inside the club
I just had to speak to a couple more at Exeter City. It only felt right to gage as many thoughts that I could. Mike Cooper currently works on the reception desk at Exeter. When I first met him, he was extremely busy. It was the day before the Devon Derby and fans were flocking in to pick up last minute tickets. He found some time to have a quick chat with me though. MIke used to be chief extecutive of the Trust and is a Grecian inside out.
"I used to be Chief Executive of the Trust. Back in 2003 when we almsot when out of buisness, I came back down to Exeter to help out but it was apparent at the time that the Trust needed someone to head it up. I was recommended to become Chief Executive taking on the role for 15 months but i had to step down because it was quite exhausting. There is no chief exec now. I'm still a member of the Supporters Trust. I've been coming to Exeter since I was 8. I moved away and became a fan from a distance but since i've moved back to the city, I can't keep away. I'm so happy we're owned by the fans. To me every club should be trust owned. The club had been in the doldrums for several years financially beforehand but then we went bust whuch was even worse. Everything's alot better now becaus the focus is a lot different".
Marc Jenkins is the commercial director at Exeter City. He rarely deals with the fans but has a huge part to play in relevance to income and sponsorship, as well as how the club is perceived elsehwere. He is actually the first person who I have met at the club who isn't an Exeter City fan. Not that that stops him from feeling the buzz of working here.
"it gives a sense of belonging witin the city. Their very passionate. They obviously love the football club whether their down the bottom of the league or at the top of the league so that's quite unique.
With most football clubs if their successful, most fans come in; if they lose games there's hardly any supporters, whereas with us our trust members for example are there week in, week out."
"It's a good place to be, we are major part of the community that we serve so it makes you proud to be associated with Exeter City Football Club."
Marc is also very supportive of the model at Exeter and believes that other clubs will begin to follow thier lead.
"i'm very pro trust model and I think you will see over the next few years probably more and more clubs look at that model because it sustains the club going forward."
Watch the video above where commercial director at Exeter City, Marc Jenkins discusses the atmosphere around the club