Opening of the Season
GRECIANS SUPERIORITY REWARDED AT CARDIFF

Saturday, August 27th 1938.
CARDIFF CITY 1 EXETER CITY 2.

Exeter City opened the season in great style at Ninian Park to day, and in defeating Cardiff City by two goals to one they had a big superiority in defence and were the faster, fitter, and better side all round. Brown and Wallace were a grand pair of full-backs. Brown was shrewd and calculating, and Wallace dour, dashing, and altogether too smart for the Cardiff right-wing. Fellowes has brought steadiness to the Exeter half back line, and he was sound without being spectacular. His coolness in an emergency was evident, although Shadwell, who was good in every phase, was the best half-back on the field. Angus contributed his part to the victory in his familiar unruffled way. Exeter owed their victory to the brilliance of their defence, and the opportunism of their attack, of whom Bowl was the star.

CARDIFF CITY:- Jones; Granville and Kelso; Corkhill, Ballsom, and Nicholson; Pugh, Walton, Collins, Talbot, and Turner.
EXETER CITY:- Church; Brown and Wallace; Shadwell, Fellowes, and Angus; Rich, Bussey, Bowl, Ebdon, and Liddle.

It was the usual "opening of the football season weather," and the sun shone brilliantly from an almost cloudless sky. As the kiok-off drew near the spacious banking which surrounds Ninian Park was comfortably filling. The ground was beginning to look like what it should be, that is, the setting for First Division football. Twenty-five thousand spectators gave both the teams a tremendous reception, but the crowd was disappointed when the toss for choice of ends was lost by Corkhill, captaining Cardiff for the first time, to Walter Bussey. The game had been in progress for just a quarter of an hour when Exeter took the lead. Shadwell, the most stylish half-back on the field, started the move with a pass to Bussey, who took it a stage further with a lob down the middle. In the meantime the Cardiff defence hesitated, and when Jones finally advanced he reckoned without the strong shoulders of Harry Bowl. As the goalkeeper attempted to clear Bowl charged him, quite fairly, and the ball rebounded to Rich. Coolly, and with fine judgment, Rich drove low and hard past three defenders into the net. Turner equalised in the second half, running the ball into the empty net after Pugh had lured Church from his goal. Five minutes before the close Bowl regained the lead for Exeter with one of the most spectacular moves seen at Ninian Park for many a long day. The City's centre forward threaded his way down the middle, then beat both backs with a dazzling bit of dribbling. and as Jones advanced, calmly tricked the goalkeeper to run the ball into the vacant goal.

• THE AIR PARTY'S ARRIVAL.
  Exeter's team, in charge of Mr Fred Nicholls, the vice-chairman, reached the ground an hour before the start, and the Mayor and Sheriff, who flew over from Exeter, also arrived in good time. Civic dignitaries of both cities sat in the directors' box, and Exeter's Mayor and Sheriff and Town Clerk were introduced, by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, to the Earl of Plymouth. The Mayor of Exeter (Mr R.J.Rew) and the Sheriff (Mr J. Orchard), the Town Clerk (Mr C.J.Newman) and Mr W. Crawshaw, the former City footballer, made up the full complement of passengers who journeyed by plane from Exeter to Cardiff today, on the first civio flight undertaken from Exeter Airport, to witness Exeter City's match with Cardiff at Ninian Park. The air flight was a pleasant sequel to an invitation which the Lord Mayor of Cardiff (Mr O.C. Purnell) extended to Exeter's Mayor when Mr Purnell made a visit to the "Ever-Faithful" in connection with the opening of Exeter Airport last month. The Sheriff is a director of Exeter City Football Club, and the Mayor and Town Clerk are ardent supporters. Mr Crawshaw, as a private passenger, made the trip purely to see the match. The 'plane set off at 11.15 o'clock and arrived in the Welsh capital less than half an hour later. The machine used was a De Havilland Rapide, and was the aircraft which belonged to the Duke of Windsor when he was the Prince of Wales and during his reign as King Edward VIII. The plane is an eight-seater model and has a special desk fitted which the Duke used during his many flights. The machine has a cruising speed of 140 m.p.h. The return journey was planned for immediately after the match had ended.
  
  
  

Southern League
EXETER CITY RESERVES 2
CARDIFF CITY RESERVES 1.

For their first Southern League game of the season, at St James' Park this afternoon, Exeter City Reserves were an unchanged side from that which so brilliantly defeated Plymouth Argyle Reserves a week ago.
City Reserves:- Blore; Mellish, Little; Coles, Bamsey, Walker; Southcombe, Turnbull, Pollard, Gueran, Millar.
Cardiff Reserves:- Fielding; Ford, Forse; McCaughey, Williams, Main; Prescott, Court, Riokards, McKenzie, Evans.
Referee:- Mr G.H.Hann, of Glastonbury.

Between two and three thousand spectators saw Exeter win the toss, and take the lead within five minutes. A shot by Pollard was parried by Fielding, but Southcombe dashed in and drove the ball hard into the net. Millar missed an easy chance for Exeter and Court an easier one still for Cardiff. Turnbull then beat Fielding with a high shot, Exeter leading at the interval by 2 goals to 0.
Court scored a simple goal for Cardiff at the start of play in the second half, tapping into the net a centre from McKenzie.


Wednesday, August 31st 1938.
BIDEFORD TOWN v EXETER CITY RESERVES
Friendly 

Exeter City Reserves and Bideford drew, 1-1, in a friendly match at the Hansen Ground on Wednesday evening. Griffiths scored for the City and Abbott equalised. After half an hour Gill, the Bideford right-half, was taken off with his legs injured, and with the consent of Mr J.English, J. Crocker, a substitute, was allowed to play. Play was even, and both sets of forwards missed number of a chances.
City Reserves:- Blore; Leach, Mellish; Coles, Bamsey, Barnes; Turnbull, Gueran, Griffiths, Green, Millar.