EXETER CITY CLUB 

The Grecians: Season 1931-1932

PROMOTION THE GOAL!

Exeter City the Southern Section Dark Horses

EVERY PROMISE OF A STIRRING CAMPAIGN

Heroes of the English Cup competition last season, Exeter City, with the same first-team players again available, and some notable newcomers, enter upon the 1931-1932 campaign in the role of the "Dark Horses" of the Southern Section of Division III of the Football League.

"Watch Exeter!" is the slogan of the South-country. And the clubs which are now burning to regain Second League status, and the clubs which are now striving to achieve it for the first time are all very much alive to the possibility of a serious challenge from the Ever-faithful. What is the attitude of the City club towards this question of promotion? "All out," judging from the official utterances. "I always believe in aiming high," said the Chairman, Mr M.J.McGahey, in a speech to the players on the occasion of the annual club outing. "I ask the players to aim for two objectives, the Second Division and the Final of the English Cup."

FOLLOW THE ARGYLE.

"Hitch your waggon to a star," says an inspiring old adage. Promotion and an appearance in the Cup Final in one and the same season is a bold policy which will appeal to every one of the Grecians' followers as being wholly admirable, even if it means the hitching of the club waggon to two stars instead of one. The essential to a successful League campaign, coupled with Cup glory, is a really good, and really convincing start, and as to this quite a lot will be known in the near future. We The great desirability of promotion for Exeter City has been stressed often, and has been put in a nutshell by the Secretary, Mr. S.H.Thomas, who pointed out that the slump in the League gates following the Cup-ties last season was a clear indication of the need for a new match programme of wider interest. He stated: "We have got to follow Plymouth Argyle into the Second Division, and the sooner the better." Exeter prides herself in being the finest shopping centre of the West. Exeter is also the finest drawing centre in the West when it comes to the question of Sport. The great Cup events of last season drew huge crowds to St James Park; crowds which paid handsomely to watch the play.

It is clear that there would be the same immense enthusiasm through every part of the wide area centreing on Exeter if the Grecians fought their way into the Second Division in the same great-hearted way in which they met and defeated some of the giants in the Cup tournament last winter. There is no royal road to success in Soccer. Many a club has built steadily for success only to find it as elusive as the Will o'the Wisp. But Exeter City learned a thing or two last season.

At the end of September the City's prospects of making a stir in either the League or the Cup in the campaign of 1930-1931 seemed nil. The Directors, however, made a few judicious team changes, then stuck to the team through thick and through thin, and such a team spirit was developed among the players of both elevens as had never before been seen at St James's Park.

TEAM BUILDING.

By common consent, there was one exceptional forward in the ranks of the City who, with the whole-hearted support of all his colleagues, made possible the Cup triumphs of the Grecians, and that player is "Happy" Houghton. There has been a great deal of discussion during the last few months as to Houghton's future. It may be that the ex-Everton player would prefer to link up with one of the more famous clubs in the higher divisions of the League. It is certain that Houghton's transfer would bring in a very sizeable fee to the City club's coffers. But if it is at all possible for Exeter City to keep Houghton in their midst it is sincerely hoped the club will do so, just as it is hoped that the club will not think of parting with others of their players, so long as the men maintain the high standard of play, and especially of team play, which was so gratifying last season. Because, if there is no royal road to success, there is most certainly an easy, slippery road to mediocrity, and that road is the transfer road. Team building, with an eye to the Second Division, is all the vogue among the Exeter City officers, and the Soccer public of this district must not be be hindhand, but must make a special point of giving the Grecians all possible encouragement. The advent of men like Childs, the experienced centre-half from Hull City, and Whitlow, the clever centre-forward, from Charlton Athletic, should be greatly helpful, while among the other newcomers the two forwards, Woodward, late of Spennymoor United, and Graham, late of Craghead, promise very well indeed.

PRACTICE MATCH POINTERS.

Pre-season practice matches can be very deceptive, but for what they are worth the games already played at St James's Park seem to indicate that the Grecians of last season who are with the club again have retained all their old form, and that some of them, indeed, are likely to shape even better.

Newcomers from the North may take a little time to settle down, for it is a well known fact that the soft climate of Devon "takes a bit of getting used to," as was expressed by one of the new men. But Eddie Jones, the trainer, and Reg Loram, his assistant, under the guidance of Billy McDevitt, the players' manager, will see to it that the players have every encouragement to get off the mark quickly, and to stay the course stoutly. Last season Exeter City finished thirteenth in the Southern Section, having a return of precisely one point per match. They secured thirty points from home games and a dozen from away engagements, five of which they won. Only the top three clubs, together with Swindon Town, could point to more goals than the total of 84 obtained by the Grecians, but, like Swindon, the City finished in the lower half of the League table because they themselves conceded too many goals. The Exeter figure was 90. No team in the upper circle, had so to speak, many in the "against" column. There seems little doubt but that the Grecians of this new season will score 84 goals before the campaign is ended. In fact, if a settled line is fielded and if the players escape serious hurt, they should reach three figures for the first time in the club's history. The forwards are good enough, with the type of sound half-back support they received last year. It therefore, can be assumed, that it remains for the Grecians to strive as hard as they can to cut down that "against" goals figure to the minimum, and in this way it may be possible to pick up many a point, especially away from home.

GREAT DAYS AHEAD.

There are nine Football League matches to be played before the end of September arrives, five being at St James's Park. Some of the best sides in the Southern Section will be encountered in this early series, Fulham, Brentford, Brighton, and Northampton. Cardiff City will renew old associations with a visit to the Park on October 10th, while the Reading games will be played on the Easter Holiday dates, and the Christmas games are with Southend United, home and away. It is confidently anticipated that this season's Southern Section contest will be one of the finest since the old Southern League clubs threw in their lot with the Football League. Notts County ran away with the championship last season, as Plymouth Argyle did twelve months before. The expectation this time is that the competition will run rather on the lines of season 1928-1929, when half a dozen clubs were in the running for honours up to the last moment, and Charlton Athletic won through by .25 of goal a from Crystal Palace. It is surely a happy augury for Exeter City that Fred Whitlow, who was leader of the Charlton attack in 34 of their League games in their promotion season, and scored two dozen of their total of 86 goals, is now in the City camp, and eager to do his utmost towards securing the same prize for the Devon club. Later in the season Exeter City Reserves will meet Dartford in a match which will decide which club shall be credited with the Southern League championship, Exeter having won the Western Section and Dartford the Eastern last season. This championship match arrangement is not ideal, in the sporting sense, for obviously, the teams which won their way to the top of their sections should fight out the decider. Several of Exeter's most helpful men of last season in this competition have left for other clubs. At the same time there are five, at least, who remain. The City, naturally, after so many years of membership, are exceedingly keen on winning this match.

EXETER CITY PLAYERS

For the first time in history Exeter City start a new season with all the regular first team players of the previous campaign again available. In the circumstances, and very naturally, the Grecians are expected to make a really good beginning. In all, the club has signed twenty-five professionals, eighteen being men who wore the City uniform last season, while the seven others are newcomers. The club figure of eighteen includes Courtney, of South Molton, who assisted last season as an amateur.
Goalkeeper's 
A.L.Davies
F.Jones
Full Backs 
R.Baugh
W.J.Gray
C.Miller
S.J.Bright
E.Gray
Half Backs 
R.L.Clarke
J.H.Ditchburn
J.Angus
J.A.Childs
S.Barber
R.Hill
C.A.Robinson
Forwards 
W.C.Armfield
S.Keen
G.W.Purcell
S.Graham
P.S.Varco
F.Whitlow
W.Woodward
H.Houghton
W.Halliday
R.A.Doncaster
K.F.Courtney

A.J.Gumm and E.Keefe have again signed amateur forms. Of the men who helped Exeter City Reserves to win the championships of the Southern and Western Leagues last season, and who are no longer with the club, Parsons has gone to Thames, and Shanks and Inglis to Stockport County.

JOHN ARTHUR CHILDS, the new centre half who captained the Exeter City cricket eleven in a recent match against St James's Cricket Club, hails from Acomb, a village just outside York. Six feet in height and weighing nearly thirteen stone, he lacks nothing in the way of physique for the key position he fills in a football team, and he combines skill with robust methods in a way very upsetting to the plans of the opposition. Childs commenced his soccer career with Shildon, in the North-eastern League and became a professional at the instigation of Darlington, with whom he spent four seasons. Hull City then came along and secured his transfer, and with Hull he stayed three seasons, two of them being in the Second Division of the Football League. In 1929-30 there was a tremendous scramble to avoid relegation from this Division, and Notts County finished at the bottom. Half a dozen others were struggling to get away from their company, and Hull, who finished with the same number of points as Bristol City and Reading, but had to go below on the question of goal average. It was in that season that Hull City reached the semi final of the F.A.Cup, and in a sensational match with the Arsenal, which was drawn, were leading by to nil with only ten minutes left for play. And in those hectic last few minutes it was David Jack, the son of the Plymouth Argyle manager, and the ex Grecian, Clifford Bastin, who scored the goals which kept the Arsenal in the Cup. In the third round of that season's Cup competition Hull beat Plymouth Argyle by 4 to 3 at Home Park. Childs, who played in all the Cup matches, has a very lively recollection of that memorable match at Plymouth, which indeed was watched by quite a large number of excursionists from Exeter. Last season Hull City had a very good run in the Northern Section of the Third Division, finishing sixth, with a remarkably good away record, and with one of the best goal averages in the competition. Childs played in 23 matches. In the summer he is a cricket professional, a medium break bowler, and a first class batsman, and in this capacity he has assisted in turn Darlington and Hull Town.

FRED WHITLOW, a native of Bristol, comes to Exeter with a reputation already made, and a very good one. Tall and wiry, he has made his mark as a centre or inside forward during several seasons with Charlton Athletic in Divisions II and III of the Football League. When only sixteen years old he assisted Barry in the Welsh League as an amateur, and among his associates at that time was Arthur Doncaster, who is a Barry native. Whitlow next transferred his affect ions to Cardiff City, still playing as an amateur, and operating at inside right or left. Five seasons ago Charlton Athletic induced Whitlow to sign professional forms on their behalf, and so the Bristolian migrated to London, where he has had a wide experience, and has proved himself one of the most consistent, skilful, and effective players in the game. Whitlow was still in his 'teens when he linked up with Charlton, and was not considered quite ready for the first XI, but he served his apprenticeship so well in the Reserves that his promotion, in due time, was assured. He came to the front towards the end of the 1927-28 season, and in the following campaign he was rewarded by a regular place in the first eleven. In 34 Southern Section games he scored two dozen goals, and he, Lennox, Astley, and Horton did so well in this respect that the Charlton club climbed to second place by the end of February, and stayed there until, right at the finish, they ousted Northampton from the leadership, and found themselves in the Second Division with Crystal Palace a very good second. For the Charlton players those were of course great days. Whitlow stayed on for two more seasons and appeared regularly in the attack until towards the end of the last campaign, scoring ten goals in twenty-six matches. Swimming, hiking, and cricket have kept him as fit as can be during the summer, and now he is hoping to have as good a spell with the City as he had at Charlton.

WILLIAM WOODWARD in the opinion of many shrewd judges is a tall and well-made young centre-forward who is going to be a success in big football, and nothing would please the followers of Exeter City more than to see him do it in the near future, and in the Exeter City colours. He is of the same height as Whitlow but slightly heavier, but whereas Whitlow has been connected with clubs all in the south of England, those of Woodward have all been in the north-east. Woodward was born at West Auckland, and took to Soccer as a duck takes to water. After a capital run with Avenwood Town in the Auckland District League he joined Chilton Colliery, the Northern League club, from which he removed to Crook, in the bigger North-eastern League, and this was the occasion on which he first signed professional forms. In half a season with Crook he came into prominence as a goal-getter, and in mid winter Spennymoor United obtained his transfer. With Spennymoor he remained for just thirteen weeks, and again was very successful in the matter of getting goals. Exeter City's representative came along at the end of the season, Woodward in his first venture away from his home surroundings undertaking to try his luck with the Grecians. During the summer he has done a good deal of sprinting, and what with his pace and his ball control, and his knack of placing his shots in the right quarter, there seems to be very good reason for expecting something good from him.

SAMUEL GRAHAM assisted the Newcastle Schools XI on several occasions, before wishing his headmaster "Good-bye," and in course of time he has grown to height a of 5ft. llins. with physique to match. Meanwhile he has developed as an inside right with Walker Amateurs, Walker Park, and Craghead, who are in the North-eastern League Second Division. Craghead managed to secure him last spring, and there was only time for Graham to assist the club in seven games before the season ended. In these games he did exceptionally well, and bagged half a dozen goals. Exeter City is Graham's first professional club, and with the Grecians this bonny inside-right hopes to settle down in real earnest.

CHARLES ROBINSON, the new and youthful half-back from Blackpool, is another recruit of the very useful height of 5ft. llins., and weight of llst. 10lbs. Born at Pegswood, Northumberland, he joined the local church team on leaving school, playing regularly at centre-half. Then he signed forms for Bedlington United, the North-eastern League Second Division club, and he displayed such good form in this company that before the season was out he was transferred to Blackpool, where he has spent the last three seasons. At Blackpool his service was mainly in one of the wing half-back positions, and before his breakdown in health last year he was showing considerable ability. Today, although picking up weight again, Robinson is almost a stone lighter than he was. Off the field he is a pianist of more than ordinary skill.

KENNETH FREDERICK COURTNEY, the youngest professional on the City's books (he was 17 last March) is a South Molton Town player who came into prominence as an amateur last season, gaining a place in the Devon County team and playing for Exeter City in Football League and Reserves' engagements, outside - left being his position. A lad of the right stamp, and keen to improve, Courtney is very popular with everybody. Being of slightly built stature and not very tall, it is his ambition to prove that the best goods are in small parcels.

STANLEY KEEN is another young professional who must rely on craft rather than physique. A Newcastle native down on a month's trial, he was associated with Graham both in the Walker Amateurs and Craghead teams. Keen played at outside right to Graham, and they were said to be a very lively wing.

EDWARD GRAY, the dashing young left-back, who is also on a month's trial with the City, is a native of South Hylton, near Sunderland, and on removing to the Metropolis to take up a new position a couple of years ago, he linked up with the famous amateur club, Kingstonians, with whom he has made a big name for himself in London soccer circles. He is of strong physique, and a quick and fearless player.

CLIFFORD BASTIN AND OTHER EX GRECIANS.

Much has been written already about the progress and prowess of Cliff Bastin since he left his native Devon in the Spring of 1929 to join the illustrious "Gunners" in their camp at Highbury, London. "Boy" Bastin, as he is known in the football world, took London by storm almost at once, and now he possesses a League Championship medal to go with the F.A.Cup medal he won in 1929-1930. In March he came under the notice of the English International XI Selection Committee, and was chosen at outside-left for the Rest versus England at the Arsenal ground ten days before his nineteenth birthday. Bastin and Harold Blackmore were in the opposing forward lines in the final match of last season, Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers, at Highbury. Arsenal won by five goals to nil.

There were in fact so many former Grecians playing for Football League clubs last season that a very formidable and skilful eleven could be selected from them, viz:
Goal: Pym (Bolton Wanderers);
Backs: Lowton (Wolves) and Charlton (Crystal Palace); Half-backs: Phoenix (Torquay), Pollard (Q.P.R.) and Jones (Port Vale); Forwards: Matthews (Argyle), Smelt (Crewe Alexandra), Blackmore (Bolton Wds), Bastin (Arsenal), and Death (Gillingham).

There were also a few others, namely two very capable goalkeepers in Holland of Watford and Bailey of Thames Association, and three good centre-forwards in Hick (Rotherham United), Dent (Luton) and Guyan (Swindon Town). And Frank Brown is the Torquay United trainer, while "Jazzo" Kirk holds a similar post with Gateshead. Dick Pym, whose career in Southern League and League football spans twenty seasons, has left Bolton Wanderers and will keep goal for Yeovil this season.

Saturday, August 15th 1931.
EXETER CITY ATHLETIC MEETING AND FOOTBALL PRACTICE

At St.James Park

Splendid entertainment was provided by the sports meeting held at the "Park" on the above date, by the Exeter City Athletic Club. Four thousand spectators immensely enjoyed all the events in an excellent and well varied programme of foot and cycle contests, while the opening practice match of Exeter City F.C., which followed quickly at the conclusion of the sports, aroused the greatest enthusiasm, last year's players being in very bright vein with the newcomers making a decidedly favourable impression. The teams were:

Red and Whites. Davies Baugh Miller
Clarke Angus Barber Keen Graham  Woodward Whitlow Courtney

Referee:- Mr Frith.
Captains:- Miller and Childs.

Whites. Jones Gray(E) Gray (J) Ditchburn Childs Robinson J.Gumm Purcell Varco Halliday Doncaster

The effect of the practice match, in fact, was to encourage the view that the Exeter City Football Club has never been so strong in real talent as now, on the eve of the 1931-1932 season. 

Directly the players entered the field for the annual club photograph and the opening practice match the spectators noticed with interest the new "tuck-in" shirts which have been purchased for the players in place of the older style "football jerseys." The new uniform has a narrow colour stripe and a breast pocket. Because of the large number of players retained from last year there were many more skilful combined moves than is usual in these matches, and the play was very enjoyable throughout. Varco obtained the only goal by shooting into the net after a drive by Purcell had struck the foot of the post on Davies's left. Childs, who captained the Whites, was a strong and skilful pivot, and Whitlow often caught the eye by his cleverness in collecting the ball, controlling it instantly, and initiating attacks. He employed the long crossfield pass to good purpose, and was always in the correct position to round off a move with a forward shot at goal. E.Gray, Graham, and Keen also impressed.

Wednesday Evening,
August 19th 1931.
REAL FOOTBALL WEATHER:
PRACTICE GAME IN THE RAIN.

Exeter City's second practice was played in traditional football weather with heavy showers driving along a sodden ground. The wet ball suited the players well and a whole lot of good play was seen in a match in which five goals were scored, Stripes beating Whites by 5 to 2.

Red and White Stripes.
Davies; Baugh and Miller; Clarke, Childs, and Barber; J.Gumm, Purcell, Varco, Halliday, and Doncaster.
Whites.
Jones; Gray (E) and Gray (J); Hill, Ditchburn, and Robinson; Armfield, Graham, Woodward, Whitlow, and Courtney.

Jimmy Gumm obtained the opening goal after half an hour's play, and Graham equalised five minutes later, the teams being level one-all at half time. Goals by Doncaster and Varco put the Stripes well in front, but the Whites came along with fine spirit again and Whitlow reduced their deficit. Angus was unable to take his place through a pulled muscle, so Ditchburn moved to centre half and Hill came in at right half. Houghton in leave. The match was refereed by Mr C.W.Goad.

Saturday, August 22nd 1931.

Final Practice
TWO PENALTIES IN BRIGHT MATCH AT THE PARK

Exeter City's final practice match on Saturday evening, attended by 4,000 people, was a very bright affair, particularly in the first half, but it would have been even more entertaining if the grass had been clipped shorter. "Happy" Houghton, making his first appearance since his Canadian Tour with the English F. A. team, was unable to produce the skilful moves which brought him so much fame last season, the reason being that in the long grass the ball would not respond readily to his delicate touches. Purcell was another whose football skill suffered from the same cause.

Stripes:
Davies; Baugh, Miller (captain); Clarke, Childs, Barber; Armfield, Purcell, Whitlow, Houghton, Doncaster.
Whites:
Jones: Gray (E), Gray (J); Robinson, Ditchburn (capt)., Bright; Keen, Graham, Varco, Halliday, Courtney.

The Stripes, consisting of nine of last season's first team men, plus Childs and Whitlow, beat the Whites by 3 goals to 1. An unusual feature for such an occasion was the awarding of two penalty kicks, one to each team. In each case the penalty was given for a foul on the centre forward. Ditchburn took the one awarded to the Whites and scored with an un stoppable rising drive. Whitlow himself took the other and placed the ball perfectly.

The best goal of the match was the one scored by Armfield two minutes from the start. Whitlow received the ball thirty yards from the opposing goal, quickly directing it along the carpet and slightly to the right. The pass beat J.Gray completely and Armfield closed in to net the ball with a low cross shot. The only other goal followed a throw-in by Barber to Houghton, who advanced a few yards with the ball at his toes and centred for Purcell to coolly beat Jones with an excellent shot, chest high, close to the post.

Whitlow and Childs.

Interest centred mainly on the form of Whitlow and Childs. Whitlow proved a very thoughtful leader of attack, his passes being placed to advantage almost every time. His height was a decided asset, but it was noticeable in front of goal he makes a point of not interfering with a centre which might be better met by one or other of the inside men. The one flaw in his performance was his indifferent marksmanship. A man who can control the ball so nicely in field play must be able to do much better with his finishing shots than Whitlow did in this match. Childs again revealed himself to be a very strong, robust, and forceful centre half. In this match, more so than in those which went before, he insisted on dealing with the situation in the middle of the field. The City wing halves have a habit of veering in towards the middle in support of the pivot. The habit is understandable, and it is no reflection on the men on the flanks; it has grown up with the Grecians' style of play over the years. If the experienced Childs can look after the three opposing inside forwards as capably as he did in this match the wing halves will be free to keep to a position nearer the touch-lines and concentrate on stopping the extreme wing players of the opposition. This was a job which was not done so thoroughly as it might have been last season, with the consequence that a lot more goals were scored against the City than seemed reasonable.

THE FIRST MATCH OF THE NEW SEASON. EXETER CITY TO PLAY THAMES ASSOCIATION.

No more interesting fixture to open the season could have been devised than the meeting of Thames and Exeter at the spacious West Ham Stadium, London, on August 29th. The London club, who expect to do better financially now they are members of the League, will field practically a new team, as follows:

McDonough (Brentford), goalkeeper. Graham (Norwich City), and Smith, backs.  
Woosnam (Brentford), Kemp (Notts County), and Spence, half backs.
Brown (Newport County), Bailey (Southend United), Lennox (Charlton Athletic), Len Davies (Cardiff City), and James Dimmock (Tottenham Hotspur), forwards.

International Forwards.

Much, of course, will be expected of Kemp, who will captain the side, and of the two international forwards, Davies and Dimmock. It is not expected that either Moses Russell, or Jacob Parsons will play against the City. The City, who last season earned the title of "giant killers" because of their Cup-tie feats, will include only one new player, Childs, of Hull City, in the centre half position. The team will be:- Davies; Baugh, Miller; Clarke, Childs, Barber; Armfield, Purcell1, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.
Exeter City Reserves v Plymouth Argyle Reserves, in a Western League match at St James's Park, will be represented by:- Jones; J.Gray and E.Gray; Robinson, Ditchburn, and Bright; Keen, Graham, Whitlow, Halliday, and Courtney.

WHERE IS DIDO?

There have been many anxious enquiries for "Dido," the Exeter City feathered mascot, whose fame became almost world wide last season. On the best authority it has been stated that he has not been seen anywhere near St James's Park since the Cup match at Sunderland on February 28th. A keen look-out is being kept.