Exeter City's plea for more FA Cup cash from Manchester City turned down

Exeter City's Appeal Falls Flat as Manchester City Refuse Increased FA Cup Earnings.

In an effort to alleviate financial woes, Exeter City has made a heartfelt plea to their high-profile opponents, Manchester City, to reconsider the standard policy regarding matchday gate receipts. The League One club has been owned by its fans since 2003 and has been facing significant challenges in recent times, including redundancy and loan repayments of £600,000 from its own supporters' trust.

In a move seen as a statement of solidarity with other fan-owned clubs, Exeter's management asked Manchester City if they would be willing to voluntarily transfer a portion of their share of the matchday gate receipts. The request was made in recognition of the financial realities faced by fan-owned clubs, but unfortunately for Exeter, the response from Manchester City has been a resounding "no".

Under competition rules, each club takes 45% of gate receipts, with the Football Association taking an additional 10%. While it's estimated that ticket sales will generate between £250,000 and £400,000 for Exeter, this paltry amount is unlikely to have a significant impact on their finances. The lack of TV coverage and the absence of replays from the first round proper also means that Exeter will miss out on potential windfalls.

Exeter's situation has become increasingly dire in recent times, with their home ground, St James Park, sustaining significant damage in November due to a fire. This latest development serves as another reminder of the financial struggles faced by fan-owned clubs in League One and the need for increased support from rival clubs like Manchester City. Despite this, it seems that Exeter's appeal has fallen on deaf ears, leaving them to navigate their financial woes without additional assistance from one of the biggest clubs in English football.

Ugh I feel so bad for Exeter City! They're already struggling and now they're asking for help? It's like, Manchester City is literally sitting on a goldmine with all those fans watching them play, but they're just not willing to share? I get that there are rules in place and all, but can't they just make an exception this one time? Their situation sounds so tough, especially with the fire at their stadium and all... It's like, Manchester City is a huge club, they should be able to help out their fellow fan-owned clubs. Can someone please explain to me why they wouldn't want to?

I feel kinda bad for Exeter City, they're really struggling financially and it's not like they're asking for much... just a bit more help from Manchester City wouldn't hurt . It's a shame that their plea fell flat, especially with all the other fan-owned clubs out there trying to make ends meet . I mean, Manchester City is one of the biggest teams in the league, they should be able to chip in a little something . But at the same time, you can't just force others to give up their money ... that's just not how it works . Exeter City will just have to keep on fighting, which is what I know they'll do

OMG, I'm literally so done with these millionaire teams refusing to help out smaller clubs Like, can't they just use some of that massive revenue to support their own community? Exeter City's fans have been running things for ages and now they're stuck with £600k loan repayments St James Park got burned in a fire last month, what even is the point of all this? It's like they're just trying to make more money off the smaller clubs' misfortune . I swear, if you want to support your community, you gotta put some of that cash back into it

I feel so bad for those fan-owners at Exeter City, man... £600,000 loan repayments is a huge weight to carry and it's not like they're asking for much just to help out their fellow clubs who are struggling like them. It's all about solidarity, you know? Manchester City should be willing to put the club ahead of their own interests for once ... or at least consider it with a little more thought than a straightforward "no".

Ah man, it's so sad to see Exeter City struggling like that. They're a fan-owned club and they've been through so much already. The fact that Manchester City wouldn't even consider giving them some extra cash is just...ugh. I get it, the rules are in place for a reason, but can't they make an exception this one time? It's not like Exeter's asking for the moon or anything. They're just trying to stay afloat and keep their club alive. And now, on top of all that, they have to deal with the aftermath of that fire at St James Park... it's just too much . I hope someone else comes along and offers some help soon. We can't let our clubs struggle like this

Ugh, I'm so sorry to hear about Exeter City's situation . It's like they're being asked to hold hands with Manchester City while they're drowning in debt . I get that it's not their fault and all that, but still... £600k loan repayments from their own trust? That's no joke .

And yeah, the FA Cup is supposed to be for the fans, right? But if Manchester City won't even give them a sniff of that cash... it's like they're just gonna leave Exeter City to struggle on their own . I mean, can't rival clubs show some solidarity here? It feels like they're just using Exeter as an example of why fan-owned clubs are doomed from the start .

I'm all for fairness and whatnot, but come on... £250k to £400k from ticket sales isn't exactly chump change . I'd think Manchester City could find a way to make it work or at least show some compassion . It's just another example of how the system can be rigged against smaller clubs like Exeter City .

aww man, poor exeter city they're really struggling and i feel for all those fans who are trying to keep the club afloat it's crazy that they're facing £600k loan repayments from their own supporters' trust hope they can come up with some other creative solutions to get back on track

man, i feel so bad for exeter city... they're just trying to survive and all these big clubs are like "nope, we ain't helping you out". it's like they're saying that the love and support of their fans isn't enough . but here's the thing - sometimes you gotta give back what you've taken. if manchester city is raking in all that cash from matchday gate receipts, shouldn't they be willing to share some of it? it's not like it's a small amount... £250k-£400k can make a big difference for a struggling club . and let's not forget, exeter's been through a lot already - the fire at their stadium, redundancies... they're not just fighting financials, they're fighting to keep their community together . maybe it's time for us (aka fans) to start paying attention to these struggles and demanding more from our so-called "big clubs"?

man I feel bad for those exeter fans they're already struggling and then you add the fire at st james park... £600k loan repayments from their own trust? that's crazy it's not like they're asking for much just a fair share of the gate receipts. i don't get why manchester city would say no to this it's not like they're hurting or anything anyway, hope exeter can find another way to make ends meet... maybe some kind soul out there will help them out?

man, can u believe manchester city would just flat out refuse exeter citys request for help they're like "nope, we got our own team to worry about" meanwhile exeter's just trying to stay afloat and their stadium's on fire literally and people r saying that fan-owned clubs need more support from the big boys? like, it's not even fair anyway, i feel for those fans, they're stuck with a huge debt and no way out