Plymouth Argyle have made League One return more interesting with Exeter City play | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle's return to League One will have some added spice after they poached Caleb Watts from Exeter City.

Plymouth Argyle’s signing of Caleb Watts from bitter Devon rivals Exeter City certainly raised eyebrows in English football last week. The Australian turned down a new contract with the Grecians in favour of signing for the Pilgrims.

The path from the Red side of Devon to the Green side is a path only trodden by a few brave enough to deal with the backlash they would endure for this particular career move.

Watts became the third man to make this move since 2007, following in the footsteps of former Queens Park Rangers striker Jamie Mackie and ex-Jamaica international winger Joel Grant, who was the most recent man to swap St James Park for Home Park.

The uproar from Grecians supporters was immense, as they knew the feeling of losing a key player to their fierce rivals all too well. Seeing someone who the club has worked hard to get back to full fitness wearing the colours of the other team in the county must be indescribably frustrating.

It’s been over two years since the last Devon derby, following Plymouth’s two-year stint in the Championship. Now the Pilgrims are back in League One, they will face off against Exeter in two fixtures that will certainly have some extra spice thrown in the mix after Watts’ controversial move.

Two very different reactions from supporters after Caleb Watts swaps Exeter City for Plymouth Argyle

Despite not being in the same division as each other for the last two years, the dislike between Plymouth and Exeter remained as strong as ever. That’s why, when it was announced that Watts had turned down a new deal at St James Park to move to ‘another League One side’, eyebrows were raised in the EFL.

Exeter supporters were left disappointed by the statement that the club had put out, blissfully unaware of the Australian’s next destination. However, judging by how bitter the statement from the club was, some started to speculate that Watts could be Plymouth-bound.

A matter of hours later, Argyle posted a video of the 23-year-old visiting the famous Plymouth lighthouse, much to the delight of the Green Army, and confirming the fears of City supporters as soon as that statement was released earlier in the afternoon.

Of course, the reaction from the Green side of Devon was one of pure elation. Not only did they sign an exciting young player who is proven at League One level, they also managed to get him to turn down a contract from their biggest rivals to join the newly managerless side.

The reaction from Exeter was one of hurt, disappointment, and a general feeling of ‘what could’ve been’. The Grecians worked hard to help Watts return to full fitness after injury setbacks and reaped the rewards of this last term. Going into 2025/26, there were hopes he could further establish himself in Gary Caldwell’s squad, but that wouldn’t be the case.

As expected, there was little sympathy on show from Argyle supporters, who were delighted with their new signing. This transfer was a brutal reminder of the Grant saga back in 2017, when the Exeter star turned down a new deal in favour of signing for Plymouth. Eight years later, Watts had reopened old wounds that will likely take a while to heal once again.

Caleb Watts transfer will add an extra spoonful of spice to the Devon derby

Many people who don’t reside in the South West of England may not understand the sheer ferocity of the Devon derby. For how much these matches mean to both teams, fanbases, and both cities in general, the rivalry between the Grecians and the Pilgrims goes drastically under the radar in English football.

To put things into perspective, moving from Exeter to Plymouth would be viewed by City supporters similarly to how Tottenham Hotspur fans viewed Sol Campbell’s move to Arsenal back in 2001. As mentioned, the path from Devon’s capital to the famous maritime city is one trodden by few players brave enough to do so.

Watts adds his name to that list of three players who have made the move since 2007, following in the footsteps of Mackie and Grant and reopening old wounds for Exeter fans by having a key player poached by their main rivals.

Despite the backlash the midfielder has and will face, the transfer is somewhat of a no-brainer when the contract is on the table. Plymouth have the infrastructure to reach and compete at levels that Exeter can’t. Additionally, the better financial capabilities, a long-term contract, and the lack of need for relocation make it a tempting offer, regardless of the history between the clubs.

However, it won’t matter to Grecians supporters one bit what the justification for Watts’ move is, as the former Exeter star has done the unthinkable, and there will undoubtedly be a fierce welcome for him in the two fixtures coming up next season.

This surprising transfer has already taken the EFL by storm and will add another spoonful of spice to what will already be two fiery fixtures next term. Plymouth have had the first laugh by poaching Watts, but Exeter will be keen to get one over on their former player and dish out some revenge. This will make for two enthralling and intense contests next season.