Saturday, January 14th 1911.
ENGLISH CUP.
BURNLEY V EXETER CITY

THE CITY'S HARD LUCK:

Mr. Pickford and the Burnley Cup-tie.

The fact that Exeter City have to go to Burnley to play their cup tie next week has elicited a great deal of sympathy with Devonians throughout the county, and there have been several suggestions that the Burnley Club have been unsportsmanlike in refusing to play at the County Ground, St. Thomas's, which to all intents and purposes would be a neutral enclosure.

Mr. W. Pickford, one of the vice-presidents of the F.A., and the "father" of the Hampshire Association, writing in the Morning Leader, remarked:
"Though Exeter must have known, when their ground at St. James's was laid out, that it was a few feet short of the Cup length, it does seem to me a little wanting in sport for their opponents to refuse to play on the County Ground, where Reading played the recent tie. So far as the match goes, this ground could in no way that I can see, handicap a visiting team, being just as good a surface, and reasonably appointed for taking a gate.

"For all that, a Club is required to state its playing ground on Form A. I believe that Exeter City put down both grounds, but to allow a club to play ordinary games on one and cup-ties on another is of course contrary to the regulations and the practice. It is indeed extremely hard on Exeter because, since the Nelson tie, the Club have tried their best to enlarge their pitch, and only what is felt to be an exhorbitant price for an adjoining area has stopped them. On the other hand, it would appear that clubs ought to play on the grounds they regularly occupy, and a ground temporarily hired for a special occasion fails to meet that view and established custom. Even if a club had two enclosed grounds, each fitted for a match, it does not follow that they may use either as they please. Even if they played alternately on each they would need to make a fixed choice of one for the Cup. Rules and established customs are often arbitrary, but they do pin clubs down. What I feel is that the 'protest' business, though doubtless within the mark, is not genuine sport".
The above view may be accepted as representing the sentiments of the Football Association, who, although they felt that they had no alternative but to rule against Exeter City on the points raised by Mr. McGahey, at the same time regarded the position as very hard upon the Grecians. As matters stand at present the Exeter public cannot expect to have a Cup-tie played in the City until the necessary alterations are put into operation at St. James's Park.

Grecians' Hard Luck in the Cup-Tie
A VISIT NORTH : PLAYING PITCH ALL PITS AND SLOPES:

Lucky Goals:
City a Bigger Handful Than Expected

Exeter City were faced today with the hardest task of their career since the club has been in first-class football harder by far than at Plymouth two years ago, when in a second round tie they bid such a luckless farewell to the National Trophy harder than in any League match of the past, for Burnley, their opponents, are one of the most difficult teams in the whole country to beat on their own ground. They have always been so from the day when they were one of the original clubs in the First Division of the English League, and even their poorest times, back six years or so, the club that won at Turf Moor had reason to be well pleased with itself. People do say that the pitch at Turf Moor, with its puzzling peculiarities, is at least worth a goal to the home club, and really from past experience of visiting teams there, especially Southerners, it would seem that there is much in what they allege. Exeter City left home yesterday hopeful, but no possible stretch of imagination could represent their attitude as one of confidence. They recognised the character of the task before them, and they based what hopes they had on the fact that whereas Burnley had shown a deterioration of late in the League, there had been a corresponding improvement in the recent record of the Grecians. But at the same time the fact remained that Burnley had not yet this season been beaten at Turf Moor, and they are still just in the running for promotion.

THE TREK TO BURNLEY.
It was a long, tedious journey yesterday, and the Exeter team were hung up for over an hour on their way from Manchester to Burnley. In fact they did not arrive at their rendezvous until past 9 o'clock. This morning a fog hung over the town, and at one time it seemed doubtful whether the match would even be started. By noon, however, this had somewhat lifted, and at the time the team made their way to the ground a drizzling rain began. The pitch was frost-bound, but that was only one of its peculiarities. The seams of a coalmine run under neath it, and practically honeycomb it, a depth of a hundred feet. In consequences there are slopes and subsidences all over it, and at one end there is a fall of quite two feet.
The objection of Burnley to St.James's Park, in view of the state of their own pitch, seems farcical. The fact remains, however, that Turf Moor should be worth at least a goal to the home side. Burnley kept their selection dark until nearly the last minute, then deciding to play Seeburg at right half vice Dodd.
The Burnley crowd were confident before the start, and some were freely predicting a four goals clear victory. In fact they regarded the result as a foregone conclusion. The general point of agreement among the Lancashire supporters was that it needed a wonderfully good imagination to suppose that Exeter could win; that just about summed up, the local opinion.
In consequence of the damp and misty weather the gate was somewhat affected, but twelve thousand were present at the start, and the crowd was still pouring in.
Teams :
BURNLEY
Dawson.
Reid Splitt
Seeburg Swift Watson (W)
Morley Green Lomas Mayson Harris
Referee: Mr C.Fallowfield, of London.
Garside Bell Hughes Watson (R) Whittaker (E)
Prideaux Pratt Bassett
Jones Evans
Whittaker (W)
EXETER CITY

The Burnley team, in claret and blue, were first out, and appeared to be a hefty set of men. Swift beat Bob Watson in the toss, and from Hughes kick-off the ball went into touch in the home territory. Enos Whittaker was plied with the ball, and Bassett essayed the first shot. of the match, the ball going well wide of the posts. Exeter continued. to hold their own, and when Burnley got going Evans was successful in checking their forwards. In the next raid Harris, under pressure, put the ball wide. Jones started an Exeter attack, which ended with Enos Whittaker putting the leather over the bar from Bell's pass.

Watson, of Burnley, was hurt just as Exeter got moving again, but resumed after attention. Reid cleared, and Evans robbed Green as he was cutting his way through. Reid once more cleared when Exeter were dangerous, then Bell rushed back to the rescue of Jones and got the ball, Garside eventually sending wide.
A First-Time Drive
After Morley had carried play into the City territory but made a hash of his final shot Burnley attacked with vigour, and the Exeter goal had several narrow escapes. A foul was given against Prideaux in midfield, and Swift, gaining possession, put in a first time drive with any amount of power behind it. The ball flashed past the upright about a foot wide. Following the goal kick Exeter mounted a brief attack, and Dawson twice cleared with long punts. Exeter had another narrow shave directly afterwards, but found relief in a free kick, and then Enos Whittaker was pulled up for offside when he was well within bounds. Green shot behind from twelve yards out, after beating Jones, and this was a fine opportunity lost by the Lancastrians, who were now doing by far the most of the attacking. They also pursued tactics which were continually putting the City offside.

Mayson Scores for Burnley

Bassett was pulled up for fouling Green, who was "playing to the gallery", and Jones cleared the free kick, and after Bell had lost the ball he brought Swift down unfairly, and the Burnley captain skied the ball high over the bar from the second free kick. Garside was off side again when a promising Exeter move looked likely, and Swift, who was playing a true captain's game for Burnley, put Morley through in the centre, the attack eventually being halted by Bassett. Play was now going up and down the field at a rare pace, but the game was mainly in Burnley's favour, and after 32 minutes came the expected goal. Mayson gained possession about twenty yards out, and sent in a looping sort of shot that went into the corner of the net with Whittaker slipping as he dived across his goal. The ground had cut up very roughly by this time, and on a firmer surface it is quite likely that Whittaker would have saved Mayson's shot. Dawson punched out one glorious attempt by Bell, but it was all Burnley towards the close of play in this half, the score at the half time interval being:

BURNLEY 1-0 EXETER CITY

The attendance was estimated at sixteen thousand when the game was restarted by Lomas. The ball hovered around Whittaker till his namesake got possession. Enos eluded Splitt, but Reid came across and succeeded in getting the ball. He lost it again to Garside, but the City left-winger spoiled things by putting his shot over the bar. Bob Watson executed a 20-yards dribble and passed to E.Whittaker, and a lovely shot by the young winger was well saved by Dawson. At the other end Harris shot narrowly wide after a misunderstanding between Evans and Jones. This was a narrow escape for the City, and a narrower one still occurred in the next minute when Green headed just the wrong side of the post from Morley's centre following a free kick against Prideaux. Nothing daunted, the City stuck to their guns, and Bob Watson, Bell, and Pratt were all working heroically to get back on level terms. Once Hughes just failed to reach the ball with his head from one of Garside's centres, and it went behind.

Loud Protests from Exeter
For the next few minutes play was mostly in Burnley's territory, but their defence, with Reid and Swift outstanding, was very sound; in addition Dawson dealt with two or three shots very capably. After the second half had been in progress for thirteen minutes Burnley scored their second goal, amid loud protests from Exeter on the grounds of offside. Green had first put in a shot, but Whittaker partly saved and the ball failed to reach the net, and Morley dashed in and applied the finishing touch. Walt Whittaker left his goal to appeal, and the referee then consulted one of his linesmen, who un luckily for Exeter, confirmed the referee's decision. When play was resumed Harris got through and shot for goal, but Whittaker beat the ball down and kicked it out to Bell. "Daisy" was hemmed in but managed to feed Garside, who sent Hughes through to put in a grounder that Dawson saved. Garside and Bell were prominent, and Exeter had come back into the game with a vengeance. Reid had to give a corner in stopping Garside, and when Burnley got through to the other end Lomas was pulled up for offside.
The frost had by now worn off the surface, and the ground, devoid of grass, was literally a sea of black mud. The light also began to fail, and long kicking became the order of the day. A pass to the left wing was too far in front of Garside, and the ball rolled over the line, and the crowd began to file out of the ground with a home victory practically assured. Burnley were still ruling the game, and Whittaker had to save from Mayson. Final:
BURNLEY 2-0 EXETER CITY

The City have gone down, but only after a splendid fight, and are far from disgraced. The farcical irregularities of the pitch, which was nothing but a sea of black mud long before the finish, favoured the home team, and in addition Exeter had no luck. Both Burnley's goals were strokes of sheer good fortune for them. In the first case the ball was deflected by Evans, and Whittaker slipped when trying to save, or Mayson would never have scored. The second point came from what appeared to be an offside position. On the other hand it must be admitted that Burnley shaped as the stronger side, also the cleverer, and for long periods play was in the Exeter territory.
While Exeter City adopted their open long passing methods Burnley varied their tactics to suit every occasion, and as such were the more effective of the two sides. Neither goalkeeper was called into action very often, but although Walt Whittaker had more to do than Dawson, he could not be blamed for the two shots that beat him. But the famous Burnley custodian did get his team out of trouble on one occasion when he ran out to clear from Hughes before any goals had been scored. Garside should have levelled the account before the second goal, but was dispossessed, and Dawson had to save twice from E. Whittaker, who was the City's best forward. That Burnley deserved to win few will gainsay, but the Grecians won a host of admirers for their plucky fight on this, their first appearance at the Burnley ground.

CITY RESERVES v R.M.L.I.
Plymouth League.
In the absence of the Chiefs at Burnley, Exeter City Reserves this afternoon entertained the Royal Marines at St. James's Park, in the Plymouth League, before a crowd of over 2,000. Griffiths was unable to turn out as he had sprained his angle and his place at centre half was taken by Martin, Walker coming into the team at outside right.
The City attacked immediately from the kick off, but in front of goal the ball was headed over. Five minutes after the commencement the Marines made ground by means of long, swinging passes, and breaking clean through the defence Wells (Marines) shot into the net past his namesake in the City goal.
Scoring opportunities were missed by James and Cooke for the City Reserves, and for a time both sides were pretty well evenly matched. The Reserves, however, began to exert their superiority, and after 25 minutes' play Smith broke away on his own in midfield, and making a brilliant dash, got through the defence and scored with a grand shot. Just before half time Burton, the Marines' goalkeeper, saved well from James.
Half-time:
City Reserves 1, R.M.L.I. 1.
The Reserves took the lead twenty minutes from the end when White engineered an opening for Smith to beat the goalkeeper with a shot over his head that dropped into the net, and five minutes later Cooke passed to Maxsted who headed the ball on to Smith for "Tiger" to put into the net, thus doing the "hat-trick".
Final:
City Reserves 3, R.M.L.I. 1.

The Exeter team was:
Wells, Coates, White, Duffy, Martin, Pym; Walker, Smith, Maxsted, James and Cooke.