DEARTH OF GOALS IN THE GRECIANS CAMP.
OFFSIDE RUINS SOCCER SKILL.

Any student of football old enough to compare will agree on these two points. Much of the skill vanished from soccer when the offside law was modified in 1925. The scoring of goals was simplified because the task of forwards was made less difficult. Wingmen became kick and run raiders, and centre-forwards, leaders of the line, footballers in the full sense under the rules which existed prior to 1925, needed size, strength, pace, and power, artistry and accuracy in approach. more than The "poacher" inside-forward and the "stopper" centre-half gained a newly-found value. Wanderings such as these down the memory lane of football arrive at a signpost which points the way to what ought to be Exeter City's future course along the Football League highway. No longer can the club afford to carry forwards who are deficient in the fundamentals of constructive craft. For what are the facts? It is necessary to go back to the season of 1923-24 to discover a campaign in which a City team scored a fewer number of goals. Thirty-one years ago the tally was 37 for the full League complement of 42 matches. This season, with the same number of games played, the aggregate was 40 goals. In the end, counting the extra four matches which have to be played since the League was enlarged, the total was 47. And the whole point of this is that the offside law is different now. Illustrating the point a step further, altogether 1,677 goals were scored in the 3rd Division South this season, an average of 69 per team. Exeter's share, as stated, was 47, and of all the other clubs only Swindon Town (46 goals) registered a smaller total. Bristol City, the champions, scored 101, Leyton Orient got 89, while Brentford, Torquay United, and Southend all passed the 80 mark. Mainly through this failure to score enough goals Exeter City had a narrow escape from having to go to the League for re-election, ending the campaign above Walsall and Colchester.

THE CITY'S CAPTAINS.

Five players, an unusually high number, had turns at being skipper this season. They were Fred Davey, the official club captain, John Anderson, who was told to lead the team out at Northampton, on the ground where he played his home games last season, Frank Houghton, Angus Mackay, and finally Brian Doyle, who holds the position at present. One or two penalty kicks were missed this season, notably by Mackay, who is usually so sure against Coventry, and McClelland. On the other hand Pat Elson and Brian Hunkin, amateurs, and young in experienced goalkeepers, together with Morton, saved penalty kicks in reserve games.

Quite a large number of old "Grecians" were seen in action in matches. against Exeter City this season. They included Stanley Charlton, for Leyton Orient, Ron Mitchell, Jackie Knight, and Peter McLean (Bath), Bill Coley (Kidderminster), Jim Clark (Gloucester City), Booth, King, and Harrower (Bideford), Barney Singleton, Derek Warren, and Bill Brown (Yeovil Town).

MONDAY 16th MAY 1955.
CITY SIGN BACKFROM LIVERPOOL.

Exeter City made their first capture of the close season today when they signed Steve Parr a well built fullback from Liverpool5ft 9ins and over 11 stone he has skippered Liverpool's Central League side and made several Second Division appearances, Note:- This was the first report to be written by Clive Toye who had taken over from Nomad,

WEDNESDAY 18th MAY 1955.

EXETER CITY GET ANOTHER CHEQUE FROM SUPPORTERS.

Another £1,000 was given to Exeter City F,Clast night by its supporters club, The Grecians Association at the annual dinner of the executive committee at the Royal Clarence Hotel, ExeterSince its foundation in 1945-46, the Grecians have raised aprox £12,000, this has been passed on in cash much of which has been spent on benefiting the spectator, the floodlighting, the concrete enclosure terracing, the loudspeaker system and the new gates have all been provided, More recently the Grecians have provided the new treatment room and equipment,

THURSDAY 19th MAY 1955.
CITY SIGN RIGHT WINGER.

Dennis Simpson a fast tricky outside right who has been Reading's first team choice for the last five years has been signed by Exeter CityNegotiations have been in progress since the end of last season and Mr Norman Dodgin was very keen to sign this player who has scored nearly 40 goals in over 150 Third Division appearances since his transfer from Coventry to Reading in 1950,

SATURDAY 28th MAY 1955.
CITY STRONG HOPES OF SCOTS PAIR.

Exeter City's manager Norman Dodgin arrived back in Exeter last night after seven days of almost constant travel and negotiationHe came back without any fresh signings but with strong hopes of capturing two players with Scottish A Division experience, One is a goalkeeper who has asked for time to think the position over, the other is a young inside forward in whom an English First Division club are interested in, A well known centre forward with a North of England club has also been subject of inquiry by City.

MONDAY 30th MAY 1955.
ALAN SWORD SIGNS FOR EXETER CITY.

Alan Sword the 20 year old Geordie centre forward who went to Egypt with the R,E,M,Esoon after playing in practice games at St James's Park at the start of the 1953-54 season has signed for Exeter City. He played for British Army representative sides in the Middle East and has signed as a part time professional for Exeter on his release from the Army. Grimsby Town are interested in Exeter City's free transfer player Gerald Priestley, while Rochdale are keen on John Owens, Millwall offered a player in exchange for Angus Mackay but the City manager has turned down the idea,

The St James's Park ground staff are busy with ground reconditioning. Tons of special soil have been spread over the pitch and the whole area has been re-seeded while the goal areas are being re-turfed, News of a former City player is that Willie Dunlop the hard working Scots inside forward who moved to Bradford P.Aand Bristol Rovers after a spell with Exeter has been placed on Darington's open to transfer list