Manager gives his say on Fair Play Trophy triumph
After retaining the Fair Play Trophy at the FA Respect Awards this summer, Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale admitted that discipline rarely crops up in conversation–and certainly doesn’t provide a distraction from the more pressing matters of trying to earn three points for the Grecians.City have been reprimanded less than any other club in the four professional divisions for poor discipline in each of the last two seasons, yet Tis divulged there is no great design at hand to ensure that this is the case.
There is no strong correlation between results on the pitch and cards received – so there is no real evidence to suggest that Exeter would have benefitted or suffered by picking up more cautions throughout the season.
Instead, he feels the award is simply a consequence of a team that tries to practice good sporting principles, doesn’t run down the clock at the expense of having the ball in play, and aims to harness the advantages of keeping their cool under the pressure of League football.
“You need to look at the last four or five years and see where we sit in the rankings then to see that it’s not a coincidence,” Paul said. “That goes for the other teams at the top also.
“That’s us – we don’t go out there trying to win it [the Fair Play Award]. It’s just a by-product of the way we think and the way we play.
“There is no great plan in it and we’re not prioritising it. But it’s the way we play and the way we act, and I have to say, it’s never mentioned.
“We never talk about discipline – we just play the way we play and we are who we are. I think we stick to that.”