Losing by nine goals is never pleasant, which is what happened to Exeter City on Saturday in the third round of the FA Cup. The League One side travelled to a sold-out Etihad Stadium only to receive a thorough 10 – 1 beat-down from seven-time champions Manchester City.
It took only 12 minutes before U-21 call-up Max Alleyne flicked in the opening score after some goal-box pinball. It was his first senior goal for City. Ballon d’Or winner Rodri would double the tally exactly 12 minutes later with a stunning laser of a strike from around 30 yards out. I won’t describe each goal as that would be piling misery upon Exeter City, a club that is already enduring enough hardship.
Exeter’s Story
In 2003, controlling interest in Exeter City was purchased by a Supporter’s Trust, making the Grecians one of a handful of fan-owned clubs in top four tiers of the FA. The club regularly features in top lists for fan engagement and support, but without billionaire owners or other deep pocket financiers, fiscal stability is a constant struggle.
In November, a fire caused over $130,000 of damage to their home ground. This year the club made a number of staff redundant and have assumed nearly $800,000 in debt to remain operational. They have the smallest wage bill in League One. A mere fraction of what City spends in a month would probably sustain the club for a full season.
The FA Cup Largesse
Which is why FA Cup ties with Premier League clubs are so important to the minnows. Aside from the chance to perform a giant-killing, the revenue can be quite substantial. Under the current rules, matchday gate revenue is split 45% to each club and 10% to the FA itself. It should be stated that Exeter City’s revenue is predicted to be between $335,000 and $400,000.
Exeter knows first hand how this works. Back in 2005 they tied Manchester United 0 – 0 and forced a nationally televised replay (they didn’t use the penalty shootout back then). The club earned enough money to fully eradicate the debts accumulated from the 2003 purchase, and were debt-free for years after.
So the Supporter’s Trust took a chance
Last Wednesday, the Trust sent a letter to Manchester City “to ask whether they [City] would consider voluntarily transferring a portion of their share of the matchday gate receipts to Exeter City … It would have a tangible impact on their [Exeter’s] finances and would stand as a strong statement of solidarity with sustainable, fan-owned football.” Read the full statement here.
Manchester City declined the request.
So not only did City deliver a 10 – 1 humiliation upon a lower division club, they did so with a miser’s glee. Let’s not forget that one of City’s goals came from newly signed Antoine Semenyo, whose $91.8M transfer fee is 10x more than Exeter City’s 2024 earnings of $8.8M (according to public sources). Or that City Football Group’s (Manchester City’s owner) assets were estimated to be worth $3.55 billion-with-a-B in 2024.
There is Another Way
Crystal Palace made the highly unusual and generous gesture of waiving their portion of the gate revenues prior to their Saturday match against sixth-tier Macclesfield F.C. By doing so, Macclesfield’s earnings including prize money and broadcast earnings would be approximately $535,000, a huge sum for a small club.
Of course, the Silkmen would go on to record the biggest upset in FA Cup history, toppling the current FA Cup champions 2 – 1 in their 5,300 capacity home of Moss Road.
Would Palace have extended the same offer had they been hosting at Selhurst Park? Or if they had known the outcome? We’ll never know. But it goes to show that there are still small rays of sunshine and generosity within the increasingly corporate world of soccer.
The Qooligan is a respected Sports Journalist specializing in Soccer, Premier League and Champions League who holds a Masters – History from Columbia University. With extensive experience in Sports Journalism, particularly in Soccer, Premier League and Champions League, The Qooligan provides expert analysis and valuable insights based on years of professional practice. You can read more of The Qooligan’s professional background on Hooligan Soccer and Hooligan Soccer. Connect with The Qooligan on X and Bluesky. The Qooligan is an alias of Hooligan Soccer founder Q Williams. Q is a 20+ year veteran of numerous technology and media companies, including MTV, Gracenote, Watchwith and Crunchyroll. He has a master’s degree in European History from Columbia University. As an established authority in Sports Journalism with specialized knowledge in Soccer, Premier League and Champions League, The Qooligan is committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy content that reflects both expertise and experience.
