Exeter City Supporters’ Trust ask Man City for a bigger share of the gate receipts ahead of the FA Cup Third Round tie this weekend.
The League One club owners have appealed for the Premier League giants to voluntarily donate part of their 45% share of gate receipts.
Exeter expect £250k–£400k from their standard share (after costs and 10% to the FA), currently dealing financial pressures including over £600,000 in recent trust loans, prior overspend, and over £100,000 to cover the fire damage. See more on that HERE.
The request comes following the loss of potential replay revenue since replays were scrapped, referencing Man Utd’s gesture that helped save the then-non-league club from debt bak in 2005.
📝 Ahead of our FA Cup tie, Exeter City Supporters’ Trust has written to Man City calling for solidarity with fan-owned clubs — asking whether a voluntary share of gate receipts could support sustainable football.
👉 https://t.co/Ypzckq9oge#ECFC #SemperFidelis
— Exeter City Supporters’ Trust (@ECFCST) January 7, 2026
STATEMENT:
Exeter City are proud to be one of a small number of English professional clubs owned by their
supporters. Since saving the club from near-liquidation in 2003, Exeter City Supporters’ Trust has held a majority shareholding, ensuring that the club is run for the long term, with the local community at its heart.
Competing in League One as a fan-owned club brings unique challenges. Without wealthy owners or benefactors, Exeter City rely on careful financial management, the dedication of volunteers, and the generosity of supporters and sponsors. Rising costs across the game, combined with recent fire damage at our ground, have made this season particularly challenging.
For clubs such as Exeter City, the FA Cup is about far more than prestige. It offers a rare chance to generate much-needed income and to showcase a different way of running a football club on a national and international stage. Unfortunately, with no replays, and with our tie not selected for TV coverage, that opportunity is more limited than it might otherwise have been.
The draw against Manchester City has nevertheless generated huge excitement. Tickets sold out rapidly, and nearly 8,000 Grecians will travel to the Etihad Stadium to see their club take on one of the most successful teams in Europe. Alongside the excitement on the pitch, there is also a strong awareness among supporters that off-pitch stability is just as important to the future of the club.
In recognition of Exeter City’s supporter-ownership model and the financial realities faced by fan-owned clubs, the Club have written to Manchester City to ask whether they would consider voluntarily transferring a portion of their share of the matchday gate receipts to Exeter City. Under FA regulations, gate receipts are normally split equally, with 45% allocated to each club, and any such gesture would therefore represent discretionary support from Manchester City. It would have a tangible impact on their finances and would stand as a strong statement of solidarity with sustainable, fan-owned football.
Alongside this request, football fans who wish to help strengthen Exeter City’s future can do so by making a donation at:
We are immensely proud of our club, our players and our supporters, and we look forward to an
unforgettable FA Cup occasion – one that reflects not just the magic of the competition, but the values that make Exeter City special.
Pete Ferlie
Chairman
Exeter City Supporters’ Trust
Here’s how fans reacted after Exeter ask Man City for a bigger share of the gate receipts ahead of their FA Cup tie…
@sumsECFC: If you wanted to do this, this should have been done privately. As much as we need the money, backing Man City into a corner like this in the public domain isn’t a great look.
@bezza19881: Cant go begging for gate money publicly 🤦🏻♂️
@sihawk89: Sorry guys but this is a bit embarrassing for the Trust & club. Are things really that bad that we’re essentially begging Man City for a hand out from a bonus game? I seriously doubt we would be asking Norwich or Swansea for a hand out if we’d been drawn there instead… #ecfc
@coleyecfc: As a city fan, this is embarrassing
@WillcocksOli: You have an early payment wired to you for stansfield because you asked for it due to being skint and now you’re trying to get city to help you out too? Any more money and I’m pretty sure you’d be owned and funded by other clubs. Pathetic and embarrassing for your fans.
@Grecian_Willo: Must say this is a little embarrassing #ecfc
@JonPAFC: 😂😂 fuck off 😂 how tinpot can you get. Begging other clubs for their gate receipt money. Not their fault (just as it isn’t tv companies fault) to bail you out the shit cause you can’t sustainably run and operate your football club. Learn how to work within your means.
@jm_bell95: Not a fan of this. Irrelevant of what I think of Exeter City. My main issue is you do this privately. Don’t try and publicly back them into a corner. Find this very poor taste. Being fan owned these days is admirable but you can’t plead poverty like this 👎🏼
@DazzamacECFC: I’m genuinely embarrassed by this… #ECFC
@RyanECFC: I have to say I really don’t think this is a good look. By all means contact Man City and make the request privately, but this makes us look pathetic #ECFC
@dorsetdom1905: I really enjoy going to Exeter and they are my “local” league side but this isn’t a good look at all
@_JoshDenham: This is embarrassing on a whole new level. Keep it private until/if/when Man City agree at the very least. #ECFC
@DevonIsRed1: How embarrassing is this ffs… Get a fucking grip , is 45% not enough? If we’d had drawn Macclesfield we’d have got next to nothing , be grateful for what we’re receiving…🤬 #ECFC