Season Summary
1919/20
A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IN EAST DEVON
Exeter City Prospering:
This has been a wonderful winter for football. The Soccer code has taken a bigger hold on the people than ever before, bigger in fact than was even dreamed of ten years ago. The attendances at the matches in connection with the three major Leagues, have been on the average, about half a million each Saturday.
Here in Exeter, the City Club has not only enjoyed its full share of the boom but has been exceedingly fortunate regarding the weather. There have been several wet Saturday afternoons at different times in the season, but not more than three of these a have fallen on days when the first team was engaged in home Southern League. The result has been that the gates have averaged between six and seven thousand, and the club is now in a stronger position financially than at any previous period. The extent of the patronage afforded the local club is very gratifying; it is doubtful very much if there is another centre in England where the figures are so good proportionately to the population.
The excellent standard of play maintained during almost all the season (there was a bit of a lapse towards the end of 1919) has unquestionably had a lot to do with this enthusiasm. On the threshold of postwar football Mr Chadwick declared that the new season would be a gamble. It has been, with many clubs, but the Grecians' counsellor, with his usual perspicacity, saw to it that Exeter got its share of the good things that were going. On the other hand, the Exeter City Club has been able to place in the field men of whom it has been proud.
THE WORK OF THE TEAM
The team started off in excellent fashion, and escaped defeat until the time of the visit of Cardiff City, on October 4, made during the period of the railway strike, and just after the big disappointment caused by the failure of Watford to fulfil their engagement at Exeter. Points were lost to Queen's Park Rangers and Portsmouth, and unexpectedly to Newport and Northampton.
There was a rebuff at Somerton Park in the last round of the qualifying competition of the F. A. Cup, which effectually dashed to the ground Exeter City's fond hopes of a successful run in the knock-out tournament. After that there was experienced that fine but barren Christmastide, when the Grecians, playing better than at any time previously, had the misfortune to lose all three matches, two most unluckily.
TURN OF THE TIDE
The effect of these reverses was that Exeter dropped steadily in the League table until on New Year's Day they occupied the six teenth berth. Then came the turn of the tide. Southampton were the first of the new victims. Luton brought disappointment again the following Saturday, but then came a series of brilliant successes. Gillingham, Swansea, and Watford were beaten in turn, Cardiff and the Rangers were glad to share the points, and Swindon provided another handsome home victory. Since then, with quaint regularity, the Grecians have won all their home engagements and lost all the ones played on foreign soil. Their greatest achievement was the lowering of Portsmouth's record of not having a goal against them on opponents grounds for a period of five months. A penalty goal by Popplewell and another by Green saw to it that Portsmouth did not escape defeat at Exeter.
In addition to their Southern League and F.A.Cup programme the Grecians have played in two very enjoyable friendly matches with representative North Devon teams, and have visited local clubs at Exmouth, Torquay, Sidmouth, and Seaton, playing exhibition games in each town, and thereby helping the development of the Soccer code in the East Devon area. In brief, it has been altogether a very fine season.
Exeter City Prospering:
This has been a wonderful winter for football. The Soccer code has taken a bigger hold on the people than ever before, bigger in fact than was even dreamed of ten years ago. The attendances at the matches in connection with the three major Leagues, have been on the average, about half a million each Saturday.
Here in Exeter, the City Club has not only enjoyed its full share of the boom but has been exceedingly fortunate regarding the weather. There have been several wet Saturday afternoons at different times in the season, but not more than three of these a have fallen on days when the first team was engaged in home Southern League. The result has been that the gates have averaged between six and seven thousand, and the club is now in a stronger position financially than at any previous period. The extent of the patronage afforded the local club is very gratifying; it is doubtful very much if there is another centre in England where the figures are so good proportionately to the population.
The excellent standard of play maintained during almost all the season (there was a bit of a lapse towards the end of 1919) has unquestionably had a lot to do with this enthusiasm. On the threshold of postwar football Mr Chadwick declared that the new season would be a gamble. It has been, with many clubs, but the Grecians' counsellor, with his usual perspicacity, saw to it that Exeter got its share of the good things that were going. On the other hand, the Exeter City Club has been able to place in the field men of whom it has been proud.
THE WORK OF THE TEAM
The team started off in excellent fashion, and escaped defeat until the time of the visit of Cardiff City, on October 4, made during the period of the railway strike, and just after the big disappointment caused by the failure of Watford to fulfil their engagement at Exeter. Points were lost to Queen's Park Rangers and Portsmouth, and unexpectedly to Newport and Northampton.
There was a rebuff at Somerton Park in the last round of the qualifying competition of the F. A. Cup, which effectually dashed to the ground Exeter City's fond hopes of a successful run in the knock-out tournament. After that there was experienced that fine but barren Christmastide, when the Grecians, playing better than at any time previously, had the misfortune to lose all three matches, two most unluckily.
TURN OF THE TIDE
The effect of these reverses was that Exeter dropped steadily in the League table until on New Year's Day they occupied the six teenth berth. Then came the turn of the tide. Southampton were the first of the new victims. Luton brought disappointment again the following Saturday, but then came a series of brilliant successes. Gillingham, Swansea, and Watford were beaten in turn, Cardiff and the Rangers were glad to share the points, and Swindon provided another handsome home victory. Since then, with quaint regularity, the Grecians have won all their home engagements and lost all the ones played on foreign soil. Their greatest achievement was the lowering of Portsmouth's record of not having a goal against them on opponents grounds for a period of five months. A penalty goal by Popplewell and another by Green saw to it that Portsmouth did not escape defeat at Exeter.
In addition to their Southern League and F.A.Cup programme the Grecians have played in two very enjoyable friendly matches with representative North Devon teams, and have visited local clubs at Exmouth, Torquay, Sidmouth, and Seaton, playing exhibition games in each town, and thereby helping the development of the Soccer code in the East Devon area. In brief, it has been altogether a very fine season.
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