WEDNESDAY 27th APRIL 1966.

LAST NAIL HAMMERED IN CITY'S COFFIN.

EXETER CITY 1,
Shearing; Smyth, Fulton; Harford, Harvey, Anderson; Kennedy, Banks, McLean, Evans, Rees

READING 2
Dixon; Neate; Meldrum, Thornhill, Spiers, Bayliss; Scarrott, Allen, Silvester, Webb, Maidment.

Scorers:
Exeter Kennedy,
Reading: Bayliss, Silvestor.

Attendance: 4,500,

After this display Exeter City seemed certainties for the drop, Reading were only a fraction better in a terrible game. Amateur sides play with more plan and purpose. There was absolutely no method in City's play. There was loose marking, poor tackling, and bad clearances from the defenceIn between with a completely unsettled and inneffective role was Ray Harford, who was neither defender or forward, nor link man, Silvester making his league debut snapped Reading's winner with 15 minutes left, yet City had the boost of an early lead Jack Kennedy smacked them in front with a 20 yarder after only nine minutes, but seven minutes later Reading equalised with a much more methodical goal Bayliss beat two players to score, Peter Shearing saved City on 30 minutes with a tremendous save from Scarrott's 20 yard drive. There were only three men in the whole City team who came out of the game with any credit, these were Des Anderson, the only fully effective defender in the City side and George McLean with Alan Banks, who were least whole hearted in everything they did. This, match was probably the last nail to be hammered in City's coffin before it is lowered into the Fourth Division.

THURSDAY 28th APRIL 1966.

ELLIS STUTTARD IS STILL MANAGER.

Ellis Stuttard has not been sacked as manager of Exeter City, Reg Rose, the City chairman, emphasised this point today after rumours swept around the City, There has been a change however, that is for the last seven games. The assistant manager and trainer Jock Basford will be responsible for the team, Mr Rose said that this is simply an internal matter and that they were trying a new tactic, a new way, a new approachThey feel that another man's ideas might just click. In spite of what looks like an almost hopeless position, City are not giving up the fight to stay in the Third Division, It is a case of rearranging club affairs in an effort to avoid relegationThere is an outside chance that they can still pull it off and they want to see if they can infuse a winning streak. One thing that the City board do not want to imply is that Jock Basford is not any kind of miracle man, The situation has been fully discussed with Ellis Stuttard but Mr Rose said; "At the end of the season we shall review the situation,"

FRIDAY 29th APRIL 1966.

CITY CHAIRMAN EXPLAINS THE POSITION.

Just what is Ellis Stuttard's job at Exeter City now? City chairman Reg Rose explained today his role at the club, "There is no mystery about it. He is still the Exeter City manager. There are plenty of manager's in the Football League who have nothing to do with the teamthey are general manager's and they have a team manager under them, Mr Basford's new responsibility does not put Ellis's job at stake, It would be reasonable to expect him to stake his name on keeping us up. If we fall back into the Fourth Division we have gopt to review the whole position to see where we have gone wrong. It has certainly not been through lack of money outlaid. We have spent around £20,000 to try and stay in the Third Division, Mr Stuttard will carry on with his general duties including the persuance of his youth policy."