TEAM BUILDING RESTRICTED BY WEIGHTY RETAINED LIST

A SEASON OF AMAZING FORM VAGARIES

Too Many Players Temperamentally Unsuited to Fight Back

The football season has ended, and with its passing comes a most opportune moment for retrospect, stock-taking, and future plans and ambitions.

Retrospect is appropriate because it points to past weaknesses and failures; stock-taking is useful in that it gives those who hold the authority the chance to elect the good element and eliminate the unsatisfactory, while future plans and schemes for development have to be formulated currently because the interval dividing one football campaign from another is very brief.

CITY'S DISAPPOINTING SEASON

Glancing back over 1934-35, the conclusion is that Exeter City have experienced a disappointing season. Gates have touched a low level, League performances have varied between the moderate, inconsistent and occasionally brilliant, while the Cup record was dismal, the City after a bright start being hustled out by opposition usually met by the club's reserve team. Amazing vagaries of form have featured the City's League programme, and it is difficult to know precisely how to account for some of the very bad lapses.

TOO READY TO CONCEDE DEFEAT

Even after making full allowance for the run of the ball, the luck of the game, etc., it is not possible satisfactorily to account for those feeble and feckless displays which resulted in heavy reverses in the matches against Crystal Palace, Swindon Town, Brighton and Hove Albion, and Cardiff City. These periodical falls from grace have recurred too frequently. Do they mean that some players have been too ready to concede defeat? While it would not be fair to go as far as to suggest a deliberate withholding of effort, it is nevertheless a fact that the playing staff has contained too many men who are temperamentally unsuited to fight back against an opposing team that happened to strike an early blow. In the same category is the billiard player, the tennis player, the bowler or the golfer who, all to conscious of the prowess of his rival, is beaten without a struggle. Championships are not won by such as these. The type of player required in the hurly burly of the Football League is the honest-to-goodness worker who goes out on to the field with one object, namely to give of his best.

A SURPRISING POLICY

Bearing in mind the nature of the season just ended it is rather surprising that the Exeter City club should have determined upon so large a retained list. The concensus of opinion seems to be that too many men were offered terms, thereby restricting close season activities in the hunt for new players. Without wishing in any way to prejudice anyone's chance of re-engagement it is to be hoped the controllers of the club's affairs have left themselves sufficient margin for team building.

Another important and relevant fact is that a few of the City's most reliable servants are getting no younger. The tried, trusted, and experienced full-back division, for instance, cannot last for ever, desirable though it may be. Time will not be denied and the problem of advancing age is intimately connected with plans for reconstruction. When players are approaching the end of their sphere of usefulness on the field, efforts should be made to discover one or two youths promising enough to be moulded into the finished pro duct. Then, perhaps, with the acquisition of training, coaching, and experience the younger players will be ready to step in.

RECONSTRUCTING THE BOARD

Though sunshine and light evenings will tend to relegate football into the background, Exeter City's happenings are likely to be the subject of considerable publicity during the weeks ahead. An important meeting of the shareholders has to be called shortly, and then steps will doubtless be taken for the reconstruction of the board of directors. New blood will give strength to the board, and the proposal to sub divide the work will add efficiency. In this way the club ought to be stronger, financially as well as from a playing standpoint, for each section of the new board will be able to look after one job in particular. A couple of members can deal with ground questions; a couple more can combine with the manager on matters affecting the players and team selection; others can devote their attentions to the £.s.d. side of the business. Concentration of effort without overlapping will make for smoother running.

COMINGS AND GOINGS

Wilfred Lowton of the "Wolves" is returning to Exeter, and will play for the City next season. Exeter have also secured Fantham, a half-back, from Chester, James Dunn, the famous inside right of Everton and a Scottish International, Kirk, a young goalkeeper, from Liverpool, and McArdel, outside left, from Stoke City. Three of Exeter's leading players have been transferred, Webb to Coventry City, Wrightson to Chester, and Davies to Plymouth.

Exeter City Players

APPEARANCES IN LEAGUE MATCHES

By Position 

GOAL:- Chesters 31, Davies 11.

RIGHT BACK:-Gray 41,Smith 1.

LEFT BACK:- Miller 30,Smith 9,Angus 3.

RIGHT HALF:- Clarke 21, Risdon 14, Angus 4, McClure 3.

CENTRE HALF:- Webb 29, Angus 10, Keefe 2, Bamsey 1.

LEFT HALF:- Angus 23, Lewis 15, Clarke 2, McClure 2.

OUTSIDE RIGHT:- J.Scott 39, Clarke 2, Hurst 1.

INSIDE RIGHT:- Wrightson 35, T.Scott 3, Dudley 2, J.Scott 2.
CENTRE FORWARD:- Poulter 26, Hurst 16.

INSIDE LEFT:- McArthur 14, Tierney 9, T. Scott 8, Dudley 6, Hurst 2, Wrightson 2, Lewis 1.

OUTSIDE LEFT:- Dryden 20, Hurst 12, Tierney 9, McArthur 1.

Third Division South
GOALSCORERS
16 Poulter & Wrightson 8 Hurst & J.Scott 
5 Dryden 4 McArthur & Webb 3 T.Scott
2 Lewis 1 Dudley & Tierney & *Owens
& **Summerbee 

(*Crystal Palace own goal; **Aldershot own goal.)

Western League.
GOALSCORERS

McArthur 13, Ebdon 10, Hoyle 6, Dryden 5, Dudley 4, Brooking 2, Gibbs 2, Poulter 2, Risdon 2, Sutherley 2, Wrightson 2, Barnes, Endacott, Tierney, Webb each 1, Howson (Bath City own goal) 1.