Heineken Cup? It was Devon Senior Cup that Exeter were after in the Eighties!
TIM WOODROW’S programme notes for the visit of Gloucester in March 1980 sounded an ominous warning to everyone at the County Ground. “The future of the club’s progress hangs in the balance with these games, with the reward of John Player Cup entry next season,” wrote the Exeter skipper looking forward to their next five games.
Yes, the now mighty Exeter were battling along at the shallow end back then in the era of amateurism and friendly fixtures. The new fangled John Player Cup promised the club good gate receipts and bigmatch experiences for the players.
Exeter almost had a stranglehold on the Devon Senior Cup in the Seventies, winning it in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976 and 1978, and they needed to carry it on into the Eighties.
In the 1979-80 Devon Senior Cup they had already seen off arch-rivals Plymouth Albion with a thoroughly professional 13-3 victory thanks to tries from Phil Loder and Simon Day.
Albion had two players sent off late at Beacon Park, helping Exeter to book their place in the semi-final against underdogs Sidmouth.
Again they were forced to weather the storm before running out easy winners 22-12 when Sidmouth lost two players to injury in the closing stages.
Exeter stalwart John Lockyer, below, points out that there was much more than local pride and bragging rights at stake in those matches.
“The Devon Cup was a big competition; you played in front of 4,000-5,000 at the end of April. It wasn’t just local pride at stake. There was a lot more than that.
“Torquay Athletic, Exeter, Plymouth Albion and Barnstaple, were always the favourites then you had the students from St Luke’s who were the fancy dans.
“The St Luke’s College boys could run you off your feet, but it was the chance for a local side to get a big scalp, and one or two did.
“I remember Brixham beating a couple of the top sides in Devon Cup matches. My father played for Teignmouth in the
1928-29 final, beating Brixham.
“Then I played for Exeter, and we are one of the few father and sons who have won the Devon Cup for different clubs.”
Exeter faced holders Torquay Athletic in the final but had home advantage at the County Ground in a game that won’t be remembered as a classic.
Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes because the referee got stuck in traffic and for 50 minutes the teams were locked at 6-6.
Steve Webb, who had missed five kicks at goal, scored the only try – after Bob Staddon had dropped a goal to break the deadlock – securing an 18-6 win. Winning the Devon Senior Cup took Exeter into a playoff and meant they were one step closer to some financial security for the club.
“If you won the Devon Cup, you had a play-off against the team that won the Cornwall Cup and then that team went forward to play in the National Competition.
unheard of in those days, an overnight stay. “It was a very professional thing to do going away on a Friday afternoon and staying overnight before the game, especially when we went to Blackheath or Rosslyn Park, oh my word you thought you were the cat’s whiskers.”
A run in the John
Player Cup, according to Lockyer, was not only financially rewarding for the club, it also brought the chance of wider recognition
And that could lead up to an international trial as very often those games were watched by members of the RFU international selection committee. “The only way you got to be seen by the international selectors was for Devon in the County Championship or else in these John Player Cup games.
“If Devon did well in the County Championship and got through to, say, the quarter-finals, which was generally done by beating Gloucestershire, you might be noticed.
“If you got through to the second or third round of the John Player and played one of the big teams, you had a chance of some exposure in the national Press.
“Then the international selectors would see you, and you could be called up to play in a trial match.”