Academy graduates shine at Exeter City

Our latest column from Julian Tagg, president and director of external affairs at Exeter City Football Club.
There are some columns which are a something of a challenge, and others which are a pleasure to write, and coming off the back of a four-nil win, this is definitely one of the pleasurable ones.
What a vital three points they were, and how brilliant to see Matt Jay’s first League Two career hat-trick, including a very composed penalty, in the match against Leyton Orient on Saturday – certainly something that is so deserved for Matt.
He’s been on an incredible journey with Exeter City, starting with our Academy at just nine years old, to where he is today.
Amazingly, it was the sixth time this season that we’ve scored more than four goals in a game. Once again it puts us into the play offs…but let’s not go there just yet.
Joel Randall, another Academy graduate, also picked up a goal; in fact, there were no less than nine Academy graduates in the squad and it was great to see 20 year-old Jordan Dyer in his first-team debut, another player who has been through the Academy since the age of nine.
At Exeter City, we’re rightly proud of our ownership model and the direct and indirect support we receive from our fans.
If you were watching the game on iFollow, you might have noticed that Jordan was wearing the number 31 shirt, the shirt worn by players who are supported by the club’s 1931 Fund.
The fund is a group of around 70 supporters who donate £19 per month to help pay the wages of a member of the first-team squad.
Incredibly, they have donated more than £150,000 to Exeter City since they were formed 10 years ago, and they too should feel proud to see ‘their’ player running on to the hallowed turf of St James Park.
I can’t remember many seasons where there have been so many games postponed due to the weather and, of course, Covid considerations, and, although it’s conjecture at this stage, it does seem ever more likely that the season will be extended to accommodate the extra matches.
We’ve got some reparation work planned for the pitch at the end of this season, but it all takes time, and any extension will inevitably have a knock-on effect on that work, as the vital window to make those reparations is reduced.
At this stage, we need every bit of extra time to improve the playing surface that we can get.
And hot off the press, it looks like we will get at least an extra week, although it is yet to be confirmed, I’ve just received news that the majority of League Two clubs, ourselves included, have voted to begin the next season on August 7, a week later than usual, allowing time to do that valuable work.
If you want to get the lowdown direct from the team, why not join a Zoom Q&A with Pierce Sweeney, Rory McArdle, Josh Key and Jökull Andrésson, which has been organised by our partner charity, CITY Community Trust as part of its Creating Communities programme, which has been designed to help people feel less isolated.
It takes place at 6.30pm on Wednesday, March 17. Just visit www.exetercct.org and search ‘Q&A’. It should be an entertaining evening, I’m not sure about the host, though…
Final details are being confirmed, but plans are under way for a Supporters’ Trust fans’ forum on March 18, when, via Zoom, you’ll be able to hear from Kevin Nicholson, Chad Gribble and Alex Pope, who are all part of the management team of our Academy. Keep an eye on the club website and social media for details.
As lockdown begins to ease, it feels like we are ever closer to welcoming you back to the stadium and what a wonderful day that will be. Until then, stay safe and keep on backing our boys on the final run in.