SATURDAY 1st MARCH 1969.

BINNEY A REAL TRIER BUT CITY RIGHT OFF KEY.

EXETER CITY 0
Shearing; Smyth, Blain; Kirkhan, HarveyNewman; Pleat, Crawford, Binney, Balson, Mitten,

PETERBOROUGH UNITED 1
Millington; Noble, Crawford; Wright, Wile, Iley; Thompson, Conmy, Hall, Price, Robson,

Scorer
Peterborough Robson,

Attendance: 4,604.

Still no win after 720 minutes of soccer. This is part of Exeter City's poor home record this season, which in turn reflects their present position in the Fourth DivisionCity have not won a Saturday afternoon League match at home this season, True, it was a somewhat lucky goal that gave Peterborough a victory in this game, but Exeter failed to at least equalise it, Exeter did not play well and it was a poor all round performance from City, Exeter lacked urgency, were often too slow and often appeared to stroll through the game, Exeter had enough of the match but there was little punch Fred Binney tried hard at centre forward but lacked and badly needed supportAlthough City exerted plenty of pressure particularly in the second half. Peterborough looked sharper than the City when in possession, The goal that decided the game came after 11 minutes, a shot from Robson struck Cecil Smyth and the ball was deflected into the net in the opposite direction of Peter ShearingThe City did have their chances but were not sharp enough although Peterborough goalkeeper Millington brought off some good saves particularly from Binney.

Match Summary 

What a contrast between our football in the Bradford game and in this dis appointing display against Peterborough. This time there were none of the slick passing moves which shattered the Brad ford defence, and, indeed, there were long spells in which it seemed that our attack had no sense of cohesion and no real idea of how to open up the Peter borough rear guard. The Peterborough defence was quite a different proposition to that which we had faced in the previous game, but we again had enough of the play to have gained victory had we used the same brand of fast, open football. The goal that won the game was a lucky one for Peterborough, a shot from Robson being deflected into the net off Cecil Smyth. But considering the amount of time we spent in our opponents half without being able to get even one goal we had no right to complain about the final outcome.

SUNDAY 2nd MARCH 1969.

FANS EYE VIEW IN THE BOARDROOM.

Fans are naturally suspicious of directors. They see them as rich pover mad outsiders who buy themselves into their beloved game and sack or sell off their heroes at the merest of whims. Les Kerslake, 56, chairman of Exeter City, is a director with a differenceHis roots go deep into the soil of the game, from watching Exeter week in, week out, from the same spot behind a goal. Eventually he became secreatry of the Exeter City Supporters Club, running coach trips to away games, On holiday in Weymouth one year he saw a leaflet for a fundraising scheme a local man had dreamed up. The scheme which Kerslake brought back home with his to Exeter became the Red and White Club. In 15 years it has raised £200,000 and has probably saved the club from extinction. It was this success that eventually led him to the boardroom, Compared with the usual kind of chairman he is a freakHe did not have pots of money to put into the club, and has got a job which pays a salary every month with the Western National Danibus Compnay Ltd, for whom he has worked for 36 years, Les cares deeply about his club in a deeply personal sense, although his gestures of help are tinged with a chairman's natural showmanship, He once had squares of turf cut out from his own front lawn and laid in the St JamesPark goalmouthsHis formula for a happy boardroom is based firmly on financial reality. All the City directors have invested the same amount of money in the club, thus avoiding any power struggle,

TUESDAY 4th MARCH 1969.

PETER SHEARING IS NOT IMPRESSED.

FRIENDLY.

1.T.C.R.M v EXETER CITY;

This morning the Exeter City team accepted a challenge to a match from the Pioneer Depot of the I.T.C.R, M and went to Lympstone with a full side. The only player who did not think it was a good idea was goalkeeper Peter Shearing. He was left on his own as City spent most of the time in the Marines half. 

WEDNESDAY 5th MARCH 1969.

LINCOLN CITY UTILITY PLAYER MOVES TO EXETER.

Exeter City today signed a 23 year old utility player from Lincoln City for what has been described as a reasonable feeHe is Graham Parker who joined Lincoln City from Rotherham United last Summer but has not settled down in the area, he has played three or four first team games, Parker, 5'8" and 11 stone can play at wing half or inside forward and was previously with Aston Villa.