This month’s Exeter City Foundation big winner is Charles Welchman who has won the £1,000 prize. Charles is an exiled supporter living in London and no longer attends matches at St James Park.
He has very generously donated £100 of his prize back to the club which will go to the Recovery Room fund, he intends to use the rest to takes his family (wife, two married children and four grandchildren) to a Christmas Panto.
Charles’ memories of following City go back a long way:
“My father was a season ticket holder possibly in the late 1940s and certainly in early 1950s. In January 1951 when I was aged 7, I went with my parents to see Exeter vs Chelsea in the FA Cup. The crowd was enormous, it has been put at 20,000. As we went to enter the ground we were being crushed. My mother said it was not safe and she took me home. I think Dad came too but he may have stayed to see Exeter draw - they lost the replay at Stamford Bridge.
"In the late 1950s, I was an admirer of Gordon Dale who I believe played on the left wing. Dad thought he was an excellent player. When he was passed the ball there was the expectation that something was about to happen, like a goal!
"My father had been in the Army and worked in London in the 1930s. He loved football and had been stationed at Chelsea Barracks and played football for his battalion. It is no surprise he followed Chelsea. In 1933 his cousin, Raymond Bowden, was transferred from Plymouth Argyle to Arsenal for £4,500 - a record sum at the time.
"Once at Arsenal Raymond joined the famous front line and played with the prolific goal scorer Cliff Bastin. In 1929 aged just 17, Cliff had been transferred from Exeter City. My father and Raymond were both born in Looe. One week Dad would go to watch Raymond and the next week he would be off to watch Chelsea.
"From the late 1950s my father fished for salmon in the Exe, one of his fellow fishermen was Dick ‘Pincher’ Pym, ex City and Bolton Wanderers who played for England and kept goal in three FA Cup Finals. My father always wanted to talk football with ‘Pincher' but he was a modest man and preferred to talk fishing! I met him on occasions when with my father and he was a familiar figure in Topsham.
"In 1968 Exeter played Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup. I was by then a practising barrister living in London and my father welcomed any excuse to come to London and stay with me. I was sharing a house in Notting Hill. My share of the rent was £6 a week. Off we went to the game, with 3 goals scored by City, but they lost after a very creditable performance. A further calamity occurred after the game - Dad’s car had been towed away!
"My father kept his counterfoils from the Spurs game and with them he was able to wangle two red hot Grandstand tickets for the Cup-tie against Manchester United in January 1969. That was a red letter day with my father’s hip flask suitably charged. Stiles, Best, Charlton and Law et all were in the United team. When City scored after 15 minutes I with most of the City fans leapt to my feet in excitement - my father was more sanguine and fearing what would follow - sadly he was right but it was wonderful moment which I remember vividly.
"Since going to University College in 1962 I have lived in London, apart from that famous cup-tie I would, when in Devon, go to see City play. My father liked to leave games before the end if City were losing, but I would not wish to leave hoping for a miracle! Since my father’s death in 1971 I have seen very few games in Exeter. I did go to Wembley to see City in the two play-off finals and was of course delighted when they got back into the Football League and the progress they have made since.
"On those rare occasions I have always been most impressed by the great enthusiasm of City’s supporters including the helpful stewards. It is, and does feel like, a Club that belongs to its devoted supporters. Devonians are a great bunch anyway!"
"My wife is disabled and has been unable to travel to Devon for at least four years and during that time I have only managed two brief three or four day visits. I continue to follow City and I am always delighted when they win and disappointed if they lose. Exeter is my home town and despite my long absence I remember it with great affection and wish I was able to visit it and glorious Devon more often.”
About the Foundation
The Exeter City Foundation is a great deal, especially for City supporters. Being in the draw makes you eligible for 64 cash prizes throughout the year. Foundation members who purchase a season ticket – providing they have been members for over 6 months – qualify for an additional benefit, either £23 cash back – equivalent to £1 off each home league match – or £30 worth of Exeter City shop vouchers.
You can join online here – see link - and prizes are paid direct to winners’ bank accounts. For further information, please contact Foundation Administrator Phil Broom at foundation@ecfc.co.uk