BBC SPORT | Football | Teams | Exeter City | Geller's straight approach



By Peter Jones BBC Monitoring

Exeter City's new co-chairman Uri Geller has promised not to use his paranormal powers to influence events on the pitch.

Geller, who is famous for his cutlery-bending exploits, recently took charge of the club as part of a consortium.

"Whilst I advocate a positive work ethic and optimistic outlook, I will absolutely refrain from using any form of paranormal activity," Geller told the club's website.

In recent years I have ebbed away from the spoon-bending

Uri Geller

He will leave the playing side of the club completely in the hands of manager John Cornforth.

Geller said that if Cornforth agreed, he might "perhaps pop down to the dressing room just to give the team a boost".

"In recent years I have ebbed away from the spoon-bending, preferring to focus on more important issues, amongst them self-help, self-belief, motivation and inspiration," Geller said.

Change of tack

Geller has been quite active lately in seeking to influence events in the football world.

In April he went on TV to persuade the nation to use willpower and help heal England captain David Beckham's broken left foot in time for the World Cup.

Geller urged viewers to touch an image of Beckham's foot on the screen and imagine the bone knitting together.

Alan Shearer on the left
Did Uri win it for Shearer?

In December, Geller claimed he had helped Newcastle United to break their London jinx.

The team had gone 29 games without a win in the capital before they beat Arsenal 3-1.

Geller arrived late at the match to find Newcastle trailing.

"The moment I touched the Highbury stadium, Arsenal player Ray Parlour was sent off," Geller said.

He then ran around the ground to create psychic energy. Newcastle went on to win an unexpected victory.

Reading unimpressed

Geller, who lives in Berkshire, supported Reading in the past. In April, the Division Two club had to avoid defeat in their final match of the season away to Brentford to clinch promotion.

So Geller appeared on the front page of the Reading Evening Post, urging fans to look in his eyes and say "Win, Reading, win!"

Reading got the point they needed to go up. But manager Alan Pardew was unimpressed by Geller's intervention.

"I was amazed that he could try to get on the back of our success," Pardew told Reading's official website.

Uri Geller with a bent spoon
No more bent spoons

"As soon as we get a bit of joy, thanks to all the hard work and efforts of my staff and players, he suddenly comes out of the blue and tries to claim the limelight."

Geller did once try to help Exeter win a crucial end of season Division Three game against Chester City, in April 1997.

He placed energy-infused crystals behind the goals at Exeter's St James's Park ground. But Exeter still lost 5-1 - and only results elsewhere saved the club from relegation.