The last ten years at Exeter City Football Club have been the most dramatic in the club's history.
At the end of the 2002/03 season City were relegated to the Nationwide Football Conference, meaning that the club started its centenary year outside of the league, having been a member of for over 80 years.
The close season then proved to be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Police raided the club and took the chairman, his wife and the vice-chairman for questioning. Debts were mounting and the majority shareholder asked the Exeter City Supporters' Trust to take over the day to day running of the club. Despite the ongoing off the field problems, the team started well in the Conference with a small squad, and many of the promising trainee's featured at some stage.
The Supporters' Trust became the majority shareholders after acquiring the shares from Ivor Doble, and the aim was to stabilise the finances, which involved a CVA and to turn Exeter City FC into a true community run club. The club celebrated its centenary with a prestigious friendly against a Brazil Masters XI at St James' Park during the summer of 2004, also marking the 90th anniversary of the Grecians tour to South America. After battling through the first and second rounds of the FA Cup in 2004-05, defeating Football League sides, Doncaster Rovers and Grimsby Town respectively, Exeter were drawn away at Manchester United.
They produced an amazing result, drawing 0-0, thus earning a replay back at St James' Park, which was televised live. The dream ended with a 2-0 defeat, but not before the Club's debts were pretty well wiped out thanks to the match receipts from the two ties. For the second season running the Grecians just missed out on a play-off spot in the Conference by one point at the end of the 2004-05 season. However, the Club were the second best supported non-league club in the country with an average home attendance figure only bettered by promoted Carlisle United.
The team started the 2005-06 season in fine form and topped the Conference table for a while. However, they slipped off the leading positions in the second half of the campaign to eventually end in 7th place. City had a great run in the FA Trophy before losing at the semi-final stage to Grays Athletic over two legs.
In June 2006, manager Alex Inglethorpe departed to take over a youth coach position at Tottenham Hotspur and he was replaced at St James' Park by Paul Tisdale who was formerly with Team Bath. Paul Tisdale transformed the club's fortunes in his first three seasons in charge. An unforgettable Play Off Semi Final in 06/07 saw the Grecians beat Oxford United on penalties to set up the club's first ever trip to Wembley where they were beaten by Morecambe. But the Grecians came back strongly the next season and qualified for the Play Off's with a game to spare.
After being beaten 2-1 by Torquay at St James Park in the Play Off first leg Tisdale's side pulled off one of the club's greatest ever comebacks with four goals in an unforgettable second half at Plainmoor to win 5-3 on aggregate and set up a return to the national stadium. Rob Edwards' first half header won the match for City against Cambridge United and the Grecians were promoted to League Two after five seasons of non league football.
Things would get even better in the 2008/09 season as the club clinched back-to-back promotions on the final day with a 1-0 victory at Rotherham thanks to Richard Logan's far post header and see the club return to the third tier of English football for the first time since 1994.
The final season of the decade would see City secure League One football for another year with just seven minutes left of the campaign.