We will now complete our look at the three Devon professional club's World Cup links by looking at Exeter City's World Cup connections.
The Grecians have a direct link with England's finest hour in the competition in 1966 through former manager Alan Ball, who was one of Sir Alf Ramsey's 'wingless wonders' that won the for England for the first and only time to date against West Germany at Wembley.
After winning his first cap a year earlier- in 1965- against Yugoslavia, Ball was selected in Ramsey's 22 man squad for the competition and was one of a number of players, including hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters- all of whom were still in single figures for caps won when they appeared in the final, who emerged with great credit from the competition.
Indeed, it was Ball who set up Hurst for his second, which made the score 3-2 to England, and it is still debated whether the ball crossed the line to this date, but the Russian linesman on the day declared that it did so that's all that matters!
When England came to defend the crown in 1970 in Mexico, Ball was one of the first names on Ramsey's team sheet and was joined in the squad by Leeds United left back Terry Cooper, who would succeed Ball as manager of the Grecians in 1994 when his tenure in charge at St James Park, which began in July 1991, came to an end.
Cooper, whose son Mark played for the Grecians and is currently manager of Swindon Town, had two spells in the St James' Park hot seat (1988 to 1991 and 1994 to 1995).
His first spell proved to be hugely successful as he led to the Grecians to the Fourth Division title in the 1989-90 season before leaving to take charge of Birmingham City in 1991.
He returned to St James Park to replace the Southampton bound Ball in 1994, but, due to the club's serious financial problems at the time, he was unable to keep them in Division Two in the 1993-94 season.
In the following campaign- the 1994-95 season- they finished bottom of the Football League and only survived being relegated to the Conference as Macclesfield Town's ground did not meet Football League requirements. He left the club at the end of the season and was replaced as manager by Peter Fox.
Honiton born Maurice Setters, who played for the Grecians between 1954 and 1955 before moving onto West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United- where he won an FA Cup winners' medal in 1963, assisted Jack Charlton as manager of the Republic of Ireland in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.
Setters had previously served as Charlton's assistant at Sheffield Wednesday between 1977 and 1983 and performed the same role during his reign as Ireland boss between 1986 and 1995- during which time the Irish qualified for three major tournaments: Euro 88, Italia 90 and USA 94.
Shortly after this year's finals, the Grecians will be participating in a short tour of Brazil- the host nation of the current tournament, who played their first ever competitive fixture against the Grecians, which the trip will help to commemorate.
