Devon Derby: Exeter City Prepare to face Plymouth Argyle rivals

Bosses on both sides know a thing or two about Derby matches.

Exeter manager Gary Caldwell is Celtic’s captain and leads his side against Rangers in one of the fiercest derbies in World Football.

Meanwhile Argyle Head Tom Cleverley – a former Manchester United, Everton and Watford Player – has been involved in big games against Dakperas at City, Liverpool and Luton.

“Until you’re in a derby you don’t really know what it’s like, so I don’t think it’d be fair for me to compare it to any other derbies I’ve been involved in because each one has its own little uniqueness about it,” says Cleverley, who took over at Argyle in the summer following their relegation. back to League One.

“Only once in my 18 years have I won a Derby,” he added, with a trip to the city he drove home what people mean to people who sacrifice for his players.

“What I have to say is one of the best feelings I’ve had – if you told me what my top three days were, one of them was winning the (Etihad at Manchester City with Manchester United.

“That’s why we’re in this industry, why I’m on this side of the fence, because I want to be involved in days like this and prepare a team to go and win places like this.”

For Caldwell, this will be his third Devon Derby as manager – his first will be in his second game in charge at Halloween next spring in a title game.

“I haven’t won yet. I need to win one and hopefully come Thursday night,” Caldwell said.

“The old club (Celtic and Rangers) for me has another level to it. It’s fierce, they’re amazing games to be a part of.

“But the experience with them and the lessons I learned about how you prepare, how you approach them, how you act within the game and what it takes to win and lose games.

“We won derbies and lost derbies and we know the type of finish and the implications of it, but those are the games you have to do to win the game, but you also have to bring the emotion, but you also have to bring the game.

“You have to play with a different fire because the supporters, for them, it’s their game, it’s for their rights to have supporters with your supporters and what it means.”