Exeter City FC Supporters celebrate 20 year anniversary of moment they saved club from brink
It was 20 years ago this week that the Exeter City Supporters’ Trust stepped in to save the club from almost certain doom.
The Grecian’s previous owners had been arrested and were being investigated for fraudulent activity putting the club on the brink of fading into non-existence.
It had been given a winding down order but after fan intervention, it lived to fight another day.
Now 20 years on it is going from strength to strength, sitting atop the League One table.
For those who were involved with that fan-led takeover two decades ago being a part of the fabric of the team and community is still something they enjoy.
Volunteer and then Director of the club Elaine Davis says: “When things started to go pear-shaped the thought that the whole club could go under was just too much. We knew we had to save it for the city.
“Once the ball started rolling and we were involved it was easier. It was just so fantastic to be working and saving our club.”
Nick Hawker, the Chairman of the supporters’ trust, believes that the club has made significant progress in recent years.
“The wonderful thing about these anniversaries is that it gives you an opportunity to look back at how far you have come,” he said.
“The journey that we have been on and the progress that we have made over the last twenty years is really significant.”
The club itself had significant debts of more than £4 million when supporters took over but with significant fundraising, success on the pitch and the sale of some talented products of a now famed youth system it is now balancing the books.
“It is incredible isn’t it,” Julian Tagg, the club chairman said.
“You only have to look around and see what has been done around the club, it is a really phenomenal success story.”
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