Matt’s men move to Merseyside for a 3pm Saturday kick-off against Keith Hill’s Tranmere Rovers side.
With thanks to the Grecian Archive, Jed Penberthy looks at a couple of players who have played for both Tranmere and City.
Jake Caprice
- Born: November 11, 1992
- Position: Full back
City’s current number 2 signed for the Grecians in the summer from Tranmere and has settled in quickly in Devon’s Red and White. So far this season Caprice has played 29 games and has been an exciting acquisition down the right flank.
Born in Lambeth, Jake came up through the ranks at Crystal Palace- signing his first professional contract in 2011. Cap moved to Blackpool a year later and got his League debut whilst on loan at Dagenham and Redbridge in December 2012.
The season after, Cap found himself north of the border at SPL side St Mirren. In 2014 without making an appearance for his parent club moved to then Conference side Lincoln City. Later spells at Woking and Leyton Orient followed before joining Tranmere in 2018.
His career highlight is arguably his late, late assist for Connor Jennings’ winner in the Play-off Final earning Tranmere promotion into League One. That was before he signed for Exeter of course.
Yet to score a goal in his ten year playing career, would anything taste sweeter if Caprice was to break his duck on Saturday against his former side?
Walter Wright
- Born: 1892
- Position: Forward
Born in Seaworth in the late nineteenth century, William (Walter) Wright played for Everton prior to the outbreak of the First World War, when he served in the Merchant Navy. Following the resumption of League Football, Wright played for Tranmere before moving South to City in 1920.
Walter was in the squad for Exeter City’s first ever Football League game. Not enough for ‘Wrighty’, he wrote himself into Grecian Folklore becoming the first ever City player to score in the Football League. City would go on to beat Brentford that day 3-0.
In his short time at St James Park, Wright played 17 times scoring nine goals, earning a £2,000 p/ex move to Huddersfield with Robert Shields moving in the opposite direction.
James Norwood
- Born: September 5, 1990
- Position: Striker
Currently Ipswich Town’s top scorer this season (6), James Norwood is a Tranmere Rovers icon, but began his professional career in Devon.
The young striker was prolific whilst at non-league Eastbourne Town, even earning a call-up to the England Schoolboys. Noticed by John Yems here at City, Norwood was signed with thanks to the 1931 Fund in July 2009. Norwood made his debut on the first day on the 2009/10 season away to Leeds United at Elland Road.
His time at City was mostly spent elsewhere. Loans at Sutton United, Forest Green Rovers and Eastbourne Borough made up the bulk of his two years (not) at St James Park and in 2011 was released with only 5 appearences in Red.
Forest Green snapped Norwood up sharply and he went on to make 161 apps for the Team on the Hill scoring 48 times. Tranmere got sniff and struck a deal with Norwood in 2015 whilst Rovers were still in the Conference. In 2018, Norwood scored the crucial goal in Tranmere’s National League play-off final win against Boreham Wood- securing Rovers’ return to the Football League.
Leading the line, Norwood finished joint-top scorer in England the year later with 32 goals in all competitions matching the total of Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero as Tranmere gained bac-to-back promotions to League One.
Upon Tranmere’s elevation to the third tier Norwood signed for divisional rivals Ipswich, where he has netted 17 times in 53 apps whilst at Portman Road.