Grecian Exile given nationwide award
Exeter City fan Neil Le Milliere has been named as the npower Football League Fan of the Year at the Football League Awards.
A total of 17 awards were given out at The Brewery, London, to recognise achievement both on and off the pitch.
Lifelong Grecian Neil was shortlisted alongside Derby County fan Nick Webster and Coventry City fan Pat Raybould.
Neil is a founder of the London Exiles – City fans that live and work in London – and he researches and organises travel to home and away games to make sure they get to fixtures promptly and by the cheapest means. Similarly, he puts plenty of research into the options of overnight stays for those that are making long journeys.
And during the off-season, Neil also regularly arranges an Exiles holiday to Andros in Greece, where the Exeter fans enjoy sun and sand, as well as getting involved in 5-a-side competitions with the locals. He also arranges the itinerary for travelling Grecians that want to follow City on pre-season tours.
Despite the long journeys he has to make, Neil is always a regular at St James Park on matchdays and mans the bottle bar in the Centre Spot – with all the proceeds from the food and drink he sells going straight back into the club. He is also a co-opted member of the Supporters’ Trust, and one of the original members before the Trust took majority ownership of the club a decade ago.
On winning the award Neil said, “I have been involved in all sorts of things since starting off as an occasional visitor to the club and have ended up on the board of the Supporters’ Trust.
“You do what you can to make it a joy for other people, I live halfway between Arsenal and Tottenham but my home is where my heart is.”
Sue Heritage of npower who sat on the judging panel said: "Neil epitomises all of the qualities that make a great fan. Be it representing supporters' interests, co-ordinating travel arrangements or fundraising for the club, his dedication to Exeter City is outstanding. On behalf of everyone at npower, I would like to congratulate Neil on his well deserved award."
When assessing the category, judges looked for someone they felt had gone above and beyond the call of duty and added that extra special bit of devotion to their club.
Greg Clarke, Chairman of The Football League, said: “The Football League Awards 2013 has given us another opportunity to celebrate success at League clubs both on and off the pitch. It gives us the chance to reward those who have achieved fantastic results throughout the year. I would like to congratulate tonight’s winners and all those who were nominated.”
Congratulations to Neil on being recognised on a national stage for his contributions to Exeter City Football Club.