Grecians' progress encapsulated in print

By sjames stuart james

"NEVER say die" should perhaps have been the motto for Exeter City's Supporters' Trust when they assumed control of their football club in May 2003. Six and a half years on, those three words are the working title of a new book telling the remarkable tale of the club's rise in fortunes by national sports journalist and City fan Nick Spencer.

Now established as a League One club, it is easy to forget just how far the Grecians have come in such a short space of time. In 2003, they were on the brink of extinction with their chairman, John Russell, his assistant Mike Lewis, and Russell's wife Gillian all arrested on suspicion of fraud, and the club had just lost Football League status following relegation from League Two. Exeter were haemorrhaging money at an alarming rate and their future was not so much bleak, but almost at an end.

However, while that may have sounded the death knell for many, it was just the start for the Supporters' Trust, who obtained a majority shareholding, and so a new beginning dawned for a club that was about to celebrate its centenary. The trials and tribulations that followed are, in a foreword penned by celebrity City fan Adrian Edmondson a 'brilliant story, with the narrative arc of a Hollywood movie.'

Certainly, some of the book's characters have a touch of Hollywood about them. Former chairman and spoon bender Uri Geller, the late, great pop icon Michael Jackson and illusionist David Blaine all get a mention for their cringeworthy and forgettable involvement with the club, but the real stars of the book are the likes of manager Paul Tisdale, director of football Steve Perryman and players Steve Tully, Steve Flack, Richard Logan, Andy Taylor, Paul Jones, Wayne Carlisle and numerous others who give a fascinating insight to Park life during that six-year spell.

Tisdale, an avid bookworm himself, certainly endorses it. "I read it in one go, actually, which I rarely do. It is a very good read and, secondly, I am in it and the cover is excellent," he joked. "It is a really positive story. I think we forget how far we have come in the last five or six years and it is a reminder what a wonderful transition the club has had from being on the brink of extinction to being one on a strong footing in League One.

"I would be if surprised if people think twice about buying it, not only is it a good read for supporters about their club, but it brings revenue to the club as well." The Supporters' Trust receive 50 per cent of any profit made with each copy sold.

Memoirs from supporters and high-ranking Trust members, who suddenly found themselves thrust into the deep end, also provide a fascinating read. It is hard to think of an event or incident during that time that Spencer does not cover with remarkable depth and factual excellence, whether that be the subsequent jailing of Russell, the centenary clash with Brazil, two FA Cup clashes with Manchester United, which effectively saved the club, or the despair felt by thousands at Wembley when Exeter lost the Conference play-off final to a late Morecambe goal.

But, like a good Hollywood blockbuster, the story has a happy ending and is one of success. The play-off final win over Cambridge United, again at Wembley, is a prelude to what happened 12 months later, of course, as City took League Two by storm and finished as runners up, thus sealing a second successive promotion, the only back-to-back successes in the club's long history.

It is a remarkable tale and encapsulated superbly by Spencer, who has got the mix perfectly right. His excellent narrative skills shine through between hard-hitting accounts from fans, players, management, directors and everybody else that has a part of Exeter City in their blood. The book is also illustrated with numerous and carefully chosen pictures taken by former club photographer Phil Mingo and current snapper Keith 'Cheggers' Stone, making it the perfect gift for City fans this Christmas.

"Never Say Die – The remarkable rise of Exeter City" is priced at £12.50. Details of how to buy the book are available on the official website, www.exetercityfc.co.uk, or by calling the club on 01392 411243.