Football Season Guide

It was a frustrating end to last season for Exeter City as they missed out on a play-off place on the final day of the campaign. Matt Taylor was a shrewd appointment as manager following the departure of Paul Tisdale after 12 years at the helm. His knowledge of the club made for a far more comfortable transition than otherwise might have been the case. He has had to deal with the departures of several crucial players, most notably striker and leading goalscorer Jayden Stockley in January, and was arguably decisive as they missed out on a top seven finish. This summer has seen more players leave for pastures new; including goalkeeper Christy Pym and midfield playmaker Hiram Boateng and they leave big boots to fill. Lewis Ward and Jonny Maxted will fight it out for the number one jersey whilst Taylor has yet to replace the creativity lost in Boateng. Alex Fisher and Nicky Ajose will fresher up the attack and add something different to Ryan Bowman, who faced the unenviable task of replacing Stockley but finished last season strongly. A number of talented youngsters will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of midfielder Archie Collins, who became a regular starter in the second half of last season.