Impacts of the Two World Wars on Exeter City AFC

08/11/2019  -  3.29

Aidan Hamilton

In August 1914, soon after the outbreak of World War One, St James’ Park was placed at the disposal of the local military authorities. Troops were drilled there every day. Two pre-season practice matches raised money for the Relief Fund. But how would Exeter City contribute to the war effort once it had been decided that Southern League matches were to resume?

For the visit to the Park of West Ham United on Saturday 5^th September 1914, recruitment advertisements were displayed. A recruiting sergeant was present, and after the game there was a public meeting from the grandstand aimed at encouraging those who had not already done so to enlist. There were similar scenes up and down the country at grounds where professional football was played. Although there was outrage that clubs were continuing their activities, continue they did until April 1915.

The last Southern League game at the Park until the end of the war was on 17^th April 1915, with Reading the visitors. Not long afterwards, with City ceasing to play matches, St James’ Park was loaned to the Athletes Volunteer Force. The rooms underneath the grandstand became the headquarters of the regiment. As well as drilling, there was instruction in rifle shooting. City were still tenants, but the rent, because of the altered circumstances, was reduced to a nominal amount by the Lady Anne Clifford’s Charity Trustees.

Despite the change of purpose, St James’ Park continued to be used for sport. In October 1915, a ‘City of Exeter’ XI took on the Combined Batteries RFA from Topsham Barracks. Wounded soldiers from Exeter hospitals were among the crowd. The beneficiaries were the Mayoress’s Hospitality Fund and the Equipment Fund of the Volunteer Training Corps. For the latter, proceeds went towards the purchase of stretchers and accessories for the ambulance section.

Military charity matches continued throughout the war. Not only were they fundraisers, they were seen by local army officers as a valuable means for promoting physical fitness and esprit de corps. In December 1917, at Exeter City’s annual meeting, it was reported that work had recently been done to the ground. The fact that the pitch had been put in thorough playing order again meant that it would be ready for when competitive football returned.

On 3^rd September 1919, the first Southern League game was played at the Park following the end of the war. City’s opponents that day were Reading, the last team to visit, in April 1915. Three months later, on 22^nd November 1919, before the game against Northampton, the Supporters’ Club organised a collection for a City player who had lost a leg in the conflict, Billy Smith.

In contrast to the First World War, when war broke out in September 1939 League football promptly stopped. The FA, in consultation with the Home Office, were to allow friendly and competition matches on a regional basis. So, a south-west section was formed, and this included Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United, but not Exeter City. Local military authorities had requisitioned St James’ Park.

The last City side to turn out at the Park had been the Reserves, on Saturday 2^nd September, for a Southern League game against Hereford. Soccer followers had six weeks to wait for the next fixture, leading amateur side Friernhay taking on an Army XI. No gate was taken. One week later, the East Devon Cup final scheduled for the Park was postponed. For the Express & Echo’s “Nomad”, it was ‘unfortunate’ that ‘the natural home of Association Football in Exeter for upwards of 30 years should be closed’.

The next time St James’ Park hosted competitive matches was in May 1940. Permission was given by the Commanding Officer of the Devon Regiment’s Infantry Training Centre. Sidmouth and Old Haywardians (Crediton) contested the “Football Express” Cup final, and there was the final of the East Devon Senior Cup between St Mark’s and Southern Railway. As for City, despite the fact the club had opted out of wartime football, ‘close contact’ was being kept with 25 retained players and assistance with equipment given to local amateur clubs.

From early 1941 the ground was used for charity matches; and on Saturday 4^th October, 4,000 assembled in the grandstand and on the terraces. On this occasion, a ‘demonstration’ by the Home Guard. On the pitch, besides displays by a bayonet squad and hand grenade throwers, there were performances by machine gunners, companies of route marchers and drill teams. Just over six months later and the Park’s surrounding area and the look of the city would be radically changed.

During the Exeter blitz, in May 1942, St James’ Church received a hit. As the Devon & Exeter Gazette reported: ‘Struck by incendiaries, the roof quickly collapsed under the fierce heat.’ The blaze was fought by members of a Home Guard company who were based in the adjoining school. According to the rector, the Rev Frank Lowman, ‘it was practically all over in half an hour.’ Among the victims of the raid were those with links to St James’ Park: City Chairman Lt-Col. (formerly Capt.) Hunter and former player Albert Potter, an ARP warden.

Thereafter, St James’ Park remained a venue for charity events such as the boxing meeting in August 1942 to raise money for sending parcels to Exeter prisoners of war and for the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. In January 1945, there was even an American Football game between two US Navy teams, in aid of the British Merchant Navy Comforts Fund; and in August there was baseball. The number of matches at the Park increased – City friendlies and games involving Service sides – and there was one organised by Exeter railway workers for the Red Cross. Wounded and repatriated war prisoners were guests at games.

As the conflict came to an end, Exeter City’s directors looked ahead to the 1945-46 season. One reason an appeal for £5,000 was made, in April 1945, was to raise money to renovate the ground.

Biography

Aidan Hamilton was born in Taunton. His first experience of watching Exeter City was over Easter 1971: two 0-0 draws seen from the Well Street corner of the St James Road end. In the mid-1990s he wrote his first articles for the Exeter City matchday programme. A City Supporters’ Trust member since 2004, Aidan is an advisor to the Trust’s History Group and a trustee of the Exeter City FC Museum Trust. He is the author of Have You Ever Played Brazil? The Story of Exeter City’s 1914 Tour to South America (2014), O Divino Mestre (2005) – a biography of Domingos da Guia – and An Entirely Different Game: The British Influence on Brazilian Football (1998). He has taught English in Brazil, China and France, where he currently lives.