Retro Exeter City Shirts – The Grecians of St James Park

Exeter City were founded in 1904 and quickly established themselves as a fixture in the lower reaches of English football, joining the Southern League before becoming a founding member of the Football League Third Division in 1920. For much of the twentieth century, the Grecians were solid, dependable lower-league performers, rarely threatening the upper echelons but always maintaining their status as Devon's flagship club.

One of the most remarkable chapters in the club's history came in 1914, when Exeter City embarked on an extraordinary tour of South America and played against the Brazilian national team in what is now recognised as Brazil's first-ever international match. That pioneering fixture in Rio de Janeiro drew a crowd of around 10,000 and ended in a 2-0 defeat for the Grecians, but the significance was immense. A century later, in 2014, Pelé himself visited Exeter to commemorate the centenary of that extraordinary match, cementing this small Devon club's unique place in the global history of football.

The club suffered a severe dip in the 1990s and early 2000s, dropping out of the Football League in 2003 and falling into the Conference. It was during this dark period that the Supporters' Trust stepped in, taking over the club and beginning the slow, steady rebuild that would become a model for fan ownership across England. Under manager Paul Tisdale, who guided the club for an extraordinary twelve years from 2006, Exeter won promotion back to the Football League in 2008 via the Conference play-offs, continuing to rise and reaching League One in 2009.

The 2000s also delivered memorable FA Cup giant-killing moments. In January 2005, Exeter – then a Conference club – held Manchester United to a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round, before losing the replay at St James Park. The tie captured the imagination of the nation and reminded everyone of the magic the cup can produce.

In recent seasons, Exeter have been League One regulars, building sustainably under successive managers while remaining committed to their community ownership model. Relegation to League Two at the end of 2025-26 is a setback, but the Grecians' loyal fanbase knows their club's story is never straightforward – and another chapter of reinvention surely awaits.

Exeter City may not have produced household names on the scale of England's elite clubs, but the Grecians have been home to some genuinely influential players and managers who shaped the club's identity across the decades.

Adam Stansfield remains perhaps the most beloved figure in the club's modern history. The tireless forward, born in Tiverton, gave everything for Exeter during their Conference and League One years, becoming a local hero before his heartbreaking death from cancer in 2010 at just 31 years old. The club honoured his memory with a stand bearing his name at St James Park, and his spirit continues to define the club's DNA.

Paul Tisdale's twelve-year reign as manager from 2006 to 2018 is rightly celebrated as a golden era of stability and progress. Tisdale transformed Exeter from a Conference struggler into a consistent League One presence, doing so with intelligence, tactical nous, and genuine care for the community club ethos. His longevity and consistency were extraordinary at this level.

Steve Perryman, the legendary Tottenham Hotspur captain and one of English football's great leaders, managed the Grecians during the 1990s, bringing considerable experience to Devon. Terry Cooper, himself a European Cup winner with Leeds United, also took charge at St James Park, highlighting that Exeter has always attracted managers of real pedigree.

Marcus Stewart, a prolific striker who went on to impress at Huddersfield and Ipswich, developed his craft in Devon. In more recent memory, a succession of youthful squads and a highly-regarded academy have maintained the club's identity, producing players who have gone on to higher levels – a source of immense pride for a supporter-owned club operating on modest means.

Exeter City's identity is inseparable from their iconic red and white striped shirts, a combination that has graced St James Park for over a century. The bold vertical stripes, paired traditionally with black shorts, make for one of English football's most classic lower-league kits – instantly recognisable and rich with heritage that collectors and supporters cherish alike.

Through the decades, the Grecians' shirts evolved with the times. The plain cotton strips of the early twentieth century gave way to the synthetic styles of the 1970s and 1980s, featuring increasingly bold designs and the arrival of shirt sponsors. The 1990s brought more elaborate patterns and colourways, with diamond textures and shadow designs typical of that era. More recent decades have returned to cleaner, more traditional aesthetics – a reflection of the club's values and its supporters' preference for classic identity.

Among collectors, the Conference-era shirts from the early 2000s carry particular emotional resonance, representing the club's struggle and eventual redemption under supporter ownership. The promotion season shirts of 2007-08 are especially prized, marking the return to the Football League. A retro Exeter City shirt from these eras captures a genuine piece of English football's lower-league soul. With 11 retro Exeter City shirts available in our shop, there is something to suit every era of Grecians supporter.