Key information about St James Park

St James Park was built in 1904 and now houses the League Two outfit Exeter City. The ground is located by the St James Park railway station which has been adopted by the club and continues to help in its upkeep.

Its current capacity stands at 8,830 and it has a pitch that measures 104m by 64m. The surface is covered with grass but has no undersoil heating and no running track surrounding the field.

The record attendance at St James Park was set in 1931 for an FA Cup Sixth Round Replay when Exeter lost 4-2 to Sunderland in front of 20,984 supporters.

A history of St James Park

St James Park, not to be confused with Newcastle United’s home that goes by the same name, was built in 1904 but its history goes all the way back to the 17th century and well before Exeter City first settled into it.

Back in the years gone by, it was owned by Lady Anne Clifford who rented the land for fattening pigs of all things. This was reportedly done so that the money made could be put towards the apprenticeship of a child from the nearby parish of St. Stephen, a deal that was supposed to be renewed ‘yearly to the world’s end’.

And then, in 1904, almost 250 years after that, Exeter City moved in after merging with St. Sidwell’s United, leasing the ground with a deal that stated ‘no menageries, shows, circuses or steam roundabouts’ were allowed there. The pigs were finally gone and football could be played there but not all of the issues were immediately resolved.

At first, the length of the pitch was not right and some teams even refused to play there because of it. This was then resolved in 1920 when the club bought the land to the east of the stadium and subsequently extended the field.

Following some successful sales and a boost in finances, Exeter City bought the site in 1921 and finally started redeveloping it. A roof was added to the Cowshed stand and in 1926 they also rebuilt the Grandstand that was destroyed by fire the previous year. However, problems returned in the early 1990s with more financial difficulties.

St James Park was then sold to Beazer Homes only to later be purchased by Exeter City Council who would then lease it back to the club. With that move, the financial situation improved and developments could continue with the erection of the Big Bank stand in 2000 and the conversion of Cowshed stand into an all-seater.

But more nightmares ensued with the club going into administration following the arrest of chairman, his wife and the vice-chairman in the 2002/03 campaign, leaving the handling of the club to the Supporters Trust. But they weathered that particular storm too and in 2016, the plans for a redevelopment of the Old Grandstand were outlined, and that was the final refurbishment project to take place at St James Park.

Tickets to watch Exeter City at St James Park

All tickets to watch Exeter City play at St James Park can be found on the club’s official website. The price will vary depending on the stand chosen but adult tickets can be purchased for a sum between £17 and £23 if you buy it in advance.

Exeter City also offer a season ticket scheme and more information can be found on the aforementioned website.

https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/ - Official website of Exeter City