Exeter City top the Fair Play table

Grecians head the 92 in terms of FA's Fair Play

Following the close of the regular league season for professional divisions of English football, Exeter City have finished at the top of the Football Association’s ‘Fair Play’ table by a considerable margin.

The FA hands out disciplinary points to clubs based on yellow and red cards accrued for punishable offences in matches.  Yellow cards for any offence are punished with 4 points, red cards for denial of goalscoring opportunities or a second caution were met with 10 points, and dismissals for violent conduct, serious foul play, spitting or offensive and abusive language earned clubs 12 disciplinary points.

Between the 92 Premier League and Football League clubs, there was no greater margin between two teams than the 38-point gap between Exeter City at the pinnacle of the table and Walsall in second.  Exeter’s table-topping feat may be judged all the more remarkable as it is based on a 46-game Football League season, whereas Premier League sides play eight games fewer.

With just 39 yellows and a single red all season, the Grecians were one of just two clubs to have averaged less than one card per game.

It is not the only time that the club have finished top of the pile for 2013/14.  The club’s under-18 team claimed its first ever league title by winning the Youth Alliance South West division.

Julian Tagg, Exeter City’s Vice Chairman and Executive Director Football & Academy, said: “To finish top of the FA’s Fair Play league and by such a distance is a real testament to the work that has been put into creating a positive culture at this football club, from the senior professionals right down to the youngest academy players.

“This is not something that has happened by chance, nor has it happened overnight.  We have been building a reputation over many years as a club that is trying to buck the trend.

“It is not always readily apparent what the benefits are of playing in the right spirit, as there isn’t any obvious correlation between those clubs that have been successful this year and where they finished in the Fair Play league.

“However it is no surprise that our young players have thrived this year – we have had league success at under-18 level, our under-21 side reached the quarter-final of the Under-21 Premier League Cup by outclassing clubs with much bigger reputations, and our homegrown players have become the spine of our first-team.

“We want to win every single match, and we believe that we can translate success to the first-team by sticking to our principles and helping every player that comes into the club to get the most from their potential.

“So to finish at the top of the Fair Play league is something that we should take immense pride in, and I feel that it will be conducive to success in the longer term.” 

Football Association Fair Play table (Premier/Football League) 2013/14
Based on 38-game season for Premier League clubs and 46-game season for all other divisions

Pos
Team
Yellow
Red
Points
Division
1
Exeter City
39
1
166
League 2
2
Walsall
40
5
204
League 1
3
Scunthorpe United
47
2
208
League 2
4
Cardiff City
50
1
210
Premier Lge
5
Burnley
49
2
216
Championship
6
Cheltenham Town
56
0
224
League 2
7
Shrewsbury Town
46
4
226
League 1
8
Liverpool
54
1
228
Premier Lge
9
Leicester City
52
2
230
Championship
=
Everton
55
1
230
Premier Lge
11
Ipswich Town
55
1
232
Championship
12
Bury
51
3
236
League 2
13
Southampton
60
0
240
Premier Lge
14
Fulham
58
1
242
Premier Lge
15
Bradford City
56
2
246
League 1
=
Hull City
53
4
246
Premier Lge
17
Crewe Alexandra
54
3
248
League 1
=
Sheffield United
56
2
248
League 1
19
Gillingham
55
3
250
League 1
=
Swansea City
55
3
250
Premier Lge
21
Crystal Palace
58
2
254
Premier Lge
=
Arsenal
53
4
254
Premier Lge
23
Norwich City
62
2
258
Premier Lge
24
Fleetwood Town
62
1
260
League 2
=
Chelsea
57
3
260
Premier Lge
26
Plymouth Argyle
59
3
268
League 2
=
West Bromwich Albion
67
0
268
Premier Lge
28
Wolverhampton Wanderers
65
1
270
League 1
29
Crawley Town
56
5
278
League 1
30
Bristol Rovers
61
3
280
League 2
=
Newcastle United
53
6
280
Premier Lge
32
Charlton Athletic
59
4
282
Championship
=
Burton Albion
57
5
282
League 2
34
Tottenham Hotspur
66
4
286
Premier Lge
35
Queens Park Rangers
62
4
288
Championship
=
Bristol City
66
2
288
League 1
=
Dagenham & Redbridge
64
3
288
League 2
38
Manchester United
66
3
296
Premier Lge
39
Manchester City
72
1
298
Premier Lge
40
Bolton Wanderers
70
2
300
Championship
41
Leeds United
70
2
302
Championship
=
Torquay United
62
5
302
League 2
43
West Ham United
62
5
304
Premier Lge
44
AFC Bournemouth
66
4
306
Championship
=
Coventry City
74
1
306
League 1
46
Derby County
72
2
308
Championship
=
Southend United
57
8
308
League 2
=
Portsmouth
65
4
308
League 2
49
Accrington Stanley
66
4
310
League 2
50
Colchester United
72
2
312
League 1
=
Chesterfield
62
7
312
League 2
=
Aston Villa
78
0
312
Premier Lge
53
Leyton Orient
76
1
314
League 1
54
Wigan Athletic
77
2
320
Championship
=
Oxford United
66
5
320
League 2
56
Northampton Town
71
4
324
League 2
57
Huddersfield Town
71
4
326
Championship
=
Brighton & Hove Albion
76
2
326
Championship
=
Milton Keynes Dons
74
3
326
League 1
60
Doncaster Rovers
71
4
328
Championship
=
Peterborough United
60
8
328
League 1
=
York City
73
3
328
League 2
63
Barnsley
66
6
330
Championship
64
Reading
73
6
332
Championship
65
Blackburn Rovers
75
4
334
Championship
=
Brentford
73
4
334
League 1
67
Hartlepool United
68
6
340
League 2
=
AFC Wimbledon
74
4
340
League 2
=
Stoke City
72
5
340
Premier Lge
70
Sunderland
69
7
342
Premier Lge
71
Oldham Athletic
73
5
346
League 1
=
Rotherham United
73
5
346
League 1
73
Preston North End
78
4
348
League 1
=
Morecambe
73
6
348
League 2
75
Carlisle United
74
5
350
League 1
76
Birmingham City
83
2
354
Championship
=
Rochdale
65
9
354
League 2
78
Port Vale
80
4
364
League 1
79
Newport County AFC
74
7
370
League 2
80
Wycombe Wanderers
71
9
372
League 2
81
Yeovil Town
83
4
376
Championship
82
Nottingham Forest
89
4
398
Championship
83
Middlesbrough
77
9
402
Championship
84
Tranmere Rovers
82
8
404
League 1
=
Stevenage
87
5
404
League 1
86
Millwall
87
6
412
Championship
87
Sheffield Wednesday
91
5
420
Championship
88
Swindon Town
87
7
424
League 1
89
Blackpool80
10
426
Championship
90
Notts County
87
7
428
League 1
91
Mansfield Town
92
8
458
League 2
92
Watford
99
6
462
Championship