Exeter City Chairman Edward Chorlton with Commander Nash and Leading Rate Craig Horsman at the presentation held on board HMS Defender.

Exeter City Chairman Edward Chorlton last week presented the Captain of HMS Defender, Commander Phil Nash with a set of Grecian shirts which will be worn by the ship’s football team when they play games in various parts of the world.

The occasion was the first Affiliates Day held at the end of last week to celebrate the arrival of HMS Defender in its home port of Portsmouth.

Defender is the Royal Navy’s newest type 45 Destroyer and the 7,500 tonne ship will now undergo sea trials before being declared ready for operations next year.

The Royal Navy has a long history of links to the City of Exeter including five ships named Exeter.

HMS Defender is also affiliated with both the city of Glasgow and the city of Exeter and with various organisations including Dream-a-Way, the Exeter based charity.

Exeter City Football Club is both proud and honoured to have this link with HMS Defender.

Commander Nash said that his team would wear Exeter City’s strip with pride and looked forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the club.