Former Grecians trio on the move this January

KEEPING an eye on the transfer window, I always look out for players on the move who have Exeter City connections.

No fewer than three former Grecians have joined new clubs this past week, all of whom spent time at St James's Park on loan in past seasons.

Coincidentally two of the three were with City at the same time — namely Lewis Buxton and Carl Pettefer.

Buxton, 25, has made the switch from Stoke City to Sheffield Wednesday. The defender enjoyed a successful loan spell with the Owls between October and the turn of the year and has now penned a full-time deal that is set to run until 2011.

The defender was one of two Portsmouth players who were brought to St James's Park by the short-lived and unsuccessful Exeter City manager Neil McNab during 2002/03 — the disastrous season which ended with relegation from the Football League to the Conference.

Buxton only made four appearances for the Grecians before returning to Fratton Park, while his Portsmouth team-mate Pettefer was much more successful, eventually making 31 league outings and scoring one goal.

Buxton and Pettefer made their debuts for Exeter in the same match at St James's Park, but it was a game to forget as City lost 4-0 to visiting Darlington.

The Grecians line-up that day was: Kevin Miller, Scott Hiley, Matthew Lock, Santos Gaia, Buxton, Justin Walker, Gareth Sheldon, Martin Thomas, Steve Flack, James Coppinger and Pettefer.

Buxton went on to feature in games for City against Rochdale, Boston United and Hartlepool United, while Pettefer scored his only goal for the club in the return match against Darlington, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

After returning to Portsmouth, Buxton then made a loan move to AFC Bournemouth in January 2003 for the remainder of the season. He played 18 games whilst with the Cherries and helped them achieve promotion through the play-offs from Division Three to Division Two.

He returned to Portsmouth for the 2003/04 campaign, but by October he was back at Daen Court for the season, this time playing 28 games for the south coast club.

In January 2005 Buxton was transferred to Stoke City, but had only made 71 league appearances for the Potters prior to his move to Sheffield Wednesday this week.

Meanwhile, Pettefer has joined Southern League Division One South & West side AFC Totton after being released by Bognor Regis due to their financial situation.

After leaving Exeter City and returning to Portsmouth, Pettefer went on to play for Southend United and then Oxford United, whom he signed for in the summer of 2006.

He went on trial at AFC Bournemouth during the summer of 2008 after being released by Oxford, but more recently he has been appearing for Bognor — a club whose name will send shivers through those Grecians fans who recall the FA Cup exit made by Exeter when they went there for a first round tie in 1988.

The third former Grecian to have made a move this past week is Frankie Artus, who has linked up with Kettering Town on loan — a club managed by another former City player, Mark Cooper.

The Bristol City player made 10 appearances in the Blue Square Premier last season whilst on loan at St James's Park and since then Artus has also had a loan spell with Brentford.

Artus spent 11 years with the Bristol City academy, having first played for them at the age of seven. He progressed through the age groups to reach the reserve team, as well as becoming captain of the under-18s.

He was signed on loan by Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale in time to make his debut for the Grecians in the opening game of the 2007-08 season — a 4-2 win at Altrincham in the Blue Square Premier.