Competition to Win a Sean Devine Signed Programme
The ECFC Trust is offering a signed programme by former Exeter striker Sean “he wears number 10 not 9” Devine.
This has come about because avid Grecian Tim Adkin, now living on the other side of the world in Christchurch in New Zealand, was able to stroll down to his local football club and see a City legend at work
It was during a Supporters Trust run St James Park stadium tour that Tim, over on a rare visit, mentioned that Sean Devine was then head coach of Canterbury United in the New Zealand Premiership.
The Trust asked Tim to meet up with Sean and get a photo and we have now received this together with a signed programme. For your chance to win the programme see competition details below. Sean has now left Canterbury so the programme has extra value!
Tim was born in Exeter and grew up in Beer in East Devon. He started watching City as soon as he could and his first season was the 1976/77 promotion year. “Tony Kellow was definitely my first hero. He was the main man”.
During the 1980s Tim decided to do ‘the 92’ – visit every League ground in the country:-
I went to over half watching Exeter City including the great cup run of 1980/1. Sometimes I would sleep in the car and do another game the next day. I did the majority in just four seasons finishing in February 1987 at Old Trafford.
The Cowshed was Tim’s favourite place to watch City from:-
I loved to be just under the ladder to the TV platform with my friends from Beer. That was my spot. I even got it when there were 18,000 in the ground against Newcastle.
Tim has very happy memories of the 1989/90 championship season – his last before leaving Devon.
Steve Neville was amazing as was Darren Rowbotham. What a combination. It was gut-wrenching when Darren was injured.
Initially Tim went backpacking in New Zealand but after meeting up and then marrying a Christchurch girl, Liz, he stayed and set down his roots there, soon having two children, Ben and Sarah:-
But I have never lost my love of the Grecians. The first thing I do on a Sunday morning is get on the internet and find out what has happened. Grecian Player is great for people like me. Whenever I get back I try and see a game. City til I die – how true!
Tim now follows his adopted country at both football and rugby:-
I was there to see the football team – the All Whites – qualify for the South Africa world cup with a 1-0 win over Bahrain in Wellington. You have to follow rugby too here but football is still my number one sport.
For a couple of years in 2005-6 Tim and his family took an overseas experience opportunity and lived in Ireland giving Tim the chance to regularly watch City and catch up with family and friends. “One of the players who was key at that time was striker Sean Devine. I couldn’t believe it when he turned up at my local Club in New Zealand” said Tim.
When I made myself known to Sean he laughed his head off at the connection. He said how much enjoyed his time with City and sent everyone his best wishes.
The Supporters Trust was delighted that Tim enjoyed his stadium tour and is very grateful for the photo of Sean Devine and all Tim’s news. To mark the connection we have a Canterbury United programme signed by Sean Devine available to the winner of a Trust members draw. To enter send your name and Trust number to [email protected] using the subject line of ‘Sean Devine programme draw’. The closing date is noon on Friday 21 August 2015.
This story can also be found on the Trust website at http://ecfcst.org.uk/2015/07/29/sean-devin-competition-as-grecian-tim-supports-ecfc-from-new-zealand/