The Season is Over

NOW THE CITY HAVE TO REBUILD

Exeter City's season is over. The terraces at St James's Park will be empty on Saturday afternoons for the next three months or thereabouts but behind the scenes much work has to be done to rebuild a side for another year of Fourth Division football. It would have been heartening to see the City go out this season in a grand finale. It would have done the supporters good, and also the City club's new manager, Mr Frank Broome.

Unfortunately, it did not work out that way. Instead, Exeter City's home match with Notts County on May 13th proved to be a typical end of the season one, with the City winning 1-0.The club are now obviously going to have to buy, particularly some new forwards. That is the main problem, and it will be interesting to see what developments there are during the close season.

SOME PROMISE

The match was not too bad in the first half and Exeter at times did show some promise. Bruce Stuckey played well, showing speed, determination, control, and the ability to beat an opponent. It was probably fitting that he should have scored the winning goal, two minutes before half-time, with a fine low shot from twenty yards after a good run. Exeter missed several chances after the interval when the game fell away as a spectacle. Mike Balson should have had at least one goal, possibly two, while Dixie McNeil hesitated when well placed, and the ball was cleared. So the last 45 minutes of the season drifted away to an unexciting finish. Exeter began the season with an away point from their first game and ended with two points at home. The next three months will soon go. Although no one expects miracles overnight it is hoped that Mr Broome can build a side which will be able to provide entertainment and prove to be as successful as the two he managed back in 1958-59 and 1959-60.

WEDNESDAY 17th MAY 1967.
BROOME GOES NORTH.

It is just over a week since Frank Broome took over as manager of Exeter City for the second time in nine years, but he is wasting no time in his search for playersThis afternoon he left Exeter for a trip in and around the MidlandsHe will call on people and clubs he knows to see what players are availableHe thought it was best to do this rather than wait for the lists to be published and sent out,

FRIDAY 19th MAY 1967.
HARFORD RELEASED BUT HARVEY STAYS.
The guessing game as to how many players Exeter City would keep for next season is over, The retained list issued today shows that the staff has been cut by over half. Only & of City's 20 professionals have been retained,

RETAINED: Mike Balson, Jimmy Blain, Ben Embery, Keith Harvey, John Smout, Cecil Smyth, Bruce Stuckey, and Ernie Wilkinson,
RELEASED: Colin' Buckingham, Ray Elliott, Alan Goad, Peter Godfrey, Ray Harford, Ken Jones, Ray Keeley, Dixie McNeil, Bobby Nash, Jim Ryan, Roger Smith, and Ken Thompson,

All those released have been given free transfers, With the exception of Alan Goad all have played in Exeter City's first team. In addition young apprentices David Broom and Phil Richardson will both be staying at St James' Park

MONDAY 22nd MAY 1967.
BLAIN IS CITY PLAYER OF YEAR.

Utility player, Jimmy Blain, 26, has been voted Exeter City's Player of the Year this season, He received the trophy from City's new manager Frank Broome on Saturday evening, during the City Supporters Club dance at St Georges Hall, Exeter, Blain has been City's most adaptable player this season having played in six different positions in the Fourth Division side, Blain joined Exeter City towards the end of 1965 from Second Division carlisle United, he came in exchange for right winger Eric Welsh and the club also received an undisclosed fee. He was born in Lverpool aand began his career with Everton, He moved to Southport in 1960 and was then sold to Rotherham United for a big fee before moving to Carlisle United,

EX CITY MANAGER DIES.

Cyril Spiers, former manager of Exeter City has died at his South London home, aged 65, Spiers was appointed manager of the City in May 1962 after being Leicester City chief scout for four years. He joined the club after Glen Wilson had been sacked, but nine months later Exeter parted with Spiers by mutual agreement on friendly teras, After leaving the City he becane Leicester City's chief scout for the South of "England. Only recently he watched Exeter City play at Brentford in a Fourth Division fixture.

TUESDAY 23rd MAY 1967.

FORMER DERBY COUNTY TRAINER FOR CITY?

Exeter City will be appointing a new trainer during the close season, Chairman Les Kerslake confirmed this today following reports which have linked Ralph Hanns with the post at St James' Park. It was reported that Hanns, the former Derby County trainer, who was dismissed by the club a fortnight ago may take up a similar post at Exeter, Kerslake however, said that he did not know anything about the story, but he did confirm that the would be advertising the post. Although as yet, the directors had no one in mind for the job. During the past season Keith Harvey has been the City trainer but last week he was one of eight men kept for the 1967-68 season as a player,

KEN JONES SIGNS FOR YEOVIL TOWN.

After being shown the set up at Yeovil Town by manager Ron Saunders, City's free transfer goalkeeper Ken Jones signed for the club. He was a regualr first team choice at the Park until losing his place to John Smout,

TUESDAY 30th MAY 1967.

CITY ADVERTISE FOR A TRAINER.

Exeter City have received several applications for the post of trainer at St James' Park but Ralph Hanns name is not among them, he had been linked with the City while manager Frank Broome was on a recent scouting trip in the Midlands, No offer was made to Hann and he will not be coming to Exeter, The club are waiting to see if there are any more applications before they decide on anythingThe position will be advertised at the weekend,

WEDNESDAY 31st MAY 1967.

THREE CLUBS BEATEN TO HUXFORD SIGNING.
Exeter City have made their first close season signing. They have beaten at least three other clubs for the signature of the experienced Cliff Huxford from First Division Southampton Huxford, 29, has had only two clubs in his 14 year career. He was at Chelsea for 6 years, and Southampton for 8. At the latter club, Huxford made over 300 appearances and was captain of their promotion side from the Third Division to the Second Division.

THURSDAY 1st JUNE 1967.

Work on the main playing pitch at St James' Park is progressing wellThe worst areas, goalmouths, centre of the pitch, and the touchlines, have been cultivated and re-seeding has been carried out, The pitch is now covered in grass and groundsman Sonny Clarke said today he will let the grass thicken for the next six weeks and continue with the maintenance of the pitch,

FRIDAY 2nd JUNE 1967.
ANOTHER CLEAR OUT AT EXETER.

Exeter City have got rid of some players in the last couple of years - 26 in all, Considering that the City had previously decided to dispense with the reserve team, a big cut was anticipated among the professional staff, in fact they released 12 players on free transfers, retaining just 8. One must congratulate the club on this bold sweep. Often in the past the situation has warranted a real clear cut but the powers that be have funked the issue while making the excuse that there was no point in getting rid of players, if they were not sure of being able to obtain better. How unenterprising ! Obviously this close season manager Frank Broome is expecting to sign better players, but even if he does not succeed in his aim, it does not do any harm to have a change of faces,

In League matches Exeter City managed to score 50 goals in 1966-67 and even allowing for the shockingly low rate of scoring throughout the Fourth Division in this campaign, 50 was very poor. Indeed City have scored fewer goals than this in one season, since the offside law was changed 42 years ago, it is certain that manager Frank Broome will be concentrating on signing goalscoring forwards during the next couple of months,

TUESDAY 6th JUNE 1967.
DERMOT CURTIS BACK TO CITY.

One of Exeter City's key players during the promotion season, the experienced Eire International, Dermot Curtis, has rejoined the club. He signed at St James Park this afternoon after being released by Third Division Torquay United at the end of the season, Curtis first signed for City in August 1963 from Ipswich Town and moved to Plainmoor in August 1966 on a free transfer but as a part time professional but had little opportunity in their first team,

AUSSIES OFFER BET TO BROOME.

Frank Broome has been offered a bet. But it means taking Exeter City out to Australia, An article in an Australian newspaper says that Broome was recently quoted as saying; "The best team in Australia would not hold their own against the worst of our Fourth Division," Well, says the article, we offer him a bet. He can bring his Exeter City team out at our expense, if they win three out of five against Australian teams, Broome said he had been misquoted, and what he really said was; "No club in Australia could come over here and hold their own in the Fourth Division, playing 46 matches instead of their 22," Broome added that Exeter City would be delighted to accept their offer of a tour at all expenses paid.