Saturday, January 24th.

Southern League:
Exeter City 2 Coventry 1.

The Grecians were masters of the situation at Swan Lane in the Southern League match there this afternoon, beating Coventry City comfortably by two goals to one.

Great interest was taken in the match at Coventry (18 miles to the east of Birmingham) owing to the visitors being Aston Villa's opponents in the English Cup competition, and the crowd numbered close on ten thousand at the start.

The teams were:-

Coventry:- Jacques; Barnacle and Jackson; Parkes, Feebury, and Boston; Gretton, Tosswill, Davison, Welch, and Holmes.

Exeter:- Pym; Harding and Strettle; Rigby, Pratt, and Smith; Holt, Lovett, Brooksbank, McCann, and Goodwin.

Referee:- Mr G.J.Ross, of Aldershot.

Exeter appeared to be indulging in too much fancy footwork at Coventry, but this policy paid when adopted by Goodwin, who went full speed ahead along the left wing, and steering the ball past Barnacle ran on and scored. Exeter toyed with their opponents in the second half, but no further scoring took place until near the close, when Holt ran nearly half the length of the field beating all the defence and shot low and fast into the corner of the net, well out of Jacques's reach. Coventry rallied, and Tosswill scored for them with the last kick of the game.

It was a fine performance on Exeter's part, but at the same time it was noticed, with some trepidation, that the result which came through from Goodison Park read:

Aston Villa 4, Everton 1.

Considering that the Villa also put four goals past Stoke in the Cup-tie (first round) and five past Sunderland last week, it is apparent that the City's opponents have struck their best form of the season. This afternoon's games have left Exeter eighth on the Southern League table and Aston Villa eighth on the English League table.

The Reserves' fixture versus Torpoint was postponed.

Forthcoming Cup-tie:
Exeter City v Aston Villa.

The Exeter City directors were agreeably surprised at the early bookings which have been made this afternoon for the cup-tie. There was a steady stream of supporters booking grand - stand seats at ten shillings each from two o'clock till four. Nearly all the five shilling stand seats (a few were set apart at 5s for the regular grandstand patrons) have now gone, but later on there will be some ring seats (inside the railings) for early bookings. The Aston Villa management are taking the tie very seriously. Their team is actually to be sent away to Southport to train on Monday, and will remain there until the Thursday before the match. Today they must have had one of their great days at the expense of the Argyle cup opponents, for they beat the Wearsiders by five goals to nil at Aston.

The following notice has appeared in the local press, and on hoardings:-

GREAT CUP TIE

Exeter City
ASTON VILLA at St. James's Park, Exeter.

ST. JAMES'S PARK.

This morning the pitch at St. James's Park was as hard as iron,and covered with a white frost. At the back of the lower goal, workmen were still employed on the improved banking, where the officials expect to be able to accommodate from 6,000 to 7,000 spectators. Very little, if any, extra soil has been deposited, but the crown of the former surface has been taken off and the bank made a rising one over its whole width. It has now been carried, however, nearly as far as the orchard fence, and if there were time to extend it to that boundary the bank would, of course, accommodate at least 20,000.

Ten crush barriers are to be placed in this bank, but the City management are considering to increase this number to fifteen, for such barriers are cheap, and it must not be forgotten that the fence at the bottom is none too strong when it comes to a crush.

In the same way the directors would be well advised to see that two extra crush barriers are put on the popular side. Terracing has been done on the left of the grand stand, and barriers are being put up to divide the different parts of the ground. Excellent progress is being made with all these arrangements, and it is quite plain that a lot of precaution will be needed on the afternoon of the match with eighteen thousand in such a comparatively small ground, and it is therefore gratifying to learn that the management are leaving nothing to chance.

HISTORY AND RECORDS OF ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB.

Founded in 1874 at Villa Cross, Handsworth, Birmingham, by the members of Aston Villa Wesleyan Chapel.

 Ground: Wellington Road, Perry Barr, until April 1897, when the club moved to its present ground, Witton Lane, Aston.

Club colours: Claret and blue jerseys, white knickers.

HONOURS

League Champions in 1894, 1896, 1897(*), 1899, 1900, 1910. League Runners-up in 1889, 1903, 1908, 1911, 1913.

English Cup winners in 1887, 1895, 1897, 1905, 1913. Runners-up in 1892.

(*) also Cup winners.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

G.Allen, W.C.Athersmith, J.W.Bache, W.F.Brawn,​J.Cowan, J.W.Crabtree, J.H.G.Devey, R.E.Evans, W.G.Evans, W.Garratty, W.George, A.W.Green, A.E.Hall, H.Hampton, S.Hardy, D.Hodgetts, A.Leake, T.D.Niblo, H.Price, W.T.Renneville, J.Reynolds, S.Smith, H.Spencer, R.Templeton, H.A.Vaughton, C. W. Wallace, W.M.Watkins, O.Whateley, G.F.Wheldon, A.Wilkes.

ASTON VILLA'S LEAGUE AND CUP RECORD

This Season 

(*) English Cup-tie.