Squad photograph from the 1939/40 season.

Fixture List 1939/40 for 3rd Division South and Southern League
Players returning for training in August 1939.



In a pre-season Jubilee Fund friendly on August 19th against Exeter City at St James’ Park, Charles Sergeant (an outside-right from Stockport) and Cyril Lewis scored for Argyle in a 2-1 win. This season was brought to a premature end, as a result of the Second World War.

Exeter played 3 league games:

• Saturday 26th August 1939 Exeter City 2-2 Torquay United.
• Monday 28th August 1939 Northampton Town 1-2 Exeter City
• Saturday 2nd September 1939 Port Vale 0-1 Exeter City

Following Britain's declaration of war on September 3rd 1939 the Football League was immediately suspended and not resumed until the end of hostilities.
There were war time leagues, however Exeter City did not take part and the excuse given by the Directors was that the ground had been requested for the war effort. 

Exeter City to Close Down.

Unlike 1914, when the Football Association and Football League determined to carry on with their programmes, the war this time began with a total blackout of all football. A few days later, however, it was officially announced that friendly matches would be permissible in certain circumstances.
Exeter City remained closed because the ground was to be used for the war effort.
The fans blamed the Directors for not pushing the authorities enough to allow Exeter to play and the Directors blamed the War. Other sports were played at the Park, however when the USA joined in,the ground was used by them. 

No league football was played until the end of the war in 1945.

Match Reports and Season Summary Is Here


First Team Results

Third Division South 1939/40
12/08/1939	Friendly	Stripes v Whites	Home	4-1  Stripes scorers first	2000	Fellowes	Ebdon	Sutherley 2	Crawshaw
19/08/1939	Jubliee  Fund	Plymouth Argyle	Home	1-2	6000	Ebdon 2
26/08/1939	League	Torquay United	Home	2-2	8000	Ebdon 2
29/08/1939	League	Northampton Town	Away	2-1	7000	Bowl	Riley
02/09/1939	League	Port Vale	Away	1-0	5000	Riley

Final Table

League Division 3 (South) Abandoned
                              P   W  D  L   F   A   W  D  L   F   A  Pts
 1. Reading                   3   2  0  0   6   0   0  1  0   2   2    5
 2. Crystal Palace            3   0  1  0   2   2   2  0  0   3   1    5
 3. Notts County              2   1  0  0   2   1   1  0  0   4   2    4
 4. Exeter City               3   1  1  0   3   1   0  1  0   2   2    4
 5. Brighton & Hove Albion    3   1  1  0   2   1   0  1  0   3   3    4
 6. Cardiff City              3   0  0  1   2   4   2  0  0   3   1    4
 7. Leyton Orient             3   1  0  0   3   0   1  0  1   5   9    4
 8. Bournemouth               3   1  1  0  12   2   0  0  1   1   2    3
 9. Bristol City              3   0  1  1   4   5   1  0  0   1   0    3
10. Ipswich Town              3   0  2  0   2   2   0  1  0   1   1    3
11. Mansfield Town            3   0  0  1   4   5   1  1  0   4   3    3
12. Norwich City              3   0  0  1   1   2   1  1  0   3   2    3
13. Southend United           3   1  0  0   3   2   0  1  1   0   1    3
14. Torquay United            3   0  2  0   2   2   0  1  0   2   2    3
15. Walsall                   3   1  0  0   1   0   0  1  1   2   3    3
16. Queen's Park Rangers      3   0  1  0   2   2   0  1  1   2   3    2
17. Watford                   3   0  1  1   2   3   0  1  0   2   2    2
18. Northampton               3   1  0  1   2   2   0  0  1   0  10    2
19. Aldershot                 3   0  0  1   0   1   0  1  1   3   4    1
20. Swindon Town              3   0  1  1   2   3   0  0  1   0   1    1
21. Bristol Rovers            3   0  1  0   2   2   0  0  2   0   5    1
22. Port Vale                 2   0  0  1   0   1   0  1  0   0   0    1

Southern League Results

Southern League (Reserves)
19/08/1939	Friendly	Plymouth Argyle	Away	0-4		:
26/08/1939	Friendly	Torquay Uniied	Away	2-1		Crawshaw	Shadwell
02/09/1939	League	Hereford United	Home	0-0		:
09/09/1939	League	Arsenal A	Away	Postponed		:
Exeter Reserves played no more games in 1939 after the start of World War 2.

1930s, 1939/40, Charles Sutherley, Charles Windle, Charlie Thomson, Fred Speed, George Wardle, Harold Riley, Henry Bowl, Jack Blood, John Angus, John Little, R H Freeman, Richard Ebdon, Squad Photograph, Stephen Walker, Timeline, William Fellowes