Saturday 11th January 2025 ko 15:00

FA Cup 3rd Round

EXETER CITY 3 (Mitchell 22 40 Harper 63)

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Phillips 13)

Goodrham sent off 81 (violent conduct)

Att 6,149 (640 away)

Entry (Lounge Hospitality/ 2 course meal) £55

Programme £1 (included in hospitality)

No matter who you support, if you’ve made it to the FA Cup 3rd round you look for a good draw don’t you? If you’re a Championship or Premier League club you look for a lower league club at home, and hopefully a straightforward route to the fourth round. If you’re from the leagues that have had to win games to get here, then you want a glamour, money-spinning tie. I’d argue that League 1 Exeter City versus Championship Oxford United added up to neither.. unless you were Robyn and I.

That was down to Martin Weiler of Exeter City’s Museum Trust, who last Easter gave ticket holders for the South West Peninsula Hop a guided tour of St James Park. We found his enthusiasm to the club he part owns- the Grecians are the EFL’s biggest fan-owned club both infectious and endearing, and the little touches such as the museum really classy.

Moreover since 2003 when I first visited here 2 sides of the ground have been rebuilt. A stand salvaged from the Barnet’s former home Underhill now offers cover to the away terrace, and the wonderful old wooden stand that used to cover roughly half the touchline aloing Well Street has been replaced by an altogether more suitable modern equivalent. Yes, I do miss it…

We’d seen what City offer in the form of hospitality on that tour, and would have found a lunch before the game anyway so £55 represented good value, and we’d rather the club benefited than a restaurant anyway! We were joined by a good and long-standing friend Phil Annets, best known these days for being Mr FA Cup Factfile but back in the day was Press Officer for the North Berkshire League when we first started the groundhops there at Steventon in 2011. It remains a fact those hops would not have been the success they were without his help and let’s face it, there is noone better to watch an FA Cup with!

Those in hospitality had the bonus of a pre-match talk from Exeter manager Gary Galdwell, who hinted that Oxford United might be taking the game a little lightly. You could see his point, the visitors made 8 changes albeit with some being enforced by injury. I looked at the teamsheet, winced and wondered if Oxford were more interested in this game, or another trip to Devon the following Tuesday- to Plymouth Argyle in the Championship? I asked myself what was more important, win here or there?

And despite a fast start Oxford lost this tie because Exeter saw the 4th Round with clarity which turned into a wonderful opportunity- home to Nottingham Forest, while Oxford saw Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday. They travelled there without Tyler Goodrham who was dismissed for a flying elbow that looked awful from where I was sat, but less so after multiple TV angles and slow motion. The fact the appeal failed and quickly, spoke volumes.

Even as an Oxford United fan for over 45 years I couldn’t begrudge Exeter their win they were the better team on the day, and their hospitality was superb. The fan-owned status does make a difference, everyone who we saw dealt with us from the perspective of someone with a tangible stake in their club.

I found myself in the uncomfortable position of comparing them with my club giving a debut to Indonesian Marselino Ferdinan in the 89th minute. Our owners are Indonesian too so having a player from there does sell an awful lot of t-shirts over there. The fact that he’s been with us since the start of the season and doesn’t seem near to a league start doesn’t seem to be an issue. That said would I trade our league position and the buying power our owners give us? Of course I wouldn’t, but that doesn’t stop me regretting the price we’ve paid for it.

I drove back home pleased for a club that due to Martin I have a lot of time. It did reinforce my feeling that the Championship my team plays in isn’t the second tier we left 25 years earlier. It does feel like the Championship is drifting towards being a Premier League Division 2, and all that goes with it. Sadly, that included much of what we saw from Oxford United here. All the best to Exeter for the 4th Round.