How Exeter City Have Fared
RECORDS CREATED DURING THE SEASON

Exeter City's part in the season's affairs has been interesting always, if not completely satisfying. The team has done better at home than in any season since the war, even reckoning last week's regrettable failure against Queen's Park Rangers. The Grecians have secured more points and scored more goals at St James's Park than in any of the seven preceding campaigns, and there are 46 to 18 in their favour. the goals
Away, the City have had a tantalising experience. They have scored thirty goals on foreign soil, a figure which has been exceeded only by Bristol City, Plymouth Argyle, and Swindon Town. On the other hand they have conceded fifty four goals in these games, and only Watford and Northampton have done worse in this respect.

The Grecians, scoring 22 goals, picked up seventeen points away from home a couple of seasons ago. This season, scoring 30 goals, they have obtained only eight points. Generally, too, the back division, of Pollard or Lowton, and the skipper of the side, Stanley Charlton, has been singled out as being mostly the strongest department of the team in the away matches.

In one respect the Grecians have beaten all records. They have scored seventy six goals during the campaign, whereas the previous record was seventy two last season. The City would probably have scored more goals in recent weeks but for the transfer of Harold Blackmore to Bolton Wanderers on March 30th, a move that reduced considerably the effectiveness of the Exeter attack.

A RECORD "GATE."

Another new record created this season has reference to the attendances at Exeter's matches. The "gate" on Boxing Day for the always popular Devon Derby with Plymouth Argyle has been officially estimated at twenty thousand, a figure which allows for five hundred non-paying spectators (including the daring ones who climbed the trees!). With scientific packing opposite the grandstand St James's Park could have accommodated another two thousand, but the majority of people thought the ground was quite full enough.

CUP DISAPPOINTMENT.

Exeter City had three home F. A. Cup matches this season, but the players disappointed sadly in this competition. The luck of the draw brought them into conflict with three very lowly-placed clubs of the Third Division. First Exeter accounted for Aberdare Athletic by three clear goals, next they beat Northampton Town narrowly by 1-nil, but thirdly, at home again, and to Accrington Stanley, of the Northern Section, the Grecians lost by two goals to nil. The week of special training at Sidmouth was said to be at the bottom of the City's failure; they had been at the seaside only long enough to get sleep, but whatever the cause, they missed the tide of fortune. Accrington went on to meet Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, while the City had to fork out of their Cup account almost all the money they had put into it to meet compensation claims regarding postponed League matches at Shepherd's Bush and Selhurst Park, where Queen's Park Rangers and Crystal Palace were put off when the City were engaging the Cobblers and the Stanley team.

The season at Exeter has been specially notable for the two benefit matches, on behalf of Bob Pollard and Ellis Crompton, the one a valuable full-back, at the height of his career, the other a splendid old warrior who has forgotten more about football than many a young player of note today has yet learned. To the se players, and the City club who have provided the opportunities the soccer public of the district is indebted for two very interesting games, the visit on March 30th of Bolton Wanderers, with Dick Pym in goal, and that of Southampton, the F.A.Cup semi-finalists, on May 4th.

THE EXETER CITY PLAYERS.

The Grecians have called upon a total of 22 players in their League matches this season, one less than in the 1925-26 campaign. Last season Compton was the only "ever-present," although Pollard and Pullan missed only two games each. This season, again, there is only one ever-present, and he is the popular captain and left-back, Stan.Charlton, with Purcell the next best. Purcell missed the Watford match on April 9th owing to a family bereavement. The position of goalkeeper has lain between Bailey and Randall. Charlton has held the left-back position regularly, his consistently brilliant play keeping out of the team a very clever young left-back in Miller, till that player was introduced at left-half. Pollard and Lowton have shared the right back position, the Heavitree man getting his chance when the more experienced footballer of the two received an injury towards the end of January. Eight players have appeared in the half back positions at one time or other, the Di tchburn, Pool, and Miller line finding most favour eventually, while at forward there have been calls upon ten men during the season. Purcell has held the outside right position unchallenged, and the same may be said of Compton on the other wing. Blackmore was the regular centre forward (he missed only one match, against Swindon on January 1st, when he stood down due to an injury) until the date of his departure to Bolton, and Lievesley succeeded him. When McDevitt has not been selected for the inside right position, Phoenix has played there, except for one match, that at Brighton on February 12th when Purcell was selected. At inside left Dent, Lievesley, Walker, and Phoenix have appeared at various times.

Blackmore has created a new scoring record for an Exeter City player in the League, his 25 goals in 33 matches excelling the old total of "Daisy" Bell in the Grecians very first season of League football. Last season Exeter City's top scorer was Lievesley with 18 goals, Compton coming next with fourteen, and Blackmore next again with twelve.

EXETER CITY RESERVES: BRIGHT FOOTBALL.

Very bright football has been played by the City Reserves in their "home" matches this season, and by means of undoubted skill they have built up some big scores against opposing Southern and Western League teams.

Their "away" record, however, has been comparatively poor, and consequently in both competitions they are a long way behind the leaders in the matter of points. The Grecians' biggest successes have been obtained at the expense of Taunton United, who have been beaten four times by an aggregate score of 23 to 8. Altogether with both competitions included the City Reserves have scored a record number for the club of one hundred and twenty-three goals, the details of individual totals being as follows:

Thompson 29, Phoenix 22, Dent 21, Lievesley 16, Burrows 6, Parkin 6, Newman 4, Compton 3, Newberry 3, Walker 3, Lowton 2, McDevitt 2, Butler 1, Good 1, Hutchings 1, Petherick 1, Pullan 1, Stallard (Weymouth, own goal) 1.

A further 29 goals were scored in friendlies, the results of which were ten to one against Combined Colleges, four to two against the Plymouth and District League, eight to two against the Copplestone League, and seven to three against Friernhay.

It is understood that both the City and Argyle Reserves are considering a return to the Plymouth and District League. This League has always been a progressive body, and from the way events are running in the Southern League it may very well be that Devon's two biggest clubs will have to come back to their first love for reserve team purposes. There is a lot to be said for the professional clubs running a team in the local competitions. It makes for an improvement in the standard of play of the local amateur man, and keeps the professional club in touch with local conditions, and probably more important still would mean a big saving on the wage list of the professional club. It is clear that a very strong League could be run in the county of Devon.