MIKE BLACKSTONE COLUMN: When City's form was the pits

IT was 25 years ago that Yorkshire miners reacted angrily to the news that the National Coal Board were to close 20 pits.

Strike action began when workers at the Manvers complex walked out over the lack of consultation. Over 6,000 miners were already on strike when a local ballot led to strike action from March 5, 1984 at Cortonwood Colliery and at Bullcliffe Wood Colliery.

Back at St James's Park, the focus was very much on whether the Grecians could survive in the Third Division, with their form being aptly and highly topically described as 'the pits'. Under player-manager Gerry Francis, the team stumbled through the season and eventually lost their battle against relegation, finishing rock bottom.

On the very day that the miners at Cortonwood voted to strike, Exeter City actually achieved a very good result, as they drew 2-2 at Port Vale.

Ray Pratt and Steve Neville scored the goals in a game in which goalkeeper Len Bond saved a penalty. But although the draw at Vale Park was a good one, it did nothing to disguise the fact that City were enduring one of their worst seasons ever.

This was reflected in the attendances at St James's Park and, two-and-a-half weeks after the Vale game, the club drew what was then their record lowest attendance in their history as just 1,782 turned up for the visit of Southend United.

On May 1, 1984 it was all over for the Grecians. A 1-0 defeat at Rotherham United confirmed the inevitable as they were relegated.

Only on May 14, a couple of days after City's final game — that ended in a 3-0 defeat at Millwall — was it finally announced that the club and Francis had parted company.

A short statement read: "As from Wednesday, May 9, Gerry Francis was relieved of his duties as team manager. At the request of Mr Francis, this information has not been publicised until today."

So a traumatic season that had promised much on the appointment of the former England international was left in tatters, as unrest in the boardroom also surfaced, as well as a series of poor results on the field.

Fast forward to 2009, after many more battles on and off the field, Exeter City have enjoyed a renaissance, whilst the coal mines certainly haven't.

The strike formally ended on March 3, 1985 but Exeter City, under new manager Jim Iley, were once again having problems on and off the field.

Finances were extremely tight at St James's Park, so much so that Iley had agreed to work with a wage budget of just £100,000 a year — a figure that seems laughable in today's game.

Despite introducing a number of new players to the Park, the team still finished in the lower reaches of the Fourth Division and Iley had his contract terminated after just 10 months in charge.