TT BLOG

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

Steve discusses Dean Moxey

700 UP FOR DEAN MOXEY!

When a definitive history of professional football in the South West is eventually compiled, it will surely contain a number of paragraphs devoted to Dean Moxey.

Not only does he have the distinction of having played 700 games in his career, a milestone he reached when he appeared for the Gulls against Welling United, he is also part of a select group of players who have made over a century of appearances for both Exeter City and Torquay United.

After making his debut for the Grecians, his hometown club, as a teenager, Moxey, went onto appear at Championship level for Derby County, Crystal Palace (who he would also feature for 20 times in the Premier League) and Bolton Wanderers over a number of years.

He returned to St James Park for a second spell with Exeter before Gary Johnson signed him for the Gulls in the summer of 2020.

The journey started for Moxey in the 2003-04 season, when he made his debut on October 18, 2003 against Accrington Stanley. He was one of a number of youngsters who were thrown into the Grecians’ first team by then manager Eamon Dolan due to the financial situation at the club which had arisen following their relegation from the Football League in 2003.

In the following 2004-05 campaign, he started to make a name for himself as he scored with a 45-yard strike against Doncaster Rovers in the second round of the FA Cup, which helped to set up City’s memorable tie with Manchester United in round three. The Grecians famously held the Red Devils to a goalless draw at Old Trafford before losing the replay 2-0 at St James Park, and Moxey would feature in both matches.

Over the next few years, Moxey would remain an integral part of the Grecians under Alex Inglethorpe, and then under his successor Paul Tisdale and was part of the City side who would win back-to-back promotions between the Conference and League One between 2007 and 2009 before joining Derby County in the summer of 2009.

Several strong seasons with the Rams earned him a move to Crystal Palace, who he helped to win promotion to the Premier League in the 2012-13 campaign under the guidance of Ian Holloway. His solitary season in the top-flight saw him make 20 appearances for the Eagles before he was on the move again, this time to Bolton Wanderers.

While with the Trotters, he helped them to win promotion from League One in the 2016-17 season before he re-joined the Grecians. On returning to where it all began, he featured in two League Two Play-off finals – against Coventry City in 2018 and Northampton Town in 2020 – before he signed for Torquay United in the summer of 2020.

In his first season at Plainmoor, he helped the Gulls to reach the 2021 National League Play-off final, and he was on target in their 4-2 Play-off semi-final win over Notts County.

Whether he played as a left back or as a centre back, Moxey has been one of United’s most reliable performers during his time at Plainmoor, which was reflected with him being voted as Player of the Year in the 2023-24 campaign.

He is now passing on the experiences he has gained throughout his lengthy career in his new role as a player-coach, working alongside manager Paul Wotton and assistant manager Mike Edwards.

12 KEY MATCHES FOR MOX

18^th October, 2003 – Dean makes his debut for Exeter City against Accrington Stanley.

4^th December, 2004 – Dean scores the Grecians’ decisive second goal in a 2-1 win over Doncaster Rovers in their FA Cup second round win over Doncaster Rovers to set up a third round tie with Manchester United.

8^th January, 2005 – Dean is part of the Exeter City side who hold Manchester United to a goalless draw at Old Trafford to earn a replay at St James Park.

18^th May 2008 – Dean helped the Grecians win promotion back to the Football League as they beat Cambridge United 1-0 in the 2008 Conference Play-off final.

8^th August 2009 – Dean is voted man of the match by the Derby County supporters on his debut for the Rams in a 2-1 win over Peterborough United on the opening day of the 2009-10 campaign.

5^th February 2011 – Dean makes his debut for Crystal Palace in a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.

27^th May 2013 – Dean appears for Crystal Palace in their 1-0 Championship play-off final victory over Watford, as the Eagles secure a return to the Premier League.

18^th August 2013 – Dean makes the first of his 20 Premier League appearances for the Eagles on the opening day of the 2013-14 season.

12^th September 2017 – Dean makes his second debut for Exeter City in a 2-1 win over Barnet after returning to St James Park following his release by Bolton Wanderers.

29^th June 2020 – Dean features in the third of the Grecians’ three League Two Play-off final appearances in four years, which they lose 4-0 to Northampton Town and proves to be his final appearance for the Grecians.

13^th October 2020 – Dean makes his Torquay United debut in a 2-1 win over Chesterfield.

12^th June 2021 – Dean nets his first goal for the Gulls with a penalty that seals a 4-2 National League Play-off semi-final victory over Notts County to set up a final showdown with Hartlepool United.