CITY KICK OFF WITH A FINE VICTORY.

BRADFORD CITY (Green) 1
EXETER CITY (Henderson 2) 2.

SATURDAY AUGUST 24TH 1963

AT VALLEY PARADE.

Exeter City had four new signings in their team at Bradford this afternoon for the opening game of the season.
One, the 21 year old Irishman, George Spiers, was making his debut in the English League just three days after signing for the City. Spiers came in on the left wing with the other new man, John Edgar of Hartlepools United and Dermot Curtis of Ipswich, beside him. Alan Barnett, late of Grimsby Town, was in goal.

Bradford City:- Fisher; Kelly and Ellam; Stowell, Smith, and Harland; Hall, Wragg, Green, Price, and Thorpe.

Exeter City:- Barnett; Smyth and Patrick; Mitchell, Harvey, and Anderson; Rees, Henderson, Curtis, Edgar, and Spiers.

Referee:- Mr K.Howley of Middlesbrough.

Bradford kicked off and Smyth broke up their first attack. Edgar and Spiers worked the ball down the Exeter left wing, but as the ball was lobbed into the middle Fisher came out and gathered it safely before Curtis could move in.
Henderson scored Exeter's first goal of the season with the second half ten minutes old and repeated the process six minutes later ta put the City well on top. Barnett remained unbeaten until three minutes from the end, and the City, winning a fine victory, could not have got away with a better start to the new season.

Match Report 2 

WORKMAN LIKE CITY OFF TO GOOD START.

BRADFORD CITY 1,
Fisher; Kelly, Ellam, Stowell, Smith, Harland; Hall, Wragg, Green, Price, Thorpe,

EXETER CITY 2.
Barnett; Smyth, Patrick; Mitchell, Harvey, Anderson; Rees, Henderson, Curtis, Edgar, Spiers,

Scorers
Bradford Green,
Exeter City Henderson 2,

Attendance 4,668,

City gave a brilliant performance at Valley Parade, it was a hard workmanlike performance in which Jack Edwards plan of when you are laying away defend and be patient until you get the other side rattled into making mistakes, then pounce" was carried out perfectly, Henderson got the goals in the 55th and 61st minutes with Curtis helping him to forge both of them. Edgar seemed to be what City have been looking for in the way of a link man whilst Spiers, although he did not make too much of an impression did provide the cross that led to the first goal, Most of the work in this game fell on the defence, They got a pounding for 70% of the match but they held out until three minutes from time when Green hammered in an 18 yard shot. The plan meant a lot of running and cover and one worked harder in this respect than Anderson, but the safest man on show was Barnett, his handling was clean and he made two magnificent saves that certainly kept the game from turning in Bradford's favour, For Bradford were a side that did not give up though they went two goals down,

WESTERN LEAGUE
CITY RESERVES 5 PORTLAND UNITED 2
AT EXETER.

The opening of the season at St James's Park saw a lively match in which seven goals were scored, five of them by the City Reserves.

Exeter: Parkhill; Quarrington and MacDonald; Rutley, Parsons, and
Grace; Cochrane, Symington, Redwood, Williams, and Ley.
Portland: Morris; Warren and Hoskins; Caswell, Wilkes, and Way; Stroud, Hollings, Bonning, House, and Macdonald.

Exeter Scorers
Exeter City Redwood 2, Williams 2, Ley,