The Draw That Changed Everything
“You always watch the draw every year hoping for a really big tie and somehow it doesn't quite work out, but this year we need it and we've got it.” Those were the words of Exeter City’s general manager Clive Harrison, a man who currently holds one of the most challenging roles in English football.
Having stepped in during a season when the fan-owned club has been fighting for survival, Harrison has had to navigate crisis after crisis. Overspending last season combined with reliance on early payments from the sell-on clause of former striker Jay Stansfield’s transfer left the club stretched to breaking point. The Exeter City Supporters’ Trust have already injected around £600,000 in emergency funding simply to keep the club afloat.
Fire, Fundraising and Fighting On
The chaos did not stop with the financial imbalance. A fire at St James Park last month caused extensive damage and threatened to derail the Grecians’ FA Cup second-round tie. The club were forced to crowdfund £100,000 to repair the affected area in time for their 4-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers.
Harrison admitted that the blaze felt like “another bump in the road”, but last weekend’s win and now this dream draw have delivered a much-needed emotional lift.
“Supporters have rallied around the club and our sponsors have rallied around the club. We have a month of excitement leading up to this game and everybody deserves this.”
A Tale of Two Football Worlds
The scale of the mismatch between Manchester City and Exeter City is astonishing. The sum that caused existential danger to Exeter is roughly equivalent to a fortnight of wages for City’s superstar striker Erling Haaland.
One club is owned and financed by a state with limitless resources. The other is owned by a few thousand dedicated supporters from Devon who quite literally saved it from extinction two decades ago.
Exeter manager Gary Caldwell put it simply:
“I think we have to sell our story, because I think it's unique. We have an incredible club that supporters saved 20 years ago, and now we’re at a point again where we need support. Days like this are a huge help.”
Echoes of 2005: When Exeter Shocked Old Trafford
Many Exeter supporters immediately remembered January 2005, when a financially stricken Grecians side held Manchester United to a famous 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. That match and the televised replay in Devon generated funds that helped claw back millions of pounds of debt and ensured the survival of the club.
There will be no replay this time, but the opportunity is similarly transformative.
Harrison believes early estimates could see Exeter bank somewhere in the region of £250,000, depending on gate receipts and possible television coverage.
“It’s very important. When you add prize money and guaranteed third-round funds, Saturday’s win was already worth about £100,000 to us. This draw will give us a huge boost in getting through this season and planning for next.”
Caldwell’s Cup Pedigree: Beating Manchester City Before
If any manager knows what it takes to shock Manchester City in the FA Cup, it is Gary Caldwell. As part of Wigan Athletic, he was involved in the 2013 FA Cup final where Wigan stunned City to lift the trophy. They repeated the feat the following year in another famous cup upset.
Caldwell knows the scale of the challenge but retains a flicker of belief.
“They're an incredible team, but I’ve beaten them in the FA Cup before. Who knows, maybe it can strike again.”
The Players’ Dream: A Date With the Champions
No one embodies Exeter City’s journey more than captain Pierce Sweeney, now in his tenth season with the club. Promotions, relegation battles, play-off heartbreak and cup runs have all shaped his career. But this draw, he says, feels surreal.
“I'm excited to go up against one of the best teams in the world. Hopefully it's on primetime TV and we can earn some good money. It’s unbelievable.”
The defender knows the physical test will be immense.
“I don't think my legs will be feeling good after half an hour and my body won't be feeling good, but it's a once-in-a-lifetime game. Friends and family are already looking at flights and hotels. I think thousands will travel.”
A Club United in Hope
This FA Cup tie is not simply a glamour fixture. For Exeter City, it is a lifeline, a reminder of their resilience and a chance to showcase the extraordinary community spirit that has carried them through decades of challenges.
The odds are monumental. The financial gulf is immense. The task on the pitch borders on impossible.
But this is the FA Cup, and Exeter City are not coming for the spectacle alone. They are coming with history behind them, belief in their story and a fanbase that has never stopped fighting for its club.
And for one extraordinary afternoon at the Etihad, they will stand shoulder to shoulder with one of the greatest teams in world football and dare to dream once again.