Plans in place for victory parades should Exeter teams triumph

Exeter is gearing up for a weekend of sporting celebration as two of its teams prepare for Finals at Twickenham and Wembley.

Exeter City Council has thrown its support behind the Chiefs and the Grecians and has put in place plans for open-top bus parades and civic receptions next week should the teams triumph.

In Rugby Union, Exeter Chiefs take on Wasps on Saturday afternoon in the Aviva Premiership Final at Twickenham.
Round ball neighbours Exeter City Football Club travel to Wembley on Sunday for the Division 2 Play-off Final against Blackpool FC.

If the Chiefs win their final, the team will travel on an open-top bus through the city centre at 2pm on Bank Holiday Monday, setting off from St James Park and travelling down Sidwell Street and High Street. Once arriving at Exeter Guildhall, the players and staff will be treated to a Civic reception hosted by the Lord Mayor, Cllr Lesley Robson.

Should the Grecians triumph at Wembley, another parade will take place on the Tuesday at 6pm, travelling the same route and culminating in a Civic Reception at the Guildhall.

Karime Hassan, Chief Executive and Growth Director, wished the teams well and said that the whole of the city was behind them.
“This time last year we were busily putting in place the final pieces of the jigsaw for Exeter’s Big Weekend. Some 50,000 people headed down in the sun to see some of the world’s best bands perform whilst millions listened around the globe. Little did we know that exactly one year on – the city would once again be having a weekend that we’ll be talking about for generations to come,” he said.

“It is easy to underestimate the journey that our clubs have gone through to get to this stage. It is also easy to underestimate the impact that having top flight clubs brings to a city.

“We want to be the most active city in the UK. Occasionally, seeds sown a long time ago, and all the work we all regularly do and often take for granted, come into full bloom. If ever you needed a reminder of how positive our city is, our common ambitions and common pride, then this weekend is it,” he added.