TUESDAY MARCH 6TH 1956:
EXETER CITY v BIDEFORD.
DEVON PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI FINAL.

This match, played under the St James's Park floodlights, and attended by fewer than fifteen hundred spectators, was more like a "Grecians Past and Present" than anything else, with almost half the Bideford side at one time or another having been on the Exeter City payroll. Sword scored two grand goals in the first 23 minutes, but was injured soon afterwards and spent the remainder of the game on the left wing. Paddy Doyle found Ellaway, who had moved to centre-forward, less of a menace than Sword had been, and Bideford were able to set about laying the groundwork for a revival. Heagarty scored for them in the second half.

EXETER CITY:- Hunter; B.Doyle, Mitchell; John, Harvey, Packer; Simpson, Ellaway, Sword, Farnell, Rees.
BIDEFORD:- Scott; Hocking, Rowe; Booth, L. Doyle, Harrower; Heagarty, Dunlop, Jones, Higgins, Blatchford.

Result:-
Exeter City 2 Bideford 1,
Referee:- Mr E.Baskerville.