• Swindon Town supporters were deprived of their football. Exeter City should have played the Railwaymen on the Wiltshire County Ground, but the match had to be called off with the pitch under a layer of snow and ice. 

On Boxing Day the City entertained Walsall in a Third Division match at St James's Park. John Sims, who was signed from Notts County before Christmas, led the City attack, scored one goal, narrowly missed two others, and was stopped on one occasion from scoring by being pulled off the ball by Macken, so it looks as if Exeter have found a worthy replacement for Tony Kellow, whose goalscoring has certainly been missed since his departure. The new man, who cost the City a transfer fee of £12,000, weighs close on twelve stone and is exactly six feet tall. He is 26 years of age and a native of Belper, and had three seasons with Derby County before being transferred to Notts two years ago.

Exeter's biggest crowd of the season for a League match, just over four thousand, turned up to see their favourites conquer Walsall by 3 goals to 1 in an entertaining and exciting game.

Exeter City:- O'Keefe; Templeman, Giles, Roberts, Hore; Delve, Randall, Hatch; Neville, Sims, Pearson.

Walsall:- Kearns; Paul, Serella, Macken, Caswell; Birch, Harrison, McDonough; Waddington, Austin, Kelly.

The elegant Randell, back in action after six weeks absence through injury, had a magnificent match, and as well as scoring the first goal he provided the third for Pearson with the sort of pass that Bobby Charlton or Johnny Haynes would be proud of.

The Programme 

• Western League 
  Dawlish Town and Exeter City Reserves played a drawn game 1-1 on the former's ground.