Exeter City’s FA Cup draw has delivered one of the most extraordinary moments in the club’s recent history.
A trip to Manchester City in the third round promises financial relief, national attention and a shot at the kind of giant-killing Gary Caldwell knows is possible.
A draw that stirs old memories and new hope
When Peter Crouch pulled out ball 61 and confirmed that Exeter City will head to the Etihad Stadium in January, there was a sense of déjà vu across St James Park. Supporters who lived through the financial struggles of 2004 remembered Tony Cascarino pulling out ball 64 and gifting the Grecians a trip to Manchester United. That tie helped save the club two decades ago. Now another Premier League giant appears at a moment when Exeter once again needs help.
Caldwell was quick to acknowledge both sides of the draw. He spoke about the financial importance for a fan owned club currently wrestling with budget pressures and repair bills after last month’s fire, but he was equally keen to frame the occasion as a football challenge and not only a lifeline.
“Everyone was ecstatic,” he said. “It is great from the financial point of view but I want to look at it as a football game as well.
“The excitement of coming up against the best players in the world and one of the best managers of all time should be really exciting for the players and supporters. The finances are just the icing on the cake.”
The two clubs have never met before, but the scale of the task is clear. The League One side will walk into a stadium filled with world-class talent, while Pep Guardiola’s group will be heavy favourites.
Yet the spirit inside the Exeter camp was transformed by the 4-0 win over Wycombe in the second round, a performance full of belief at a time when the club desperately needed a lift.
Hard reality and genuine possibility
General manager Clive Harrison summed up the importance of the draw better than most. Exeter needed about £600,000 in emergency funding from the Supporters’ Trust earlier this season. They also relied on the early release of a sell on fee from Jay Stansfield’s move. The fire at St James Park forced the club to crowdfund one hundred thousand pounds to make the Wycombe tie possible.
Against that backdrop, a trip to the Etihad can be transformational, and Harrison believes the third round could generate around £250,000, possibly more if the game is selected for television. That figure, combined with prize money already secured, gives Exeter a pathway through the remainder of this season.
Caldwell’s belief and a history few can match
If there is one unusual leveller in this tie, it might be Caldwell himself. He worked at Manchester City in 2021 as loans coach. Before that he beat them twice in the FA Cup as a Wigan player, including the 2013 final. He has no illusions about the challenge, but he has lived the improbable.
“It is a team I know how to beat in the FA Cup because we managed to do that back in 2013 with Wigan in the final and again the following year, so maybe lightning can strike again.”
Captain Pierce Sweeney echoed that sense of wonder. A decade at the club has taken him from League Two battles to Wembley heartbreak and promotions. Now he is preparing to face the best players in world football.
“It is a little bit surreal,” he admitted. “Hopefully we get it on TV and hopefully we can put in a cup performance. It is going to be a once in a lifetime experience.”
Exeter will travel to Manchester as huge underdogs, but they will also travel with hope, history and a reminder that this competition has already changed the club once. January might just allow it to happen again.
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