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The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Fans helped seal career-defining transfer that has led to testimonial – but I wish I could have done more with Ireland
PIERCE SWEENEY has fans who put financial skin in the game to thank for his career-defining move to Exeter City. In 2016, the ex-Bray Wanderers defender, 30, had come to the end of a four-year stay at 5 Pierce Sweeney will have his Exeter City testimonial on Saturday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 5 He signed for Exeter City back in 2016 Credit: Alamy 5 He used to play as a defender for Bray Wanderers Credit: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE 5 He played for Ireland up to Under-21s Credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE Fortunately, a friendship forged at the Royals paved the way for him to go on trial with the Grecians, though he paid out of his own pocket to travel . He explained to the Irish Sun: "One of my really good mates who I met on my first day at Reading, Jake Taylor, he was actually at "We had played Exeter in an under-21 friendly with Reading, probably four or five months before the end of the season, and the manager at the time, Paul Tisdale, must have liked me. "He got wind that I would potentially be let go by Reading and basically, when I went in to speak to the manager at the time, which was future at Reading, he suggested he would call one of his friends. "I said Exeter was kind of half in touch and I didn't really know Brian McDermott had been a player at Exeter and he had a big connection with the football club. "He called Paul Tisdale for me and I exchanged emails and phone numbers. "I came in around the first of July and stayed here for the whole pre-season ." It has been a match made in heaven and, nine seasons and almost 400 appearances later, he will be honoured with a testimonial against His time at St James' Park was founded on a relationship with the supporters. After impressing on trial, the ex-Ireland youth international was signed thanks in part to the 1931 Fund. EFL star sparks furious brawl and chased by opponents after 'one of the worst tackles you'll ever see in a friendly' The fund, which is paid into by supporters and club members, goes towards covering the wages of a new player for a year. In this case, it was Sweeney who donned the '31' jersey fully aware of the weight that it carried in the eyes of his new fans. He added: "It's a really unique thing that the club does. "I had no idea about it, any new player wouldn't. They wouldn't understand what it is. It took me a little while to get my head around it. "It was a real honour for me to have that in my first season here. I think I've done the number proud and hopefully the fans would say the same. "I think it's like any number at a football club, whether it's number 7 at Man United or whatever, there's always a bit of extra pressure." WEMBLEY WAY His debut season saw him make 28 appearances in After being unsuccessful at While none of the three runs proved successful, the first provided a stand-out career highlight for the In the second leg of the play-off semi-final in 2016/17, Exeter hosted Carlisle United. Current star Deep in additional time at the end of the game, City right-back They would go on to lose to "I never imagined I would be here at a club for this long. Never mind getting a testimonial. It's been a special time." Pierce Sweeney "I just remember the scenes when the ball went into the top corner. It was outrageous. "That always, always sticks in my mind, just purely the reaction from the fans and the reaction of the players when he scored that goal. "It was unbelievable and I don't think I will ever, ever forget that moment." Exeter finally got their day in the sun in 2022. The previous summer saw Sweeney sign for Swindon Town, only to leave less than a month later by mutual consent and return to Exeter. He has chosen not to discuss what went on in those short few weeks but is happy to reflect on the season that followed. Now under the management of Matt Taylor, the Grecians avoided the play-offs altogether, instead sealing automatic promotion alongside Forest Green Rovers. Only goal difference prevented them from winning the league but while Forest Green were relegated back to the fourth tier the following season, Exeter remain in ON THE WAY UP Sweeney, who made 43 appearances on their way to promotion, said: "It was more relief and it was a whirlwind of emotions. "It was a whirlwind of emotions especially for me having been involved in three play-off campaigns where we fell at the last hurdle at Wembley. "We had a really good manager and a really good young squad of players. "I think it was the right time for us to get promoted. I think previous years it probably wasn't the right time. "We had an ageing squad of players and the club probably wasn't ready to go up to the next level. "It was an unbelievable night against Barrow when we finally got promoted. "All my emotions came out that night which was inside me for about three or four years." 5 Pierce Sweeney is presented with the U19 International player of the year award by Republic of Ireland International Shane Long in 2014 Credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE The following January, captain Matt Jay - who had scored the goal against Barrow that sent them up - left St James' Park. Sweeney was appointed new skipper and his first game with the armband was also his 300th appearance for the club. That season also ended with him being named Player of the Season. "It's something I wouldn't say I expected to happen but I always had it in the back of my mind that it would happen at some stage. "It was a great honour and a nice moment for me. "You have to find your style and find your ways of going about things. "If you put your arm around a young player, if you need to shout and scream at people, you just have to pick and choose. "I think over time I've figured out how and what people need. It definitely was a bit rusty at the start." Pierce Sweeney doesn't have many regrets in his career but he does lament not having more success on the international stage. He represented Ireland at youth level up to U21s, and was part of squads that boasted future internationals Duffy , "I definitely didn't predict I'd still be here, let alone played that many games." But his last U21 cap came in June 2015 as a sub against an He was still on the books at Reading at the time and admits he would have liked the chance to impress more in the green jersey. Sweeney admitted: "I would have liked more. "I think whatever way the manager at the time was thinking, that's his opinion and it is what it is. "I was nice to get a cap and make a couple of squads. I'm always honoured to represent my country and something I used to love doing. "I just wish I could do it a little bit more." Saturday's testimonial game against It has been in the pipeline since last November, but even so, Sweeney considers himself fortunate to have built a career worth of such an occasion. "I definitely didn't predict I'd still be here, let alone played that many games. "I came here in 2016 on trial at the start and then signed for the football club and the plan for me that year wasn't to be a starter. "Luckily for me, somebody got injured the week before I started the season and I was thrown in at the deep end and it was either sink or swim. "I never imagined I would be here at a club for this long. Never mind getting a testimonial. It's been a special time."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Legend' Sweeney enters decade of service at Exeter
"I think at one stage we had one radiator in the building that worked," recalls Pierce Sweeney as he enters his tenth season at Exeter City. The Grecians' captain is a rare breed in modern football having spent nearly a decade at one club - a period that has seen incredible change at Exeter City. From a leaky - and cold - wooden building at the side of a bumpy training ground to a modern multi-million pound facility, and two new stands at St James Park, Sweeney has been a constant. The Irishman joined as a fresh-faced 20-year-old defender from Reading in 2016 and has gone on to play 391 games for City, scoring 22 goals, and winning promotion to League One in 2022. "I've reared my family here, I own a house down here. So I don't think I'll ever leave the place unless something really, really attractive comes my way in the latter end of my career, which I highly doubt will happen," Sweeney says in his broad Irish accent. "This is home for me now, and I kind of turned from a young inexperienced boy to an old age pensioner." Sweeney is a man who never takes life too seriously off the field - always ready with a smile and a joke. But on the pitch there is a steel and determination to his game that has made him one of the most consistent defenders in League One. He has played under three managers at Exeter - a rare feat for a club that does not change head coach that often. His current boss Gary Caldwell has no doubt how important he is to the team - and the club. "For all we take the micky out of him, myself, the staff, he is a brilliant character. He has been a brilliant servant for this football club," Caldwell says. "He is one of the few players I think you can call a legend at the football club for what he's done and the journey, that not just the club, but he has been on since he's been here. "So to be able to celebrate that I think is really important." 'We've come on leaps and bounds' That celebration has been going throughout the summer and culminates on Saturday when Sweeney has his testimonial match against Swansea City at St James Park in Exeter's final pre-season game. Sweeney has played alongside the likes of Ollie Watkins, Jay Stansfield and Ethan Ampadu - whose big transfer fees have gone a long way to turning fan-owned Exeter into a financially sustainable club in League One. "The football club's done really well with picking and choosing when they spend money on the facilities," Sweeney - who briefly left Exeter in June 2021 to join a financially troubled Swindon Town before returning less than a month later - tells BBC Radio Devon. "I've spoken to a good few players who have come here from different football clubs and even they say the facilities are top for League One level and some in the Championship aren't as good as what we have here. "We've come on leaps and bounds, but I think the facilities aside, I think the way the football club is run now is a million miles away from where we used to be, and I think that's spearheaded from the manager. "The manager probably gives the board headaches of what he wants every year or every month, but that's only for the benefit of the club. "He's an ambitious man and he can see where the football club can get to. "There's still more room for improvement. We can always improve and I think it's important that we don't stop." Sweeney's career at Exeter has had its fair share of ups and downs. He has lost three League Two play-off finals at Wembley - defeat by Blackpool in his debut season in 2017, Coventry City a year later, and then Northampton Town in an empty national stadium in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. But there have also been highs as well - not least winning automatic promotion in 2022 as well as some memorable runs in both the FA and EFL Cups. "It was probably a blessing in disguise that we probably didn't win them," Sweeney says as he looks back on the Wembley defeats. "I think where we were when we got automatic promotion, I think the club was in a far better position than we were for the play-off games. "My personal opinion is that we probably wouldn't be coming into our fourth season back then in League One." He adds: "Wembley's an unbelievable place when you win. It's the worst place in the world when you lose. I've been unfortunate to experience that three times now. "It wasn't a nice feeling, but I've definitely taken that on board with me ever since and kind of used it as fuel, and hopefully the next time we go to Wembley we can finish the job." Sweeney's toughest personal battle came last season when he missed the second half of the campaign after picking up a calf injury in December and then having surgery to fix a long-standing hip problem. And even though he is celebrating his testimonial this season - and has no intention of leaving the club - he appreciates how hard the world of football is. "I've been out for the longest period of my career and it's been it's been a tough offseason. I've been on my own doing rehab and tough times mentally, " he says. "I want to play as many games as I can and try and earn myself a new contract at the end of the next season. "I'm 31 in September, so I'm no spring chicken. I need to get back fully fit and get back into the team, and hopefully earn myself a new contract and go from there."
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Legend' Sweeney enters decade of service at Exeter
"I think at one stage we had one radiator in the building that worked," recalls Pierce Sweeney as he enters his tenth season at Exeter Grecians' captain is a rare breed in modern football having spent nearly a decade at one club - a period that has seen incredible change at Exeter a leaky - and cold - wooden building at the side of a bumpy training ground to a modern multi-million pound facility, and two new stands at St James Park, Sweeney has been a constant. The Irishman joined as a fresh-faced 20-year-old defender from Reading in 2016 and has gone on to play 391 games for City, scoring 22 goals, and winning promotion to League One in 2022. "I've reared my family here, I own a house down here. So I don't think I'll ever leave the place unless something really, really attractive comes my way in the latter end of my career, which I highly doubt will happen," Sweeney says in his broad Irish accent."This is home for me now, and I kind of turned from a young inexperienced boy to an old age pensioner." Sweeney is a man who never takes life too seriously off the field - always ready with a smile and a on the pitch there is a steel and determination to his game that has made him one of the most consistent defenders in League One. He has played under three managers at Exeter - a rare feat for a club that does not change head coach that often. His current boss Gary Caldwell has no doubt how important he is to the team - and the club. "For all we take the micky out of him, myself, the staff, he is a brilliant character. He has been a brilliant servant for this football club," Caldwell says."He is one of the few players I think you can call a legend at the football club for what he's done and the journey, that not just the club, but he has been on since he's been here."So to be able to celebrate that I think is really important." 'We've come on leaps and bounds' That celebration has been going throughout the summer and culminates on Saturday when Sweeney has his testimonial match against Swansea City at St James Park in Exeter's final pre-season game. Sweeney has played alongside the likes of Ollie Watkins, Jay Stansfield and Ethan Ampadu - whose big transfer fees have gone a long way to turning fan-owned Exeter into a financially sustainable club in League One. "The football club's done really well with picking and choosing when they spend money on the facilities," Sweeney - who briefly left Exeter in June 2021 to join a financially troubled Swindon Town before returning less than a month later - tells BBC Radio Devon."I've spoken to a good few players who have come here from different football clubs and even they say the facilities are top for League One level and some in the Championship aren't as good as what we have here."We've come on leaps and bounds, but I think the facilities aside, I think the way the football club is run now is a million miles away from where we used to be, and I think that's spearheaded from the manager."The manager probably gives the board headaches of what he wants every year or every month, but that's only for the benefit of the club."He's an ambitious man and he can see where the football club can get to."There's still more room for improvement. We can always improve and I think it's important that we don't stop." Sweeney's career at Exeter has had its fair share of ups and downs. He has lost three League Two play-off finals at Wembley - defeat by Blackpool in his debut season in 2017, Coventry City a year later, and then Northampton Town in an empty national stadium in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 there have also been highs as well - not least winning automatic promotion in 2022 as well as some memorable runs in both the FA and EFL Cups."It was probably a blessing in disguise that we probably didn't win them," Sweeney says as he looks back on the Wembley defeats. "I think where we were when we got automatic promotion, I think the club was in a far better position than we were for the play-off games."My personal opinion is that we probably wouldn't be coming into our fourth season back then in League One."He adds: "Wembley's an unbelievable place when you win. It's the worst place in the world when you lose. I've been unfortunate to experience that three times now."It wasn't a nice feeling, but I've definitely taken that on board with me ever since and kind of used it as fuel, and hopefully the next time we go to Wembley we can finish the job." Sweeney's toughest personal battle came last season when he missed the second half of the campaign after picking up a calf injury in December and then having surgery to fix a long-standing hip even though he is celebrating his testimonial this season - and has no intention of leaving the club - he appreciates how hard the world of football is."I've been out for the longest period of my career and it's been it's been a tough offseason. I've been on my own doing rehab and tough times mentally, " he says."I want to play as many games as I can and try and earn myself a new contract at the end of the next season."I'm 31 in September, so I'm no spring chicken. I need to get back fully fit and get back into the team, and hopefully earn myself a new contract and go from there."
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Exeter City in 'good shape' for new season
Exeter City midfielder Reece Cole feels the Grecians are in "good shape" ahead of the start of the new 27-year-old has scored in both of the club's pre-season matches so far this month as City prepare for a fourth successive season in League face two games in as many days this week as they make their final preparations for the season - taking on Torquay United at Plainmoor on Friday before hosting Championship side Swansea City in Pierce Sweeney's testimonial game a day later. "I think we look in good shape," he told BBC Radio Devon."The numbers are good from the feedback we get from the S&C [strength and conditioning] coaches, so we feel like we're in a good place."Two really good games again next week, Torquay on the Friday and then obviously Sweeney's testimonial on the Saturday."So two very different tests and probably two different game plans that we'll go out and try and play, so hopefully it puts us in really good stead for the season."Injuries hampered Cole last season - with his absence from part of pre-season a reason for him playing just 13 games before new year. "I missed a massive chunk last pre-season," says Cole."I came in with a little bit of a niggle and tried getting through things and got misdiagnosed with injuries and it ultimately killed my season."So I think maintaining your fitness in the off-season when you're away from the club is important. "But then when you come into pre-season, you need to be ready to go and you're going to feel niggles, you're going to feel tired, you're going to feel like you're hurting but you just need to get through it and it will put you in great stead for the season."
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Grimsby sign experienced goalkeeper Pym
Grimsby Town have signed former Mansfield Town goalkeeper Christy Pym on a two-year 30-year-old was a free agent after leaving the Stags earlier this began his career with Exeter City, playing more than 150 league games for the Grecians, before spending four years at Peterborough and then joining won promotion to the Championship with Posh in 2020-21 and was part of the Stags team that went up from League Two in third place in 2023-24."He's a winner who knows how to get out of this league and we hope he'll be a real pivotal signing for us," boss David Artell told the club website., external
