, but poor away form (with just two wins away from home all season) saw Exeter relegated to League Two. Relegation was confirmed on 28 April 2012, following a 4–1 defeat away toCarlisle United.[36]
The club remains owned by its fans, through the Exeter City Supporters Trust. During the 2012–13 season saw Exeter have a marginally successful season. Exeter set new club record for away wins in a single season, winning 11 of their 23 fixtures away from home, however, Exeter finished 10th.[37] At the end of the 2012–13 campaign, poor funds and lack of income led to an unfortunate squad trim.[38][39] In the following season, Exeter finished in 16th.[40]
In pre-season, the club went on a short tour in Brazil to commemorate 100 years since they played theBrazil National Football Team.[41] Exeter drew 0–0 againstFluminense under 23's and then beat sidesTupi and a Rio Cricket Club 2–1 and 3–1 respectively.[42][43][44] In the2014–15 FA Cup in the first round, they were beaten 1–0 away toWarrington Town, a club 100 places lower than them at that current point in the season.[45] The Grecians finished tenth in League Two in 2014–15, their play-off push just falling short in the final few weeks.[46][47] City finished in 14th position in 2015–16, a season that included a memorable 2–2 draw against Premier League Liverpool in the FA Cup.
In the 2016–17 season, City started badly, and were bottom of the league by November.[48] However, a turnaround in form saw Exeter finish 5th in the league, and earn a play-off spot.[49] Following a thrilling 3–3 draw in the first leg of the semi-final at Carlisle, the second leg, tied at 2–2, looked destined to go to extra time. But, in the 95th minute, Jack Stacey's long range shot with his weak foot fired Exeter intothe final, earning them a spot at Wembley.[50] The final took place on 28 May, and Exeter faced Blackpool. Their hopes for promotion were shattered when they conceded a goal within 3 minutes, and although they equalised, City eventually lost the game 2–1.[51]
In the 2017–18 season, they reached theplay-off final, again being on the losing side, this time against Coventry.[52] On 1 June 2018, Exeter announced that, after 12 years as manager, Paul Tisdale had decided not to sign a new contract with the club, which announced that Matt Taylor, a former captain and Under 23 team coach, had been appointed manager.[53] On 26 April 2022, Exeter gained promotion to theEFL League One following a 2–1 win overBarrow atSt James Park[54] and went onto finish the2021–22 EFL League Two season in second place.[55]
The club isnicknamedThe Grecians, a name whose origin remains the subject of much speculation. One suggestion is that in 1908 the club voted for the name because of its association withSt Sidwells parish. Historically people living in the parish of St Sidwells were said to have been known as "Greeks" or "Grecians".[56] This is possibly due to the parish's location beyond the city walls. For instance, inHomer's epic poem theIliad the Greek forces laid siege to the walls ofTroy. However, perhaps more plausibly, the association arose because of rivalries between city boys and those of St Sidwells during the annualbeating the bounds.[57]
It has also been suggested the name derived from a group of children in St Sidwells who were referred to as the 'Greasy Un's'. A further possibility was that it derived from a jeweller's shop in Sidwell Street, close to the ground, which had a clock hanging outside displaying the name 'Grecians' on its face.[57] Yet another theory suggests that it is a corruption ofCaerwysg, the Welsh name for Exeter (Caer = fort, Wysg = Exe – fort on the river Exe, similar to the Cornish Karesk). Thus, citizens could have been known asCaer Iscuns and so possibly mutating to Grecians.[57]
Famous fans includeDavid Earl,Coldplay frontmanChris Martin,[58]Adrian Edmondson,[59]Noel Edmonds, swimmerLiam Tancock,[60] BBC broadcaster James Vickery, Spotlight reporter John Ayres, TV presenter Juliet Morris andHoosiers drummer Alan Sharland. SingerJoss Stone signed up as a member of the supporters trust, being introduced to fans on the pitch as a new member during aLeague Cup match againstLiverpool.[61][62]
In 2002 pop singerMichael Jackson was made honorary director of Exeter City.[63] He visitedSt James Park with celebrity friendUri Geller, who was also a director.[64] The crew ofHMS Defender (D36) also adopted Exeter City as their home team and use their strip when playing games.[65]
A survey conducted byFootball Fans Census in 2003 revealed that Exeter City supporters consider their main rival to bePlymouth Argyle.[66] The two clubs first met in a competitive fixture in 1908 when both sides were in theSouthern League,[67] and have contested matches intermittently during their histories due to Plymouth Argyle usually being in a higher division. Supporters also share a friendlier rivalry withTorquay United, a club whose supporters view Exeter as their main rival.[66] The two clubs are closer geographically and have met more often during their respective histories, having first played a competitive match in 1927 after Torquay were elected tothe Football League.[68] Matches between the three clubs are known as Devon derbies.[69][70] Despite their on-field rivalry, Torquay helped Exeter during their financial difficulties of 2003 by waiving their gate receipts in a pre-season friendly. This gesture was returned in 2015 when Exeter gave the Gulls their gate receipts as a result of Torquay's financial difficulties, having had to close down their academy and terminate the contract of managerChris Hargreaves.[71]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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FollowingAdam Stansfield's death fromcolorectal cancer during the2010–11 season, the club retired his number 9 shirt for the following nine seasons. From the2020–21 season onwards, the shirt number is worn only by players from the club's own academy.[73][74] On 2 September 2022, it was announced that Stansfield's sonJay Stansfield would return to Exeter City on a season-long loan basis, thus following in the footsteps of his late father by wearing the number 9 shirt.[75]
Notable former players includeHarry Gee, who during the 1927–28 season made 29 appearances for the club and scored two goals. He retired from professional after just one season at the club suffering a career ending broken leg, Gee had formerly played forBurnley.Cliff Bastin, who went on to play forArsenal andEngland,Maurice Setters, who won anFA Cup winner's medal withManchester United in 1963, and goalkeeperDick Pym, who later played forBolton Wanderers and England. Pym's sale to Bolton in 1921, for a fee of £5,000, allowed City to purchase St. James Park.[8]
Other well-known players include the prolific 1930s strikerFred Whitlow,Arnold Mitchell, who played 495 games for City,[76]Tony Kellow, City's record goalscorer, Ian Main, the gifted goalkeeper from the club's most successful years who died very young,Fred Binney andDarran Rowbotham in the 1980s and early 1990s. Former England wingerLee Sharpe played four games for Exeter at the beginning of their 2002–03 Division Three campaign, scoring two goals. Former City playerGeorge Reader went on to referee the1950 World Cup final, becoming the firstEnglishman to do so.[77]
David Pleat scored 14 goals for Exeter whilst playing for them between 1968 and 1970. He went on to manage several successful clubs, includingTottenham Hotspur,[78] before becoming a football media pundit for ITV and BBC Radio 5 Live. In recent times, Exeter City Academy graduatesDean Moxey,George Friend,Matt Grimes,Ethan Ampadu andOllie Watkins have gone on to play in thePremier League, whileDanny Seaborne andElliott Frear established themselves as regulars in theScottish Premier League. Ampadu (son of formerArsenal and Exeter City playerKwame Ampadu) won his firstWales cap in 2017, and played for his country atUEFA Euro 2020. Watkins, meanwhile, who while at the club was named 2017 EFL Young Player of the Season and left Exeter for a 'club record fee',[79][80] won his firstEngland cap in 2021.Jamie Mackie, who played for the Grecians between 2005 and 2008, went on to play 60 Premier League games forQPR, and picked up 9 caps forScotland. Ina survey published by theProfessional Footballers' Association in December 2007,Alan Banks was listed as the all-time favourite player amongst Exeter City fans.
In 2014 Exeter City – in partnership with theExeter College, theHeritage Lottery Fund, theSouth West Heritage Trust and theECFCST History Group – launched the Hall of Fame.[81] The Hall of Fame aims to recognise the achievements and contributions made by 'genuine legends' to the club.[82][83]
The following players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame:
| Inducted | Name | Nationality | Position | Playing career | League | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | ||||||
| 2014 | Alan Banks |  | FW | 1963–66, 1967–73 | 258 | 101 | [82] |
| Cliff Bastin | | FW | 1928–29 | 17 | 6 | [82] | |
| Reg Clarke | | MF | 1927–37 | 315 | 18 | [82] | |
| Dermot Curtis |  | FW | 1963–66, 1967–69 | 157 | 33 | [82] | |
| Jimmy Giles | | DF | 1971–75, 1977–81 | 313 | 13 | [82] | |
| Tony Kellow | | FW | 1976–78, 1980–84, 1985–88 | 332 | 129 | [82] | |
| Arnold Mitchell | | MF | 1952–66 | 495 | 44 | [82] | |
| Dick Pym | | GK | 1911–21 | 203 | 0 | [82] | |
| 2017 | Peter Hatch | | DF | 1973–82 | 346 | 18 | [83] |
| Graham Rees |  | FW | 1954–66 | 345 | 85 | [83] | |
| Adam Stansfield | | FW | 2006–10 | 158 | 39 | [83] | |
| Sid Thomas | | FW | 1904–08 | 38 | 16 | [83] | |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Club President, Associate Director of External Affairs | Julian Tagg |
| Exeter City Supporters' Trust and Club Board Chairman | Richard Pym |
| Exeter City Supporters' Trust Vice Chairman | Laurence Overend |
| Chief Executive Officer | Vacant |
| General Manager | Clive Harrison |
| Director | Julen Beer |
| Director | Nick Edwards |
| Director | Clive Harrison |
| Director | Andrew Rothwell |
| Director | Jonathan Hart |
| Company Secretary | John Street |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Gary Caldwell |
| Assistant Manager | Kevin Nicholson |
| First-Team Coach/Under 23-Coach | David Perkins |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Kevin Miller |
| Player Development Phase Coach | Dan Green |
| Head of Strength and Conditioning | Vacant |
| Strength and Conditioning Coach | Tom Yates |
| Head of Performance Analysis | Lauren Jones |
| First-Team Analyst | Sam Barrell |
| First-Team Analyst | Alex Mitchell |
| Head of Performance and Wellbeing | Vacant |
| Club Secretary | Andy Gillard |
| Club Doctor | Dr. Peter Riou |
| Head Physiotherapist | Michael McBride |
| Sports Therapist | Vacant |
| Kit Room Lead | Sue Matthews |
| Matchday Kit Co-Ordinator | Keith Stone |
| Technical Director | Marcus Flitcroft |
| Chief Scout | Malcolm Crosby |
| Name | From | Until | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Honours / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 1904 | 1908 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Arthur Chadwick | 1 April 1908[98] | 31 December 1922 | 113[99] | 31 | 32 | 50 | 27.43% | |
| Fred Mavin | 1 January 1923[98] | 1 November 1927 | 209[99] | 76 | 41 | 92 | 36.36% | |
| Dave Wilson | 1 March 1928 | 1 February 1929 | 42[100] | 11 | 10 | 21 | 26.19% | |
 Billy McDevitt | 1 February 1929 | 30 September 1935 | 295[101] | 117 | 66 | 112 | 39.66% | |
| Jack English | 1 October 1935 | 31 May 1939 | 168[102] | 48 | 48 | 72 | 28.57% | |
| George Roughton | 1 August 1945 | 1 March 1952 | 270[103] | 99 | 55 | 116 | 36.67% | |
| Norman Kirkman | 1 March 1952 | 31 March 1953 | 52[104] | 14 | 16 | 22 | 26.92% | |
| Tim Ward | 1953 | 1953 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Norman Dodgin | 1 April 1953 | 30 April 1957 | 199[105] | 62 | 50 | 87 | 31.16% | |
| Bill Thompson | 1 May 1957 | 1 January 1958 | 28[106] | 7 | 5 | 16 | 25% | |
| Frank Broome | 1 January 1958 | 31 May 1960 | 116[107] | 48 | 26 | 42 | 41.38% | |
| Glen Wilson | 1 June 1960 | 30 April 1962 | 97[108] | 27 | 24 | 46 | 27.84% | |
| Cyril Spiers | 1 May 1962 | 1 February 1963 | 28[109] | 7 | 4 | 17 | 25% | |
| Jack Edwards | 1 February 1963 | 31 January 1965 | 102[110] | 41 | 33 | 28 | 40.19% | |
| Ellis Stuttard | 1 February 1965 | 1 June 1966 | 66[111] | 16 | 19 | 31 | 24.24% | |
| Jack Basford | 1 June 1966 | 30 April 1967 | 50[112] | 15 | 16 | 19 | 30% | |
| Frank Broome | 1 May 1967 | 1 February 1969 | 91[107] | 23 | 31 | 37 | 25.27% | Second tenure |
| Johnny Newman | 1 April 1969 | 21 December 1976 | 377[113] | 138 | 98 | 141 | 36.6% | |
| Bobby Saxton | 1 January 1977 | 5 January 1979 | 109[114] | 45 | 33 | 31 | 41.28% | |
| Brian Godfrey | 1 January 1979 | 1 June 1983 | 240[115] | 88 | 57 | 95 | 36.67% | |
| Gerry Francis | 20 July 1983 | 14 May 1984 | 50[116] | 6 | 16 | 28 | 12% | |
| Jim Iley | 7 June 1984 | 30 April 1985 | 47[117] | 13 | 14 | 20 | 27.66% | |
| Colin Appleton | 1 May 1985 | 11 December 1987 | 128[118] | 35 | 46 | 47 | 27.34% | |
| John Delve | 11 December 1987 | 8 May 1988 | 27[119] | 4 | 9 | 14 | 14.81% | |
| Terry Cooper | 9 May 1988 | 1 August 1991 | 157[120] | 67 | 26 | 64 | 42.68% | Fourth Division Champions:1989–90 |
| Alan Ball | 6 August 1991 | 20 January 1994 | 135[99] | 36 | 43 | 56 | 26.67% | |
| Terry Cooper | 24 January 1994[121] | 31 July 1995 | 69[120] | 14 | 16 | 39 | 20.29% | Second tenure |
| Peter Fox | 1 August 1995 | 9 January 2000 | 235[121] | 69 | 70 | 96 | 29.36% | |
| Noel Blake | 10 January 2000 | 24 September 2001 | 86[121] | 20 | 24 | 42 | 23.26% | |
| John Cornforth | 24 September 2001 | 6 October 2002 | 54[121] | 17 | 14 | 23 | 31.48% | |
| Eamonn Dolan | 6 October 2002 | 17 October 2002 | 1[122] | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | Caretaker Manager |
| Neil McNab | 17 October 2002 | 25 February 2003 | 26[99] | 6 | 8 | 12 | 23.08% | |
| Gary Peters | 25 February 2003 | 24 May 2003 | 13[99] | 5 | 5 | 3 | 38.46% | |
| Eamonn Dolan | 9 June 2003 | 7 October 2004 | 62[122] | 26 | 19 | 17 | 41.94% | |
| Steve PerrymanScott Hiley | 7 October 2004 | 18 October 2004 | 2[123] | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% | Joint Caretaker Managers |
| Alex Inglethorpe | 18 October 2004 | 25 June 2006 | 89[121] | 44 | 16 | 29 | 49.44% | FA Trophy Semi-finalists:2005–06 |
| Paul Tisdale | 26 June 2006 | 1 June 2018 | 626[124] | 241 | 159 | 226 | 38.50% | Conference National Play-off Finalists:2006–07 Conference National Play-off Winners:2007–08 League Two Runners-up:2008–09 League Two Manager of the Year:2009[125] Football League Trophy Area Finalists:2010–11 League TwoPlay-off Finalists:2016–17,2017–18 |
| Matt Taylor | 1 June 2018 | 4 October 2022 | 227[126] | 100 | 67 | 60 | 44.05% | League TwoPlay-off Finalists:2019–20 League Two Runners-up:2021–22 |
| Kevin NicholsonJon Hill | 4 October 2022 | 24 October 2022 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50% | Joint Caretaker Managers |
| Gary Caldwell | 24 October 2022 | Present | 142[127] | 51 | 32 | 59 | 35.92% | Current manager |
The following have been chairman of the club:[128]
| Period | Name |
|---|---|
| 1904–05 | C Fey |
| 1905–06 | Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount D'Abernon |
| 1906–08 | William Fenwick |
| 1907 | F H Gardner |
| 1908–10 | Captain F J Harvey |
| 1910–36 | Michael J. McGahey |
| 1936–42 | Colonel Frederick Joseph Collymore Hunter |
| 1945–1957 | Sidney H Thomas |
| 1957–1959 | Albert Stanley Line |
| 1959–1961 | George Gillin |
| 1961–67 | Reg Rose |
| 1967–70 | Leslie Kerslake |
| 1970–74 | Fred Dart |
| 1974–82 | Gerald Vallance |
| 1982–1985 | Clifford Hill |
| 1985 | Byron Snell |
| 1985–2002 | Ivor Doble |
| 2002–03 | John Lewis†[129] |
| 2002–03 | Uri Geller†[129][a] |
| 2003–06 | David Treharne |
| 2006–10 | Denise Watts |
| 2010-14 | Edward Chorlton |
| 2014–2020 | Julian Tagg |
| 2020–2021 | Richard Pym |
| 2021–2025 | Nick Hawker |
| 2025 | Clive Harrison (interim) |
| 2025– | Richard Pym |
† Indicates spell as co-chairman
League
Cup
