Dick Pym

Dick Pym played for Exeter City before the First World War and was a member of the party that toured Argentina and Brazil in 1914. After serving in the war Dick was a fixture during the Grecians’ first-ever season in the Football League before his transfer to Bolton Wanderers where he won three FA Cup winners medals and three caps for England. After the end of his professional career Dick moved back to Topsham, where he was born and grew up, and lived there until his death at the age of ninety-five. Remembered as the first of Exeter’s homegrown footballers to make it to the top of the game, Dick was one of the initial group of players to be inducted into the Exeter City Hall of Fame in 2014. Dick was born in Lock’s Court in Topsham, near to the ferry slipway, into a family of Exe Estuary salmon fishermen. Growing up on Fore Street, and following the family line of work, Dick started playing football as a youngster initially as a forward for Topsham St Margarets until the club’s goalkeeper was injured. Never looking back in his new position, Dick attracted the attention of Exeter City who were then in their fourth season as a professional outfit in the Southern League. Signing in December 1911, Dick made his first-team debut against Stoke on 23 March 1912. With war only a distant possibility Dick embarked on Exeter City’s 1914 tour to South America although he was to be injured when he broke two ribs in the first game against Argentine North. As more of a river fisherman rather than a seafarer, Dick wasn’t immune from seasickness on the outward voyage and was later reputed to have returned from the trip with a number of souvenirs. The first was a parrot that apparently resided at St James’ Park and was eventually buried in one of the goalmouths. Legend says the deceased bird became a symbol of bad luck and was dug up once City suffered a particularly poor set of results. The second, and apparently third, souvenirs were a pair of footballs used on the tour. Still in existence over a hundred years later, the footballs are regularly displayed and presented at special occasions. With Southern League football continuing for another season Dick appeared in a further 38 league matches during the 1914/15 season until official league football was eventually suspended. Joining the Devonshire Regiment, and fighting on the Western Front, Dick was able to return to Topsham in 1916 for his marriage at the local methodist church to Elsie Murphy with the couple soon setting up home on nearby Monmouth Hill. Resuming ‘normal’ football against Southampton on 30 August 1919, Dick continued his run as an ever-present as he appeared in all 42 of City’s league games during 1919/20. Then, with Exeter City elected to the new third-tier of the Football League ahead of the 1920/21 campaign, Dick appeared in the first 22 fixtures before suffering an injury against Southend United on 1 January to bring to an end a run of 186 consecutive league appearances dating back to his debut in 1912. Returning after missing three games, Dick played through to the end of the season to bring his Exeter City career total to 203 league appearances. Such was the admiration for Dick’s 186-match run a presentation was made after the game against Queens Park Rangers at the end of February 1921 as reported in the local press: "A very pleasing ceremony took place at St James's Park at the conclusion of the Exeter City v Queens Park Rangers match this afternoon, Dick Pym, the popular City goalkeeper-captain, being presented by the Directors of the club with a costly 18-carat gold half-hunter watch, and a gold albert and medallion, in recognition of his splendid services. The medallion was inscribed: ‘Exeter City F.C.-To R.Pym, 26th February 1921’ and in the inner case of the watch there was an inscription as follows: ‘Presented by Exeter City F.C. to Mr R. Pym, to commemorate 186 consecutive League matches.’ The gift cost over £50, and came as a very pleasant surprise to t