EXETER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

The Grecians: Season 1936 - 1937

Everyone connected with running a football club learns in the hard school of experience. By paying attention to bygone mistakes and previous errors, the wise follower of the game goes more than part way along the road to a brighter and more successful future. Exeter City's management have had driven home to them a number of truths in the twelve months past.

Some of those truths are the direct outcome of that best forgotten season which drew to a merciful close last May. What, for example, would be more obvious than that the playing staff was in dire need of a drastic overhaul? Results proved, and conclusively so, that the 1935-36 team, however it may have been selected, however frequently changed, absolutely failed to answer the test. And did not those frequent shoddy and ill-starred performances last season indicate that the team on such occasions was as disappointing as any to have worn the red and white stripes of the Grecians?

WEEDING OUT PROCESS

Thousands of Exonians fell into the trap last August of regarding Exeter City not as a certainty to seek re-election, but as a team with prospects brighter than most. Unfortunately performance and expectation were miles apart. There fore something had to be done about it. Professional football today has previous little room for sentiment; the success of a club is dependent upon one thing and one thing only, a winning team. It's the management's job to bring it into being. The building of a winning team is easier talked about than accomplished. However, it is the ideal to be aimed at, even though it does so frequently fall short of attainment. Bearing this in mind the City were forced into a process of weeding out that was complete in its thoroughness. Force of circumstances compelled the retention of a smaller number of players than at any time since 1921. Instead of the usual dozen or fourteen only six of last year's men were retained, namely Chesters, Clarke, Angus, Bamsey, Tom Scott, and Ebdon. The way was left clear, therefore, for the acquisition of new players in plenty. Fresh faces were wanted, and fresh faces we have got. The City will launch out on the 1936-37 season with sixteen new players and another recruit down on trial. A year ago there was a lot of talk about a "New Deal." Today the talk is of an almost new team. Neither is that all. There is a new Chairman of Directors and a new Secretary as well. Captain Hunter, highly esteemed member of the Board and popular with the players succeeds Mr M. J. McGahey in the chair, and Mr. Warren follows Mr. Thomas as the secretary.

These are important administrative changes. Both Mr. McGahey and Mr. Thomas have been connected with the club since its inception, and both will retain an active interest in its affairs. The question everyone is asking is: "What sort of season are Exeter City going to have?" He would be a bold man who committed himself to a definite answer to this question at this stage of the season. In a few weeks' time, when the new material has had a good chance to measure its collective strength against adversaries who operate in the same grade there will at least be something concrete to go on.

CLUB SPIRIT
For the present there is one consolation; the approaching winter can be no worse than the last. If players old and new can be welded into a harmonious whole then it will be a whole lot better. The craft of the older players has to be mixed with the virile and more dashing qualities which the younger element possess. That way the one helps the other. Last season the City probably had too many players of similar type, and there were not sufficient good youngsters to couterbalance it. That was one cause of the failure. Another could be traced to a lack of purpose, which now and then made itself manifest, more so away from home than at St James's Park. This automatically leads to the "team spirit" theme, and in this connection one of the outstanding aims of Jack English's managerial career has been to inculcate into the players a true and lasting sense of responsibility; to impress upon the men that they are the integral parts of a team and not an assortment of units.

The City's manager has got together his own team this season. Last season, which had already started when he arrived in Exeter, he was not to blame for what happened. He has travelled some thousands of miles during the summer months, and has gone to great pains to acquire men who are imbued with the club spirit. In the main his signings have not been men with a big football name. Rather, are the recruits mostly young players yet to make their mark in the game, men who are ambitious to advance in the profession of football. There are of course experienced newcomers as well. Brown, the new right-back from Watford, is a familiar figure on most of the Third Division South grounds, a defender who gave the Hornets eight years of loyal and consistently good service. Stimpson, from Rhyl and formerly Notts County, and Boyle, late of Reading and Bolton Wanderers, are other full-backs who come within the "experienced" category. The three new half-backs are Young, the ex-Bristol Rover, who has displayed excellent form in the practices; Hobbs, whom Mr English had under his charge at Northampton, and Shadwell, a forceful and clever intermediate from Manchester City.

THE DAVIES STAMP.
Fresh faces in the attack are the two Smiths, one an outside right from Darlington and the other a local product, Pollard, the subject of a £500 transfer when he left Tranmere for Sheffield Wednesday, Williams, the centre-forward from Norwich City, Johnson, Oldham and Southend centre-forward, McGill, brilliant performer in the trials, who previously assisted Hearts and Raith Rovers, Urmson, the former Tranmere Rovers player who promises to be the City's best outside left since Doncaster, Kerr, a centre-forward from Partick Thistle and a Scottish Junior International, and Leslie Miles, an outside right from Leicester City. The list of new players is completed by Tierney, a goalkeeper from the Vale of Clyde. Here is a young custodian who has come straight out of the junior ranks, and whose appearance and style resemble Arthur Davies. Burke, a young half-back down on trial, comes from Wigan, and has had League experience with Gateshead.

Where are the "boys of the old brigade?" Kirk, reserve goalkeeper, has joined Barnsley. Lowton is now the City's assistant trainer. Risdon has joined Brighton, and Robinson and Hurst has transferred to Watford. Jack Scott joins his brother at Hartlepools United and McArthur has linked up with Torquay United. Dunn has fixed up with Runcorn and Fantham with Rhyl. McCambridge has gone to Sheffield Wednesday. The whereabouts of Crompton, McLean, Beby, and McArdle are unknown. Poulter has been forced to give up football and has returned to his home at Sunderland. Gray and Miller, those marvellous full backs, who proved the City's salvation in many a hard-fought encounter, have not signed on anywhere. Exeter City's first home match is against Torquay United.

MR. SID. THOMAS.

Secretary of the Exeter City Football and Athletic Company since its inception in 1908, Mr Sidney H. Thomas resigned his position during the summer, but carried on until the successful application for re-election was carried out and the arrangements for the new season were completed. Mr Thomas's decision to resign terminates, from the secretarial
point of view, a long-standing association with Exeter City. He is in length of service the oldest football secretary in Exeter. On leaving school Mr Thomas, with a number of youths, formed up a football team called St Sidwell's Wesleyans, and from this little club may be said to have originated the present Exeter City Club. The Wesleyans, a junior club, met with considerable success, and set the seal on many notable achievements when, round about the year 1905 the defeated the then senior team of the City, Exeter United, which they eventually absorbed. St James's Park was taken over permanently and the name of the club altered to Exeter City. Entry was gained to the Plymouth and District League, the City then being an amateur organisation. Shortly afterwards, however, Mr Thomas, in conjunction with other officials, engaged the City's first professional, Jack Banks, the old Plymouth Argyle, Manchester United, and West Bromwich player, who later became the club's first full-time trainer. Came about the great plunge into professionalism in 1908, when some ambitious individuals, including Mr Thomas, Mr Norman Kendall, and one or two other pioneers, did the preliminary work. The City were elected members of the old Southern League during the summer of that year. Mr Thomas, who is managing clerk to Messrs Dunn and Baker, reached his decision on account of increasing demands upon his time, and because of personal reasons that are in no way connected with the City Club or its Board of Directors.
From Alec Wilson's unpublished work 

EXETER CITY'S NEW TRAINER.

Few men have had greater experience of football and footballers in general than Mr Billy Barr, who has succeeded Mr D.Livingstone as the City's trainer. Mr Barr, who was born in Ireland but who talks with a broad Scotch accent, has trained English International teams, and has coached extensively on the Continent. He has also been trainer to Walsall, Luton Town, Bristol Rovers, and Swindon Town, and has been with the "Railwaymen" for the last five years. Mr Livingstone has gone to Sheffield United, where he will be training the Cup-holders. The City's new assistant trainer is Wilfred Lowton, the popular full back of Exeter City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Exeter City's captain is W. Brown, formerly of Watford.

CITY SHOULD LAST THE PACE

REFEREE K.O. IN FIRST PRACTICE

Two goals were scored and the referee was knocked out during the first public practice match on Saturday, August 15th. Scorers of the goals were Urmson and McGill of the "Stripes." The referee who took the k. o. blow was Mr Arthur Martin of Exeter. His face came in contact with the ball, suddenly kicked towards him in the second half, and down he went. The injury was not serious, however, and the official was soon able to resume.

Stripes:- Chesters; Brown, Stimpson;
Clarke, Bamsey, Angus; F.Smith, Scott, Williams, McGill, Urmson.
Whites:- Tierney; Boyle, R.Croft; Young, Hobbs, Shadwell; Miles, Pollard, Johnson, Ebdon, C. Smith.

The attendance, about 4,000, was quite good. The weather was not so good, for the players, that is. It was a lot to hot for football. Taking the average into account, it is apparent that the City will have a much younger team this season than last. There should be no talk about failure to last the pace, and if the right blend can be found Exeter City ought to satisfy everybody. Early impressions are that the wing positions have been strengthened by the acquisition of F.Smith and Urmson, also that Pollard will be a very useful inside forward. There was not a lot to choose between the respective half - back lines, and both defences acquitted themselves well. But these are early days. The real test will come later on.

Wednesday, August 19th.

The cleverest players on view in Exeter City's second practice on Wednesday evening were McGill and Urmson. This left wing, of the Probables' attack, earned full marks. Johnson was a lively leader of the forwards, and his marksmanship was generally accurate. He scored two goals. The scoring was opened by McGill, but Kerr soon restored equality when he deflected a shot from the local Smith into the net. The next goal, by Johnson, from Urmson's pass, was the best of the match, and Chesters was well beaten by the new centre forward. Early in the second half Johnson scored again, and the tally was completed when one of the Possibles' defenders diverted into his own net a shot from F.Smith.

Probables: Tierney; Brown, Stimpson;
Young, Hobbs, Angus; F.Smith, Scott, Johnson, McGill, Urmson.

Possibles: Chesters; Williams, R.Croft;
Burke, Bamsey, Shadwell; Miles, Ebdon, Kerr, Pollard, C. Smith.
Attendance 2,000.

Saturday, August 22nd.

Red and white stripes beat whites by two goals to nil in the final practice match on Saturday evening before 3,000 spectators. The scorers were McGill and Scott. McGill, a young inside left who was signed during the summer from Hearts of Midlothian, was easily the cleverest player on the field. The closing stages of the match were marked by a series of grand clearances by Tierney, who like Chesters, was a goalkeeper without blemish.

Stripes:- Chesters; Brown, Stimpson; Clarke, Bamsey, Angus;
O. Baker, Scott, Johnson, McGill, Urmson
Whites:- Tierney; Williams, R.Croft; Young, Hobbs, Shadwell; F.Smith, Burke, Ebdon, Pollard, C.Smith.