ECFC 1908/09

EXETER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB
The following article, printed in the "Football Express" dated August 29th, 1908, is reproduced:
ASSOCIATION: NEW ERA OPENS FOR EXETER.
CITY TEAM'S PROSPECTS: FORMIDABLE FIRST HURDLES.
by "Rover".
"In ringing down the curtain last season I wrote: "It is my sincere trust that when I next address my readers in the columns of the "Football Express" it will be to discuss the prospects of Exeter City in its first season of the Southern League. In the past I have been told that I have often exaggerated the possi bilities of the Association code in East Devon, and coloured its progress, but I am content to let time prove whether such has really been the case."
The trust I then expressed has been realised. To-day, Exeter City takes its place as a centre of First Class Football, and the whole status of the game in this part of the West of England has been changed. We stand now, in importance, level with our Western rivals, Plymouth Argyle and Bristol Rovers, transformation has taken place so rapidly, its initiation and realisation were all a matter of three months - that and the one can hardly yet realise the vast influence and alterations which the change will carry with it.
I do not intend to go over old ground and discuss all the exciting events of the past close season and their all-important bearing on Exeter's welfare. You have heard these events already discussed, and Exeter has certainly had its due share of notice from all manner of writers up and down the country. In a way, the past is done with, and even a recital of the important happenings that led to Exeter being elected to the Southern League "at the top of the poll" at the memorable London meeting in May, is not what readers will be looking for at this momentous stage of Exeter City's history. A discussion upon the season's prospects will be read with more interest, and it is the future of Exeter City, therefore, rather than the immediate past (eventful as that has been) which shall form the chief subject of these, the first notes of another season."


Squad Photo from the 1908/09 season, in which Exeter joined the Southern League and went straight into Division One, finishing 6th.


Back row (left to right): A. Chadwick (manager), Ambler, Bulcock, Fletcher, Crelley, Banks, Copestake, Wake. Seated: Drain, Craig, Johnson, Watson, McGuigan, Bell, White. On ground: Tierney, Parnell.


Exeter also made it to the Second Round of the FA Cup where they lost away to Plymouth, 2-0.

League Position: 6th Played: 40, Won: 18, Drew: 6, Lost: 16 Goals For: 56, Goals Against: 65 Points: 42

1st Team Results

02/09/1908

Millwall               

A

D

2-2

Bell 2

05/09/1908

Bristol Rovers

H

D

3-3

Watson 

Parnell 2

12/09/1908

Watford

A

L

1-3

Bell

19/09/1908

Norwich City

H

W

3-2

McGuigan 

Chadwick (p)

Bell

26/09/1908

Reading

A

W

2-1

Bell

Watson

07/10/1908

Swindon Town

A

L

1-2

Copestake

10/10/1908

Leyton Orient 

A

L

2-4

McGuigan 2

14/10/1908

Southampton

H

L

1-2

McGuigan

24/10/1908

Brighton & HA

A

W

2-1

McGuigan 2

31/10/1908

Crystal Palace

H

D

1-1

Bell

11/11/1908

Plymouth Argyle 

H

W

2-1

Bell 2

14/11/1908

Luton Town

H

W

2-1

Bell

McGuigan

16/11/1908

Brentford

A

W

2-0

McGuigan

Copestake

28/11/1908

Portsmouth 

H

W

4-1

Chadwick (p)

Copestake

McGuigan

Bell

12/12/1908

Northampton 

A

L

0-1

19/12/1908

New Brompton 

H

L

1-3

Bell

25/12/1908

Millwall 

H

W

2-1

Bell

McGuigan

03/01/1909

Bristol Rovers 

A

L

1-5

McGuigan

09/01/1909

Watford 

H

W

1-0

Watson

23/01/1909

Norwich City 

A

L

0-2

30/01/1909

Reading 

H

W

5-1

Bell 3

Copestake

Watson

McGuigan

08/02/1908

Coventry City

H

L

0-3

13/02/1909

Leyton Orient 

H

W

3-1

Bell 3

20/02/1909

Queens Park Rangers

A

D

1-1

Bell

24/02/1909

Queens Park Rangers

H

W

1-0

Parnell 

27/02/1909

Brighton & HA

H

W

1-0

Bell

06/03/1909

Crystal Palace 

A

D

0-0

08/03/1909

Southend 

H

W

2-1

McGuigan

Bell

10/03/1909

Plymouth Argyle 

A

L

0-4

13/03/1909

Brentford 

H

L

1-2

Bell

17/03/1909

Swindon Town

H

L

1-4

McGuigan (p)

20/03/1909

Luton Town

A

W

2-0

Copestake

Watson

22/03/1909

Coventry City

A

W

1-0

McGuigan

24/03/1909

Southend 

A

D

0-0

01/04/1909

West Ham United

A

L

1-4

McGuigan

03/04/1909

Portsmouth 

A

L

0-2

13/04/1909

Southampton 

A

L

0-2

17/04/1909

Northampton 

H

W

2-1

Drain

Watson

21/04/1909

West Ham United 

H

W

1-0

Copestake

24/04/1909

New Brompton. 

A

L

1-3

Bell

Christmas Day Tram Football Specials (25/12/1908)


1st Team Final Table

Pos Team P W D L F A GA Pts
1 Northampton Town 40 25 5 10 90 45 2.000 55
2 Swindon Town 40 22 5 13 96 55 1.750 49
3 Southampton 40 19 10 11 67 58 1.160 48
4 Portsmouth 40 18 10 12 68 60 1.130 46
5 Bristol Rovers 40 17 9 14 60 63 0.950 43
6 Exeter City 40 18 6 16 56 65 0.860 42
7 New Brompton 40 17 7 16 48 59 0.810 41
8 Reading 40 11 18 11 60 57 1.050 40
9 Luton Town 40 17 6 17 59 60 0.980 40
10 Plymouth Argyle 40 15 10 15 46 47 0.980 40
11 Millwall 40 16 6 18 59 61 0.970 38
12 Southend United 40 14 10 16 52 54 0.960 38
13 Leyton 40 15 8 17 52 55 0.950 38
14 Watford 40 14 9 17 51 64 0.800 37
15 Queens Park Rangers 40 12 12 16 52 50 1.040 36
16 Crystal Palace 40 12 12 16 62 62 1.000 36
17 West Ham United 40 16 4 20 56 60 0.930 36
18 Brighton & Hove Albion 40 14 7 19 60 61 0.980 35
19 Norwich City 40 12 11 17 59 75 0.780 35
20 Coventry City 40 15 4 21 64 91 0.700 34
21 Brentford 40 13 7 20 59 74 0.790 33


FA CUP


Date Opponents Venue Score Att Scorers Round Notes
1908/09
03 October 1908 Weymouth Home 14-0 5000 Bell 6, McGuigan 4, Copestake 2, Watson, Parnell 1Q Record score
17 October 1908 Longfleet St Mary Away 1-1 5000 Copestake 2Q  
21 October 1908 Longfleet St Mary Home 10-1 1000 Watson 3, McGuigan 2, Bell 2, Copestake, Johnson, OG 2Q R  
07 November 1908 Whiteheads of Weynouth Home 4-0 3000 Watson 2, Chadwick (pen), McGuigan  3Q  
21 November 1908 Kingswood Rovers Away 2-0 3000 McGuigan, Watson 4Q Played at Warmley, Bristol
05 December 1908 Barnet Alston Away 3-0 3000 Bell, Parnell, Chadwick(pen) 5Q  
16 January 1909 Wrexham Away 1-1 4000 Watson 1R  
20 January 1909 Wrexham Home 2-1 5000 Chadwick (pen), McGuigan 1R Replay  
06 February 1909 Plymouth Argyle Away 0-2 20000 : 2 R  





PLYMOUTH & DISTRICT LEAGUE 

Reserve Results

Plymouth and District League
05/09/1908 P & D L Woodland Villa Away 3-1 Badcock 2 Singlehurst  
19/09/1908 P & D L Torpoint Away 2-0 Pridham 2      
03/10/1908 P & D L Tavistock Away 1-4 Drain      
21/11/1908 P & D L Looe Home 1-1 Turner      
28/11/1908 P & D L Oreston Rovers Away 0-1 :      
05/12/1908 P & D L Tavistock Home 7-0 Badcock 4 Pridham Drain White
25/12/1908 P & D L Plymouth Argyle Away 1-4 Singlehurst      
26/12/1908 P & D L Plymouth Argyle Home 1-2 Drain      
02/01/1909 P & D L Green Waves Home 6-1 Letheren Drain 3 Pridham Turner
16/01/1909 P & D L Liskeard Home 2-2 Drain 2      
23/01/1909 P & D L Royal Marines Home 3-2 Hill (og) White Eveleigh  
06/02/1909 P & D L Woodland Villa Home 1-0 Turner      
27/03/1909 P & D L Royal Marines Away 0-1 :      
10/04/1909 P & D L Millbrook Rangers Away 0-2 :      
12/04/1909 P & D L Oreston Rovers Home 0-1 :      
14/04/1909 P & D L South Staff Regiment Home 3-4 Singlehurst Eveleigh McGuigan  
17/04/1909 P & D L Liskeard Away 0-0 :      
19/04/1909 P & D L Torpoint Home 0-1 :      
21/04/1909 P & D L Millbrook Rangers Home 0-1 :      
24/04/1908 P & D L South Staff Regiment Away 0-2 :     Played at SJP
26/04/1908 P & D L Looe Away 1-3 Eveleigh      
28/04/1908 P & D L Green Waves Away 0-0 :      

 

 

Reserve Table

PLYMOUTH & DISTRICT LEAGUE 

Final Table P W D L F A Pts
1 Plymouth Argyle Reserves 22 16 3 3 65 24 35
2 Millbrook Rangers 22 14 5 3 48 20 33
3 Torpoint 22 13 6 3 54 24 32
4 Oreston Rovers 22 12 3 7 48 34 27
5 Royal Marines Light Infantry 22 11 4 7 35 27 26
6 Looe 22 7 7 8 35 38 21
7 South Staff Regiment 22 8 3 11 39 45 19
8 Exeter City Reserves 22 6 4 12 33 33 16
9 Woodland Villa 22 6 4 12 30 60 16
10 Liskeard 22 5 5 12 29 56 15
11 Green Waves 22 4 6 12 23 43 14
12 Tavistock 22 3 4 15 26 61 10

 

 

Files

Comments

Mick Wright

I have a postcard of a team for this season and a photo of Tommy White who was my great grandfather.

Paul Farley

Mick Can you contact us by e-mail using.

historygroup@ecfc.co.uk

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