CRYSTAL PALACE v. EXETER CITY

Match Abandoned Five Minutes from the End

Saturday, November 29,
at "The Nest," Selhurst Road, Croydon.

CRYSTAL PALACE 0 EXETER CITY 0.

Large tracks of country were buried under inches of snow this morning as the train carrying the "Grecians" moved Londonwards, but the vicinity of the Metropolis was clear. The team arrived at Selhurst Road after a most unpleasant journey across London in crowded dinner-hour trains, with just twenty minutes to spare.

In days gone by, of course, Exeter City, in common with other visiting teams, had the experience of playing one match every season on the vast enclosure at the Crystal Palace itself, the distinction being that the ground at Sydenham was the venue of the English Cup Final and important International matches. As the Crystal Palace Football Club had to vacate these premises at the start of the war they occupied a ground at Herne Hill until this seas on commenced, when they obtained the lease of the Selhurst Road ground, which formerly belonged to the Croydon Common F.C., now in liquidation. Considerable sums of money had to be expended by Crystal Palace on putting their new ground in a satisfactory payable condition, it having been neglected for several years, but plans are now practically settled which will convert the Nest into an up to date enclosure.

PALACE
Alderson
Little Rhodes
Cracknell Bates Feebury
Bateman Conner Smith Barber Whibley

Referee: Mr. Rundle.

Dockray Goodwin Oldacre Makin Connor
Mitton Popplewell Rigby
Medcalf Coleburne
Pym

CITY

The day was dull and cold, but everybody was thankful there was no rain. Exeter City fielded the same team as defeated Watford on Wednesday, with the solitary exception that Connor figured at outside-right instead of Southcombe. The Palace were at full strength but for the absence of Hughes, their centrehalf and skipper, injured, for whom Bates deputised. The captaincy was entrusted to Smith, the centre forward. It was on this ground that Billy Goodwin broke his arm in the last playing season. The crowd numbered three thousand when the teams appeared, and the elevens looked to be well matched as regards physique. People in the grandstand seemed to be "singing the praises" of Dick Pym, and well they might, seeing that the former fisher boy from Tops ham is now one of the most famous goalkeepers in the country.

The Game.

Smith won the toss, and elected to take advantage of a light breeze which was sweeping the field. Hands against Feebury in the first minute enabled Coleburne to place the leather nicely across to Goodwin, who was charged off his attempted shot by one of the backs, and when Dockray tried to dribble through he was intercepted by Little. The Palace right wing was smartly halted by Medcalf, but a dangerous attack developed in which Medcalf and Coleburne were hard pressed. The ball came across from Bateman, with Smith jumping for a header, but Pym jumped higher and fisted the ball away from the Palace skipper.

Good combination by the City saw the ball travel from Mitton to Strettle, and thence to Popplewell, who headed it forward to Makin. The inside right fed Dockray but the move came to nothing as Oldacre was pulled up for offside.

Shortly before the interval Barber netted for the Palace with a grounder, but the referee had previously blown for offside. Crystal Palace piled on the pressure, but although play was mostly centred around the Exeter penalty area Pym was not often in action, mainly due to the reliable work of his backs.

Midway through the second half it became so dark that it was practically impossible to follow the play, and five minutes from the regulation time the match was abandoned.

In the last minute there had been some discussion in the Exeter penalty area, the referee, followed by players, proceeding to the side of the field to converse with the linesman. No penalty was given, the referee then bringing the match to a conclusion. The referee and some of the Exeter players were mobbed as they left the field, and the official was scratched on the hand by a young hooligan. Conner, of the Palace, and Pym protected Mr Rundle from being subjected to any further violence.

CITY RESERVES V ST LUKE'S COLLEGE.

At St James's Park this afternoon Exeter City Reserves played a friendly against St Luke's, who have been doing well so far in Wednesday League matches.

They have a strong team, and in Rous, captain, Hamley, inside left, and Reader, centre forward, they have three footballers of no mean ability. Only a week ago the City transferred Lovett to Caerphilly, where he was appointed club captain, but he has rejoined the Grecians, and partnered Charlie Lincoln on the left wing today. There was a new man at centre-forward, namely Williams, of the Royal Welch Regiment.

Reserves:

Loram; Twooze, Nock; Chown, Potter, Lovell; Collins, Croft, Williams, Lovett, and Lincoln.

St Luke's:- Rous; Trapler, Glewary; Deacon, Hamley, Parsons; Young, White, Reader, Radcliffe, and Stone.

After about fifteen minutes Collins got away on the wing, and centred nicely, leaving Lovett with an open goal, and he headed the ball into the net. A second goal to the City was obtained by Lovett, and Reader replied for the students.

The Reserves thus won by the score of two goals to one.