Exeter City return to St James Park this Saturday looking to continue their good start to the season against Grimsby Town.
The Grecians, who drew 1-1 at Newport County last time out, can break a club record for number of league games unbeaten with a victory or draw. The current record stands at 13, but following on from three games without defeat at the end of last season and a 10-game unbeaten run to start this campaign, manager Matt Taylor is pleased his players have put themselves in a position where they are going to try and make it 14 league games without defeat.
"That is a good record," said Matt. "To equal it and to go 13 games unbeaten is very impressive and to get the 14th game would be a big achievement, but all our focus is about picking up the points on Saturday. It won't be easy. We know what we are up against. However, it will be another notch ticked off if the players do achieve that and it is not just this group of players as there was the three games at the end of last season. It is an added pressure but one we have got to look forward to and that is testament to the boys because they have put themselves in that position."
THE CONTEXT
City, on the back of a 10-game unbeaten run, are top of the Sky Bet League Two table by a point, while Grimsby Town sit ninth - two points outside the play-off places.
GRIMSBY TOWN'S VIEW
Grimsby Town come into the game of the back of a 7-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday night, but manager Michael Jolley is keeping that result in context ahead of the trip to Devon.
“The result does sting a little bit, you never want to get beat as a professional by that scoreline," he said. “But I think we’ve got to keep it in some context, we played against an absolutely top outfit, and the quality of their players is unbelievable."
LAST TIME WE MET
Grimsby Town pulled off a 2-1 win at St James Park thanks to goals from Martyn Woolford and Mitch Rose. City's goal came from a Jayden Stockley header but they were denied, on numerous occasions, by a superb performance from Grimsby shot stopper James McKeown.
TICKETS NEWS
Tickets are on sale at advance prices until 5pm in person and midnight online, on Friday, September 13 so you can save time and money, and pick your seat in advance.
Tickets are available online by visiting: tickets.ecfc.co.uk, by calling: 01392 411 243 or by visiting the club shop/reception at St James Park.
JUNIOR GRECIANS TICKETS
Junior Grecians members get access to free match tickets when purchased alongside a paying adult. There are two family friendly areas available at St James Park, section E in the IP Office Main Stand and a section of the Thatchers Big Bank which is identified by the white barriers).
MATCH SPONSORS
Our match sponsors for the match Carlsberg, and our ball sponsors is Adrian Kavanagh. We would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support and wish them a pleasant day at St James Park.
You can follow the match, and post-match reaction, on the following Exeter City social media channels.
SATURDAY SOUNDS
Take a look at the playlist chosen by you, the supporters, on social media.
MATCH DAY PROGRAMME
Our award-winning match day programme returns this Saturday and as usual has a whole host of content for supporters of all ages. Inside we’ll have a feature interview with Tom Parkes, who discusses his move to Exeter City and how he is settling into life in Devon. We also commemorate 125 years of football at St James Park and take a look back at some of the City headlines from this time of the year in previous seasons. Junior Grecians can take part in our quizzes and local journalists Matt Bamsey and Alan Richardson cast their eyes over the Grecians and the wider footballing world.
MASCOTS
You can read the mascot profiles in the match day programme which you can pick up in the stadium for ÂŁ3.00 on the day. For mascot booking or information, please contact andy.gillard@ecfc.co.uk.
CLUB SHOP
The club shop will be open from 12pm and closes once supporters have left SJP, giving you the opportunity to make some purchases ahead of the match including the popular new third kit! There is a great range for all City supporters including training wear, mugs, scarves and a selection of pocked money items for kids.
MATCHDAY ACTIVITIES
As ever, football at the Park isn't just about the 90 minutes on the pitch, we've got a whole host of opportunities and experiences to make your matchday extra special.
First visit photo opportunity
Bringing anyone under-12 to their first match at SJP? We would love for them to be part of a 'first visit to SJP' pitch side photo opportunity.
If you would be interested in marking the occasion, and want to make the experience extra special, please get in touch by emailing: junior.grecians@ecfc.co.uk with their name and age so we can create a special 'first visit' certificate for them.
On a Saturday matchday, please head to the Junior Grecians Lounge in Red Square at 1:45pm, where you will be met by a member of staff and taken pitch side for a photo, certificate AND goody bag!
Please click here to view our 'First vist to SJP' guide.
Announce the team in Red Square
Steve Darke, the master of ceremonies for the match will be asking a home supporter to announce the City side and a Grimsby supporter to announce the away side at 2:05pm. If you would like to do this head to the Information Point before 2pm.
There will also be the Red Square Quiz, 'tell us a joke and make us laugh' and 'Play your Cards' right.
Junior Grecians tickets
Junior Grecians members get access to free match tickets when purchased alongside a paying adult. There are two family friendly areas available at St James Park, section E in the IP Office Main Stand and a section of the Thatchers Big Bank which is identified by the white barriers).
Click here to find out more.
Join the Guard of Honour
Want to be on the pitch as the players enter SJP? Then be part of the flag waving, Guard of Honour! This Saturday lucky children will be chosen from the Thatchers Big Bank at 2:25pm.
After assembling, the Guard of Honour (and parents) move to the far side of ground to get some practice in waving their flags, which also presents an opportunity for Grecian to pose for photographs.
When the players finish their warm up the Guard of Honour go on their 'lap of honour' in front of the stands to the players’ tunnel. After they have been on the field and welcomed the teams and officials onto the pitch they receive their “gift” (normally a packet of sweets) and certificates of participation.
If your son, daughter or grandchild has not been involved in the Guard of Honour, please email customerservices@exetercityfc.co.uk.
Junior Grecians Lounge
The Junior Grecians are the Official Junior Supporters Club of Exeter City FC.
The room provides a safe comfortable environment for families to enjoy pre-match entertainment, such as a large screen TVs, Playstation consoles and Table Football, as well as the option to enjoy refreshments from the Zone’s very own kiosk.
A feature wall displaying a packed Big Bank also provides a photo-sharing opportunity using the #jgzone hashtag. There are activities and competitions to suit all junior age groups, from FIFA19 and Table Football tournaments to free Activity Packs for younger children.
The Zone also features a VIP party area and there are several party packages available to book throughout the season.
So, if you are visiting St James Park on a matchday with children, be sure to pop in to the family zone!
New for this season, is the Family Zone 2 in the Stagecoach Adam Stansfield Stand, the astroturfed area includes a photo wall opportunity, table football, and beanbags where children can gather to play games and relax before kick-off.
Stadium Tours
Did you know that the Supporters' Trust offer FREE tours around St James Park?
The free guided tours are great for anyone who’d like to get a behind the scenes view, whilst finding out about the history of their club. The tours and are open to all; you don’t have to be a Trust member to come along.
Tours start at 11am on matchdays from Red Square and take in many parts of the ground that you wouldn’t otherwise get to see, including the boardroom, the brand new players’ changing rooms, match officials’ facilities and the security hub.
Lasting around 90 minutes, you will almost certainly learn something you didn’t know before, and maybe you’ll be able to tell us something from your experiences of coming to City that we didn’t know!
To book your place, please contact reception on: reception@ecfc.co.uk or call 01392 411 243, or email: andybratt1@gmail.com.
Matchday timetable
Take a look below to familiarise yourself with the key matchday timings here at St James Park.
For the Adults
Make sure you visit the Centre Spot bar after the match, where pints of Thatchers, Carlesberg and Tribute and selected Ales at the FECRACE bar are just ÂŁ3.
The late kick-off sees Everton take on Manchester City in a 5:30pm kick-off, so why not stay at the Park and take advantage of the drinks offers. Don't forget Exeter City Supporters' Trust members save 20% off all other drinks!
Other Activities
Signed team sheets will be available for a donation.
You can also pick up some free player stickers, from the Ambassadors, the Information Point and the Tombola Stand.
Any City supporters who want a family picture in the home dug out to the Tombola stall by 1:50pm.
You can also take part in the Exeter City tombola where the first prize is a signed Exeter City football. All funds raised go directly to the academy to support the future of the club. There are TWO opportunities to pull out number 25 (Jake Taylor!) and win a signed match ball.