EXETER CITY F. C.

"The Grecians" Season 1909/1910

Is this year's team going to do as well as last year's? That is the question which is everywhere being asked. The answer of course can be given only in a conditional sort of way; for a successful season means more or less a lucky season, and often in times past there have been good sides which have done indifferently simply because luck has been against them. By luck one refers primarily to the matter of accidents, or injuries. So the answer must therefore be governed by a consideration of luck, or chance, and there seems no reason why, if the Grecians have as fair a share of that factor as they had last season, they should no do just as well as they did in 1908-09. It would be dangerous to build high hopes of that sixth position in the League being improved upon, however. It should be remembered that the City, in their initial campaign, did wonderfully well. They ended up in the first half-dozen, and they took five points out of the clubs which finished above them. At certain times they were playing as good football as could be found in any part of the country. As beginners they created a record, and established a very high standard of play for future Exeter City teams to emulate. Everyone will naturally be delighted if the new season is even more successful than the last one, but supporters of the club would do well not to assume that it will be. Consideration should be given to all that it would entail, the large percentage of points that would have to be picked up away from home, for example. On the other hand, it does seem likely that the new captures signed on by Mr Chadwick are, with but one exception, man for man an improvement on the men who have gone. One thing is certain above all others; each man will have to merit his place. There will be no sinecures, and fore and aft, if a player shows any deterioration of form there will be someone ready to step into his boots. The policy of the management this season will be "only the best will do".
Much work has been done in regard to the playing pitch at St.James's Park, and whilst it is not yet perfect it is now well up to the normal standard of most of the Southern League enclosures. One half of the ground which did not wear well last season has been relaid, and the drainage overhauled, so the surface is unlikely to be adversely affect ed by the weather. The City's fixture list is only similar to last year's in one or two instances, such instances being the visits of Bristol Rovers and Norwich City, which occur, respectively, on the first and second Southern League dates at St. James's Park. Saturday matches predominate in the City's list more than last year, and once again Exeter start off with a rather stiff hurdle in respect of away matches.
During September, in fact, there are seven games down for decision, and only two of them are at home. The two opening matches are both in London, entailing a three days absence from home, while on September 28th Plymouth Argyle are met at Home Park in the Southern Charity Cup competition. The City players will embark on their campaign as fit as any side in the League, and during September and October everybody will be on his mettle. It is far more likely, therefore, that away points will be picked up at the commencement of the season than towards the close, when a club's fate is pretty well known, and when a certain staleness has inevitably crept into the ranks of every club.

Three public practices have been arranged, on August 14th, 21st, and 28th, and an amateur trial is to be held on the 17th.

THE RESERVES
There should be no doubt about the Plymouth and District League team being stronger than it was last season. Save, perhaps, during the first month the professionals available last winter for the Reserves never took any real interest in these matters, and after all, there was some excuse for them, for the amateurs with whom they had to play were in most cases of quite the "fifth rate" order. This year a different policy altogether is being pursued. One of Exeter City's directors, Mr W.Fenwick, is head of a Committee whose special mission it will be to look after the Reserves. Fresh amateur talent has already been unearthed, and Hopkins and Sims, the two Army men, have the makings of exceptionally good inside forwards, while there is also Pym, a half-back of promise, and Heppell, a back of rare solidity. From a financial point of view it is vitally necessary that the Plymouth League side should make a respectable fight for the championship. The public cannot be expected to attend these matches when the team is putting up poor shows week after week, but given a strong side the gates ought to be in the region of two or three thousand, and this, running through a whole season, would mean a substantial item on the receipts side.
New players. Seven new professionals have been recruited, their biographical details being given below:

JAMES ATKINSON (centre half) was born at Manchester 23 years ago. Of gentlemanly appearance, he scales 11st. 91b., while seeming to be, in physique, much lighter. His height is two inches under six feet, so that he is on the big side fo a half back. When fifteen years of age he began playing in the Manchester League, and from Newton Heath Athletic went to Sale Holmefield. He was given a trial by Manchester United, but the first big club he signed for was Bolton Wanderers, where he stayed for three years before migrating South to Brighton and Hove Albion, for whom he appeared throughout season 1908-09. One of his best games for Brighton was played at St. James's Park last year, when, wearing conspicuous red bands around the cuffs of his jersey, he often held up the City attacks more or less single-handed. Save for a short while when he played inside-left, Atkinson has always been in the half back line.

HERBERT CROSSTHWAITE. The new goalkeeper, an all round athlete of powerful build, was born at Preston 22 years ago. He tips the beam at 5ft. 10in., and scales 12st.10lb. From his boyhood he has been dabb ling in sports. He played first for Preston Post Office, and then, at 17, signed professional forms for Preston North End. Subsequently he went to Blackpool, and then, having made a reputation as a player of great promise, was brought South by Fulham. With the Cottagers he had to play second fiddle to Fryer and Skene, and never got a chance, and it was this fact that prompted him to leave the Fulham camp for Exeter City. He has played on the Continent for Fulham, and was one of the players that beat Belgium by 10 goals to 1 in 1907. Crossthwaite, who is a non smoker and a teetotaler, has from time to time put up some exceptional performances on the running track, having won firsts in the half mile, quarter mile, and 100 yards sprint events, which must make him the fastest goalkeeper in football.

JAMES GARSIDE, having seen English League football with Liverpool, is an old partner of McGuigan's on the left wing. He is aged 23, weighs 11st.3lb., and his height is 5ft.81ins. Like several of the other newmen, he was born at Manchester, and as a schoolboy played back, but ever since entering serious football has been a forward. He quickly
came to the front, and in one season played for Darwen, Accrington Stanley, and Liverpool. It was at the age of eighteen that he first signed professional forms for Accrington, and from there Liverpool  captured him as an understudy to Jack Cox, the famous outside-left, but with opportunities being limited Garside returned to Accrington. One or two First Division clubs were showing an interest in him when Chadwick signed him on in May.

THOMAS GREEN plays outside right, and has also had experience of Eng lish League football. He is aged 23, weighs 12st., and is 5ft. 8ins. tall. He was born at Rockferry, Cheshire, and first signed forms for Liverpool when he was 18 years of age, having made something of a local reputation for himself with Rock ferry Tranmere. Subsequently he was persuaded South by Swindon Town, but after one season with the Railway men went back to Cheshire and signed for Stockport County. After five months at Stockport, Middlesbrough paid a £300 transfer for him. Until this time he had always played centre-forward, but in one match Middlesbrough he injured his shoulder and went outside-right, and was kept in this position subsequently by the Middlesbrough selectors. After two seasons with Middlesbrough he was transferred to Queen's Park Rangers, on April 30th 1906, and in one season in the Southern League appeared regularly either at centre or outside-right, being joint top scorer with Sugden, each with eight goals, and making 37 out of 38 appearances. But Stockport County were always worrying him to return to them, which he did, and in the last two seasons he played regularly for them on the right wing, making a total of 61 appearances and scoring 12 goals in the English League.

RICHARD HARRISON is 24 years of age, and another native of Manchester. He is well built, scaling llst. 71b., and standing 5ft. 10ins. He was fifteen years of age when he began his football career, first playing centre half for Newton Heath Victoria, and then outside-left for Newton Heath Amateurs. At 19 he became a professional, and for three and a half seasons performed for Rossendale in the Lancashire Combination. For half a season he played for Bacup, but transferred back again to Rossendale. From there he went to Manchester City, and for the reserve team at centre-forward scored no less than 32 goals in 19 matches, including six in one match against Clitheroe Central, and five in each of two other games, sixteen goals in three matches. Harrison is an un assuming type of player, and like several of his new colleagues, a tee totaler and non-smoker.

PERCY HARTLEY. This half-back (he can play any position in the half back line) was born at Bolton 24 years ago. He stands 5ft. 10ins. and weighs 12st. 71b. He first played in the Bolton Sunday School League when fifteen years of age, and afterwards in the Bolton and District League. He was an outside-left when he started, and essayed the half back game with Bolton St. Luke's. Then for four seasons he played for Atherton in the Lancashire Combination. In 1906-07 he went to Preston North End, then did a bit of wandering, playing successively for Atherton, Huddersfield (North Eastern League), and Chorley St.George. While with Atherton he played in a Lancashire Junior Cup final against Colne, for whom Alf.Ambler was playing. Hartley prefers the left-half position, and good judges in the North declare him to be one of the most effective spoilers in the rising ranks. He looks on the serious side of an athlete's life, and his motto is "my best or nothing", when he takes the field.

EDWIN JONES. This left-back had come to be looked upon in Lancashire Combination football last season as a defender certain of a first-class future. He was born at Tyldesley, five miles south of Bolton, 22 years ago, and is of ideal build for a back, standing 5ft.10in., and scaling 12st.21b. He has never played in any position but left-back, that is, at any rate, in soccer. That reservation has to be made in Jones's case, for he has played at odd times Rugby, too, so well, in fact, as a wing threequarter that both Wigan and Wakefield Trinity wanted to take him over as a professional, but he would not desert the round ball game. He had just turned 19 when he signed professional forms for Bolton Wanderers, but failing to get into the first team he went to Tyldesley, then to Penrith in the North Eastern League, and finally to Chorley, in the Lancashire Combination, from where so many of Exeter City's players have been secured.

LAST YEAR'S PLAYERS.
Of the players on Exeter City's staff last year, seven have joined new clubs, as follows. Bulcock (Crystal Palace), Drain (Woolwich Arsenal), Johnson (Coventry City), Parnell (Preston North End), Robinson (Stoke), Wake (Queen's Park Rangers), and White (Watford). The whereabouts of Fletcher are at present unknown. Jimmy Sillick, Exeter City's captain of the old amateur days, has signed on for Longfleet St. Mary's.

EXETER CITY'S PROFESSIONALS:
Goalkeeper: Crossthwaite.
Backs: Craig, Crelley, Jones.
Half backs: Ambler, Atkinson, Banks, Chadwick, Hartley, Tierney.
Forwards: Bell, Copestake, Eveleigh, Garside, Green, Harrison, McGuigan, Singlehurst, Watson.

PUBLIC PRACTICES
Amateur and Professional Trials: An all-amateur trial on August 14th resulted in the Whites beating the Greens by two goals (Camble and Parr) to one (Hopkins), after leading by a goal to nil at half-time.
Whites players:- Fey; Heppell, E.Wells; Pym, Lamacraft, Boundy; Drew, Parr, Camble, Vansinter, and Pengelley.
Greens:- Sturge; Willats, W. Wells; Oliver, Warner, Henderson; Smith, Lewis, Hopkins, Sims, and Thompson.
The feature of the second trial, played on August 17th, was the form of Hopkins, who scored all five goals for the "Probables", who defeated the "Possibles" by 5-0. In the first professional trial, played on Saturday, August 21st, the Exeter City Probables beat the Possibles by four goals to two, after leading at the interval by two nil. McGuigan (2), Watson, and Bell shared the goals for the winners, Harrison, the new centre forward from Manchester City, and Hopkins, who got five goals in the amateur trial on Tuesday, replying for the losers. Teams :

Probables: Crossthwaite; Craig, Crelley; Ambler, Tierney, Atkinson; Green, Watson, McGuigan, Bell, and Copestake.
Possibles: Sturge; Heppell, W. Wells; Pym, Chadwick, Hartley; Drew, Hopkins, Harrison, Sims, and Garside.

Referee: Sgt-major Adams.

Saturday, August 28th.
Exeter City's Final Practice, at St. James's Park.

Cricket weather prevailed when the final practice match was played. From the spectators' point of view the conditions were perfect, and the playing pitch, moreover, looked perfection, but from the standpoint of the players the weather was far from ideal. It was too hot altogether for strenuous football. There was one alteration from the teams as advertised. Martin, an Army forward from the Higher Barracks, took the place of Sims, also an Army player. Teams:

PROBABLES: Sturge; Craig, Crelley; Ambler, Tierney, Atkinson; Green, Watson, Bell, McGuigan, and Garside.
POSSIBLES: Crossthwaite; Heppell, Jones; Hartley, Chadwick, Pym; Drew, Hopkins, Harrison, Martin, and Copestake.

Referee: Sgt-major Adams.

There were fully 3000 spectators at the start, and the flower-pot stand was rapidly filling up. Watson beat Jones in the toss, and set the Possibles to face the sun. Chadwick intercepted a pass which was intended for Watson, but the Probables were soon attacking again. A header forward by Atkinson saw Green put behind. Atkinson followed suit a minute later, and Heppell and Pym between them prevented Bell from forcing his way through. Watson shot wide, and Harrison, rushing up from a throw-in, forced a corner, and a lovely chance was lost when the ball landed right in front of Sturge. Chadwick and Hartley set the Possibles going once more, but Crelley cleared, and Garside raced off. Pym, however, hung on to him, matching the winger for speed, and at the last moment kicked behind to prevent Garside getting his centre across. Atkinson was continually in the
picture, and Tierney nearly caught the defence napping with a sudden unexpected drive from long range. The first goal came from Bell, with the assistance of McGuigan, following a corner on the left. The ball went into the corner of the net at great speed, giving Crossthwaite very little chance of saving. In the next minute the goalkeeper earned the crowd's applause for a spectacular save from Bell, the ball being tipped over the bar. After he had put two shots over the top Bell scored the second goal from Green's centre, with only a minute of the first half remaining. In the second half McGuigan, receiving from Bell, scored the third goal for the Probables, and Bell, with a bullet-like drive, completed his "hat-trick".
Final score:
Probables 4 goals, Possibles nil.