EXETER CITY TO CLOSE DOWN
Professional Football Abandoned

The football season of 1914-15 was overshadowed by the War, and in fact it appeared unlikely at one time that the matches would be played.

Although it has been a disastrous season financially, Exeter have enjoyed a fair measure of success on the field, and it is a pity that the temporary cessation of football has come at a time when the players at the club's disposal constitute one of the best elevens ever to represent Exeter City.

Dockray and Goodwin.

As regards the individual players, the two who first come to mind are John Dockray and Billy Goodwin. The slightly bullt forward, a native of Carlisle, was secured from Bury last summer, and did not gain a place in the first team until nearly half way through the campaign, and then only because Goodwin (F) was injured, but once given his chance he quickly made the outside left position his own. He made an immediate impact, and is now recognised as not only one of the best outside wingers ever to have played for Exeter, but also a player without superior in that position in the entire Southern League with the possible exception of the Northampton winger, Freeman.

Billy Goodwin who was unluckily prevented from completing a full season due to injury sustained in the thirty-fifth match, soon established a lead over all the recognised centre forwards of the Southern League in the matter of scoring goals, and had nineteen to his credit by Christmas time. He suffered a strange lapse of this technique later on, but got over it, and was coming right back to his erstwhile form when he suffered a very painful dislocation of his left elbow at the Croydon Common ground, which subsequently kept him out of action in the remaining games. His uncanny skill in dribbling, his coolness and resource in the hottest situation, and his almost elegant style of distributing passes to his wingmen have won him admiration from every point, and stamped him as a great player. Indeed, it is very difficult to understand why Goodwin was allowed to leave Blackburn.

Marshall Deserving of Credit.

A great improvement in the play of Holt, Strettle, Lovett, and Evans has been a most pleasant feature of the past campaign, and a special tribute is due to Marshall, who came here as a winger, but subsequently played in a variety of positions for both the first eleven and the reserves owing to accidents to some of the other players. Then, following Harding's mishap in the opening match, and with Fort being suddenly transferred to Millwall, the City were left without an experienced back to partner Strettle. Marshall was thereupon pressed into service in yet another new position, and has since given every satisfaction.

Of the old hands, Pym, Smith, Rigby, Pratt, and Lagan have continued to display form which has been consistently sound on pretty well every occasion, and often brilliant. Pym, who began his football career as a centre forward, must be very close to establishing a goalkeeping record, for since making his debut in the 1911-12 season he has never been absent from the first-team.

Old Grecians.

This season has been remarkable for the number of old Exeter City players encountered in the League matches. Apart from the now familiar appearance of Wake in the Queen's Park Rangers team, Fort and Whittaker (Millwall), Bassett (Southend), Crompton and McCann (Bristol Rovers), and Kirby and Clay (Merthyr) have all played against Exeter City.

Apart from the League matches, which have been in most cases quite successful from the playing if not the financial point of view, Aston Villa were again met in the F.A.CupCompetition, but this time on their own ground. Though the City were defeated they were certainly by no means disgraced.

The Football Association, in conjunction with the League and the Southern League, has now declared all professional football to be abandoned until after the war. Situated as they are, in a geographical sense, none of the the Argyle, the Bristol pair, position to enter for any regional which may be organised for season West Country clubs, Exeter City, and possibly Swindon, will be in a or part-time competitions 1915-16.

Record of First Team Matches.

(*) Southern Charity Cup.

(**) Football Association Cup.

EXETER CITY PLAYERS: GOALSCORERS

A total of exactly fifty goals was scored in the League matches, as follows:- W. Goodwin 23, Green and Lovett, each 7, Holt 4, F.Goodwin 3, Dockray 2, Evans, Hunter, Rigby, each 1, Butler of Plymouth Argyle 1 (own goal). Green and Lovett each scored 1 in the Southern Charity Cup matches.

APPEARANCES IN LEAGUE MATCHES

Holt 38, Pym 38, Strettle 38, Smith 37, W.Goodwin 36, Marshall 36, Rigby 35, Lovett 32, F.Goodwin 26, Lagan 25, Dockray 23, Evans 20, Green 14, Pratt 11, Hunter 5, Cox 2, Cowie 1, and Harding 1.

F.A.Cup: Dockray, Evans, W. Goodwin, Holt, Lagan, Lovett, Marshall, Pym, Rigby, Smith, and Strettle, each 1.

Charity Cup: W.Goodwin, Holt, Lagan, Lovett, Marshall, Pym, Rigby, Smith, and Strettle, each 2. Dockray, Evans, F.Goodwin, and Green, each 1.

WHERE THEY PLAYED
LEAGUE MATCHES

Goal: Pym 38.

Right back: Marshall 36, Cox 1, Harding 1.

Left back: Strettle 38.

Right half: Rigby 35, Smith 3.

Centre half: Lagan 25, Pratt 11, Evans 1, Smith 1.

Left half: Smith 33, Evans 5.

Outside right: Holt 38.

Inside right: Evans 14, Green 14, Hunter 5, Lovett 4, Cox 1.

Centre forward: W.Goodwin 36, Lovett 2.

Inside left: Lovett 26, F.Goodwin 11, Cowie 1.

Outside left: Dockray 23, F.Goodwin 15.