SEASON 1958-1959:
EXETER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

Fourth Division Will Bring New Opponents to the Park

In attempting to sum up the prospects of Exeter City for the season about to commence the evidence seems to show that there will be, if any, little improvement. Practically no change from last year can be seen by the majority of the City's followers. But the manager, Mr Frank Broome, has a different view, and is more optimistic. 

• The fact that Exeter City finished bottom of the 3rd Division South last season means little to Mr Broome.
• The fact that his professional staff has been increased scarcely at all means little more.

The facts on which he bases his ideas are not so superficial. They ignore the actual results of last season and the final position in the League chart. They go deeper into the reasons for the results. And they come out like this: the team was definitely improving towards the end of the campaign and they they lost Johnny Nicholls with a cartilage injury meaning a subsequent operation. The defence had tightened up a lot. And in the close season the club wanted to sign new players, both defenders and forwards, but they had to be the right players at the right price. It was of no use to sign players just for the sake of new faces. They signed the defenders they wanted, and there is only one position now requiring to be filled, that of inside-forward.

THURSDAY 5th JUNE 1958.

£21 A WEEK.

Following a players wage increase agreed at the Football League annual meeting in London, Exeter City players can expect better pay when in the first team, A City first team regular will be able to pick up £21 a week if he is on the winning side, Reserve and South Western League players will get Proportionately less so there is a bigger incentive than ever to fight for a place in the Chiefs and a Digger incentive to stay there,

SATURDAY 7th JUNE 1958.

CITY NOT RE-ENGAGING HARRY HANFORD.

Exeter City are not re-engaging head trainer Harry Hanford for the 1958-59 season, manager Frank Broome is now looking for a first team trainer. So Hanford leaves City for a second time, his previous departure was eleven years ago to Haverford West, the Wish League side after a season as Exeter City's centre half.

MONDAY 9th JUNE 1958.

CHURMS ON OPEN TO TRANSFER LIST.

Dennis Churms, Exeter City's inside forward has been placed on the open to transfer list. City will require a fee in the region of four figures for him. He joined Exeter towards the end of the 1956-57 season from Coventry City,

TUESDAY 10th JUNE 1958.

Exeter City reserves have been switched from the S.E, section of the Southern League to the North West section in place of Peterborough United. The new teams which the reserves will now meet are Burton Albion, Wellington Town, Corby Town, Nuneaton Borough, Wisbech Town also Rugby Town,

MONDAY 23rd JUNE 1958.

CITY IN AMBITIOUS LEAGUE.

Exeter City was one of the two successful applicants for entry into the South Western League at the League management Committee Annual meeting at Plymouth on Saturday, Launceston were elected with them. The League have agreed to allow City to play their matches midweek at St James's Park under floodlights, Mr Line the City chairman described the South Western League as a progressive and ambitious League, He went on to say that money does not buy everything as was proved with the clubs buying efforts to stay in the Third Division, The clubs future policy would be a coalition of effort in which the Third team will play a big part.

THURSDAY 26th JUNE 1958.

CITY MANAGER WOULD LIKE SHREWSBURY FULLBACK.

Jim Bannister, rightback from Shrewsbury Town is one of the names on Frank Broome's list of signings. A part exchange deal may be arranged as Shrewsbury are interested in Exeter City's transfer listed Tom Wilson, Crewe Alexandra are also interested in Bannister,

FRIDAY 27th JUNE 1958.

CITY BOARD GIVE BROOME A THREE YEAR CONTRACT.

Frank Broome, Exeter City's manager left for a holiday after last night's board meeting with a three year contract in his pocket. Mr Broome who took over in January less than 48 hours after the departure of Bill Thompson came when City were almost certain for re-election, Now gets his chance with a long term policy. Brian Whitnall the Scunthorpe left back has signed for Exeter City. Fair headed and stockily built, Whitnall was on a free transfer and formerly played for Hull City.

WHITNALL IS SIGNED.

MONDAY 30th JUNE 1958. ALL RETAINED PLAYERS SIGNED.

All Exeter City retained players have signed new contracts for the 1958-59 season, In addition City have signed on apateur foras Ottery St Mary Inside forward John MaunderAt least three of the City transfer listed players have received offers from other clubs

TUESDAY 1st JULY 1958.

BEER FOR BIDEFORD.

Colin Beer, Exeter City's 20 year old utility player has signed for BidefordNearly 6ft tallit is as a centre forward that Beer will play for the Robins, He was a regular Southern League player at St James's Park and sade occasional first team appearances.

WEDNESDAY 2nd JULY 1958.

Exeter City transfer listed winger Tom Wilson has joined Bridgwater Town while another former City player has left Bridgwater Eddie Murphy, signing for Trowbridge Town,

FRIDAY 4th JULY 1958.

LANGMAN MAY JOIN CITY.

Peter Langman, Plymouth Argyle centre half may sign for Exeter City tonightThe two clubs have agreed terms and it is now up to the player, He is 6ft tall and joined Argyle from TavistockBorn in Bere Alston he was a regular centre half choice for Plymouth until last season. Former Exeter City manager Bill Thompson has signed Derek Waterman, the young transfer listed City winghalf,

MONDAY 7th JULY 1958.

WORCESTER SIGN A SECOND GRECIAN.

Worcester City manager and former Exeter City boss Bill Thompson has signed a second player from his old club. This  time the player is 20 year old Bob Creighton who played a number of Southern League games last season,

TUESDAY 8th JULY 1958.

Ex City centre forward Ronnie Burke has joined Biggleswade Town, He spent two seasons with Tunbridge Wells,

FRIDAY 11th JULY 1958.
ALEC BELL GOES TO GRIMSBY TOWN.

Alec Bell, City's transfer listed Scots goalkeeper signed for Grimsby Town last night, where he rejoins former City team mate Gerry Priestley at the Second Division club, He was originally placed on the City transfer list for a four figure fee but was given a free transfer a fortnight ago, Hollidaying in Devon is former City manager Norman Kirkman, He now has a good job with a frozen food firm at Sutton Coldfield and is right out of football,

MONDAY 14th JULY 1958.

CITY AND SWANSEA MAY COMPETE FOR SPIERS.

Cyril Spiers, former manager of Cardiff City and Crystal Palace may be offered the job of general manager of Exeter City. He has also been offered a similar position at Swansea Town, The fact that such a move is being definitely contemplated will be borne out when Frank Broome returns from holiday in Americas this week to begin his three year contract as coach. When he came to Exeter in January his title was manager/coach, but the word manager is missing from his new contract, Mr Broome will have complete control over the playing staff and all City's teams, but in theory he will be free from the burden of administration responsibilities,

TUESDAY 15th JULY 1958.

TREVOR ATKINS HAS OFFERS FROM TWO CLUBS.

Trevor Atkins, Exeter City's 16 year old forward had had two offers, one from a First Division club and the other from a Non League clubAtkins will attend the next City board meeting on Thursday to discuss hs futre. He has been on Exeter's ground staff for a year and has scored freely for the A team, He made several Southern League appearances last season and made his Football League debute at Watford last November,

RAY JOHN MAY FILL THAT PROBLEM INSIDE FORWARD SPOT

The man who looks like having possession of that place for a while. is Ray John. And this player, who has already proved his capacity for hard work and versatility, could be a big success there. If he does come off he will know he has saved the club the sums of money they might have spent on Gordon Quinn, of Plymouth Argyle, Brian Birch, of Barrow, or Eddie Baily of Nottingham Forest, each of whom were close-season targets. Should John not succeed then the City will have another wing- half available, which is a fairly well-filled position already, and may be able to spend more on a new inside forward. Exeter City's summer financial position has been far from happy. But if the early season gates are reasonable, and not too much money is lost on the trips to the North of England, the club will perhaps be in a position to fork out the required transfer fee for the right man. The defensive positions should not cause much trouble. For as well as the men they already have, Foley, MacDonald, Oliver, Harvey, Packer, and Mitchell, the signing of Bert Carberry, from Port Vale, and Brian Whitnall, from Scunthorpe, and now Charlie Rutter, from Cardiff City, means there are any number of variations for places in the defensive positions. It will take some good results, though, right from the start of the season, to get the spectators in through the turnstiles, because it is new faces which draw them in the first few months.

NEW OPPOSITION AT THE PARK

But if there are only a few new faces, of other there are plenty things that are new, for instance: 

• A new division, the Fourth.
• New opponents, from Barrow, Carlisle, York, Carlisle, Darlington and Halifax.
• A new Southern League, this being divided into two divisions, north and south, again with new opponents and a new inter-zone competition for a Cup.
• A new City team to watch in mid-week, the South-western League side, which will consist of amateurs and young players on trial.
• A new trainer, Eddie Nash, whose new ideas and methods have helped to make the players fit and happy.

The future, then, might not be as bleak as it looks at first sight. The Exeter City chairman, Mr. A. S. Line, has given himself and his board of directors five years to achieve real success, with a good measure of achievement to come this year. Mr Frank Broome has three years on contract to run through his ideas and to develop the many young players now on the City's books and the ground staff. One certainty in this season of more varied soccer is that the City, whatever happens, cannot possibly finish lower than they did in the season just gone. And that is something to be thankful for.
The following players have left Exeter City for new clubs as follows, Bell to Grimsby Town, Churms to Folkestone, Wilson to Bridgewater, Waterman to Worcester City, and Beer to Bideford. Bowkett has given up football.

PLAYERS FOR SEASON 1958-59

Exeter City will start the season with the following players, 27 in all, two goalkeepers, four backs, eight half-backs, and thirteen forwards. They are:

Goalkeepers:- G.Hunter, J.Lobbett. Backs:- T.Foley, C.Rutter, L.MacDonald, B. Whitnall.
Half-backs:- D.Butterworth, B.Lightly, K. Harvey, K.Oliver, N.Packer, B.Carberry, A.Mitchell, P.Rapley.
Forwards: M.Cleverly, D.Robinson, N.Stiffle, I.Grinney, E.Calland, R.John, D.Hill, J.Nicholls, T.Atkins, B.Pulman, G.Dale, R.Rackley, G.Rees.

Amateurs:- B. Hart, J.Haig, R.Cragg, M.Palmer, A.Willey, J.Bulger, D.Lightfoot, B.Skinner, A. Cruz.

Captain:- Arnold Mitchell.
Vice captain :- K.Harvey.
Secretary:- Mr G.Gilbert.
Manager:- Mr F.Broome.
Trainer:- Mr E.Nash.

Directors:- Messrs S. Thomas, J.Rigby, A.S.Line, A.T.Ford, J.Warne, H.White, W.Crawshaw, J.Watts, L.Kerslake, J.Cowley.

PRACTICE MATCH:
PROBABLES V POSSIBLES

August 16th at St James's Park

PROBABLES 3 (Nicholls, Calland, Stiffle)
POSSIBLES 2 (Oliver own goal, Rees)

Attendance 1,600, gate receipts to charity.

Probables:- Hunter; Foley, MacDonald; Mitchell, Oliver, Harvey; Stiffle, John, Calland, Nicholls, Dale.
Possibles: Lobbett; Whitnall, B.Hart; Butterworth, Carberry, Rapley; Atkins, Pulman, M.Mason, Rees, Robinson.

Second half Hill and Rackley replaced Pulman and Robinson.