Exeter City prepares for FA Cup spotlight

Exeter City's historic FA Cup journey will continue with a high-profile clash against Premier League side Nottingham Forest at St James Park on Tuesday, February 11. The fourth-round tie, which will be broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX, is set for an 8pm kick-off.

The game marks a milestone for the Grecians, who have reached the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 1981. This fixture offers a rare chance for the club to showcase its supporter-owned identity to a national audience, and the excitement surrounding the match is palpable.

Speaking ahead of the encounter, Exeter City’s management expressed their pride in the club’s achievements. “Twenty years on from that special day at Old Trafford in the FA Cup, this match is a fantastic opportunity for the club to proudly promote being supporter' owned to a huge audience and showcase the electric atmosphere of a night game at SJP. We are proud of who we are and what we are achieving, and we are looking forward to supporters joining us for a special evening as we show a national audience the very best of the South West."

Exeter reached the fourth round after an exciting series of matches. A thrilling 5-3 victory over Barnet at St James Park in the first round was followed by a 2-0 win over Chesterfield. Most recently, the Grecians secured a 3-1 win over Championship side Oxford United in the third round, setting the stage for a tantalising tie against Forest.

This match will also be the first competitive meeting between Exeter and Nottingham Forest since 1951, when City suffered a 5-0 defeat in Division Three South.

In transfer news, Exeter City have confirmed that winger Mustapha Carayol has left the club following the conclusion of his short-term contract. Carayol, who joined the Grecians in September, made eight appearances for the team, with his last outing coming in October against Bristol Rovers.

Manager Gary Caldwell expressed his gratitude to Carayol, saying, "Mustapha came in at a time where we were really light in wide areas with injuries to Yanic Wildschut, Demetri Mitchell and Pat Jones and was a great character and added great quality to the squad at a time of need. We wish him well and thank him for everything he did whilst at the club."

In a separate development, Exeter City FC has publicly condemned the racist abuse directed at midfielder Caleb Watts on social media. The club shared a statement on their Instagram account, stressing that racism has no place in society. They are working closely with the police and the anti-racism organisation Kick It Out to investigate the matter.

The statement read, "Exeter City FC is appalled by the racist abuse sent to Caleb Watts on social media today [January 19]. The message is clear: racism has no place in our society. The club is working closely with the police and Kick It Out, and are offering our support to Caleb.

We need your support to help eliminate this. If you witness or hear any racist behaviour, please don't stay silent. Report it immediately at kickitout.org/report or call 020 3967 8989.

Together, we can make a difference."

One supporter responded to the post, expressing solidarity with Watts and the club, saying, “It is genuinely vile to see members of our community acting prejudiced. These individuals do not represent us as a club or as a community. Much love to Caleb Watts and Exeter from all of us Bluenoses.”

This incident comes in the wake of a joint statement issued by Exeter City and Bolton Wanderers, condemning all forms of racism and discrimination. An alleged racist comment was directed at Exeter City player Josh Magennis by a Bolton supporter in the closing minutes of the game on January 4.

Exeter City has made it clear that they stand united against racism, and the club continues to encourage fans to report any form of discriminatory behaviour.