EXETER CITY'S NEW COLOURS

The Exeter City directors have decided to change the colours of the club to red and white, similar to those of Southampton. The players have lately been in a superstitious mood, and voiced their opinion that the green and white brought them no luck. They petitioned the directors accordingly, and their wishes have now been acceded to. It was expected that the new jerseys would have been ready for the Queen's Park Rangers match, but such was not the case, and Exeter City therefore appeared at Park Royal for the last time in the old green and white. The secret had been well kept, and the news will no doubt come as a big surprise to the club's followers.


Saturday, November 12th 1910. SOUTHERN LEAGUE.
"GRECIANS" v. "HAMMERS"

Exeter City in their New Colours
A Mascot:

Exeter City appeared at St. James's Park today, for the first time in their new colours of red and white vertical stripes. The match, in fact, will be remembered for its advent of changes, the band also assuming the new name of the "Exeter City Professional Band". The members of the band appeared in a brand new uniform, and by way of rendering the metamorphosis complete, had promised to give up the much abused "Uncle Tom Cobley" for the Devonshire Regiment's best known march, "We've Lived and Loved Together".

West Ham were the visitors, and a very even game was confidently looked for. The Londoners, with an eye on one of the topmost rungs of the ladder, were bound to go all out, while Exeter City, with their position already rather desperate, were in dire need of points.

On neither of the occasions when West Ham have previously been at Exeter, in fact, had the position been fraught with anything like the same importance as it was today. West Ham arrived at 1.30, and were on the ground an hour before the start, accompanied by directors of the club.  MThe ground appeared in good trim, but each goal area had been liberally sprinkled with sand. The band, under the direction of the bandmaster, Mr G. Newman, played on its way to the ground, and their first appearance in new colours was signalised, as mentioned above, by the dropping of "Uncle Tom Cobley" for the Devonshire Regiment's well known favourite march, "We've Lived and Loved Together". In strict accordance with the Management's usual luck, the rain, which had held off all the morning, started in a drizzling shower at half past two, in other words half an hour before the start, when the crowd had just begun to assemble in force.

Prior to the start, Bob Watson received telegram from White, the reserve team captain, from St. Austell, wishing the first team good luck. West Ham were on the field five minutes before the start, and were quickly followed by Bob Watson and the remainder of the red and white shirted Grecians. No sooner had the teams appeared than the little daughter of trainer Jack Banks was led on to the ground, and she presented the home skipper with a horse-shoe, decorated with the club's new colours, the mascot being deposited at the back of the net.
EXETER CITY:
Whittaker; Evans and Jones; Bassett, Pratt, and Prideaux; Parnell, Watson, Hughes, James, and Garside.

WEST HAM:
Kitchen; Lavery and Fairman; Whiteman, Piercy, and Randall; Ashton, Shea, Kennedy, Blackburn, and Caldwell.

Referee:- Mr T.J.Pitts, of Weymouth.

West Ham won the toss, and Hughes kicked off. The first City attack was checked by Whiteman but quickly got going again, and Garside was forced into touch. Kitchen was challenged by Watson, and Parnell, with a shade of a chance, failed to hold the new ball, and Piercy relieved. Jones and Evans both in turn sent back the West Ham forwards, Kennedy was pulled up for offside, and then Exeter pressed again, Watson just failing with a screw shot from a sharp angle. In another attack Kitchen caught a straight drive by Parnell, and Whittaker dealt similarly with one from Randall. Caldwell, slipping past Evans, got in a long drive which Whittaker fielded, and for a time the Hammers were very much in the ascendancy. Exeter City got the benefit of a free kick on the left, and Fairman relieved from a lengthy scrimmage in the goalmouth. Hughes afterwards got right in to the penalty area, but dribbled too far, and when West Ham attacked Caldwell, well fed by Shea, was very close with a cross-drive. Shea also skimmed the bar with a fine shot, and the City, for some time, were outplayed. Pratt relieved the pressure, and Parnell burst through and narrowly missed the goal. Whittaker then saved a heavy shot from Kennedy, and Caldwell, who was not being watched closely enough, was allowed to race through, and he all but scored. Kennedy was allowed to go on amid appeals for offside, but luckily for Exeter his final shot went wide. Then Parnell and Garside roused the crowd's enthusiasm by raids on Kitchen's charge but found Fairman and Lavery too much for them. Just before the interval Hughes put in a perfect header from Garside's centre, but Kitchen dexterously saved.
Interval score:
EXETER CITY 0-0 WEST HAM
The second half commenced with an Exeter attack, and James sent in a smart shot which Kitchen fisted out to Whiteman. Hughes also tested the custodian, and then Ashton got the better of Prideaux, and the Exeter backs between them got the ball away.
Hughes and Garside got going, only to be stopped once again by Lavery, and Ashton then centred to Shea, whose header went over the bar. West Ham had a narrow escape when a mistake by one of the backs let James through; he shot hard on the run, but Kitchen, coming out, hurled himself at the ball and pushed it round the upright. The City seemed slow to get to the ball in this half, Bassett and Prideaux being frequently beaten for pace by their opposing wingers. James shot hopelessly wide, and West Ham went at it "hammer and tongs" for a goal, Shea worming his way through the defence in characteristic fashion, but Jones effectively stopped him with an old style shoulder charge. The match ended in semi-darkness with both sides guilty of missing good chances. James skied the ball over the West Ham goal, and in the last few seconds three West Ham forwards between them could not force the leather into Exeter's net. Result: no score. Just after the match ended the crowd was entertained with a display of fireworks.

PLYMOUTH LEAGUE.
St Austell v City Reserves 
The Reserves won the return match at St. Austell by two goals to one. Nothing was scored until the second half, when the rain fell in torrents. Maxsted scored from 20 yards, then struck the upright with the goalkeeper beaten, and from the rebound Drew rushed in and netted the ball. Blight, from a penalty, scored for St. Austell.