CITY TOUR TEAM IN A BRUSH WITH THE LAW

Heard that one about the football team that got itself arrested? You hadn't? Then let me tell you that the team was Exeter City and that those carted off to the nick included their distinguished chairman and several directors and club officials. I hasten to add, however, that this astonishing piece of information is history, rather than news because it happened over eighty years ago. The City side of that season - 1913 - 14 - really did make history. It was the first British professional side to go on a tour of South America as part of a plan to boost soccer there. Getting arrested, though, was the least of their worries. During their voyage home the 1914 - 18 war broke out and their ship three times had shots across its bows - although these eventually proved to be friendly fire. But for the referee at one of their matches there could have been less friendly fire! After City had scored the first goal of the game, the apposing sides secretary brandished a revolver and threatened to shot the referee. The latter fled to the dressing room and called the matched off, but after some persuasion agreed to resume. City then scored a second goal to win the match against the local league champions, the Racing Club. And, so far as is known, the ref didn't get shot.

' It was the first time I had been under arrest and we all enjoyed the experience'

For all of this fascinating history I am indebted to distinguished Exonian Michael McGahey who gleaned it from a painstaking search of Express & Echo relating to the summer of 1914. He told me his grandfather, Michael John McGahey, a leading Exeter solicitor and advocate of his day, was City chairman at the time of the tour of Argentina, and kindly acted as the Echo's correspondent sending back detailed accounts of the matches and the club's adventures. Mr McGahey dug out the information at the request of a man who is compiling a book about the influence of British football on South America. He also sent me copies of grandfather's dispatches to the Echo, which I must say are quite brilliantly written. There was, though, delay in getting the reports into print back in Exeter. They all had to come by sea mail from places like Buenos Aires, but, nonetheless, appear to have reached Exeter astonishingly fast. With modern communication we would have match reports back the sane day should City ever fancy another tour of Argentina. How, though, did City get them selves arrested and what was their offence? Grandfather McGahey explains that while visiting Santos in Brazil, the players went to put in some training on a fine stretch of seashore with smooth hard sand, which was just ideal for them. Afterwards they put on their bathing costumes and went for a swim, though this was evidently observed by a resident a short distance away who complained to the police that the lads had broken the beach regulations. Using his own law training Mr McGahey told a policeman who appeared armed with pistol and sword, that there were no notice boards against bathing. The officer appeared pacified, but then a sergeant arrived with the resident who had complained. "There was a lot of gesticulating, shoulder shrugging, hand flourishing, eyebrow raising and tongues going," wrote our man in Brazil. "We gathered we were all under arrest and had to accompany these two men to see the Chief of Police. At first we were inclined to cut up rough, but I advised the boys to take it quietly. I offered to accompany the sergeant if the others were allowed to return to the ship, but apparently he wanted the lot. Our main fear was that our ship would sail at 2p.m. and it was then 12.30 p. m. We accordingly all boarded a tramcar with the two police officers and the complainant. At police HQ the commissioner appeared. The sergeant made his report and the complainant gabbled a lot: We explained: No notice, no policeman, no warning, everything quite proper, immediately left the water when asked, came quietly. The old complainant chipped in: "These gringos call me a monkey!" "But after considerable discussion the commissioner waved his hand and told us 'Pronto (go)'. We went, but not nearly as fast as the complainant who bolted up the neighbouring street. We heard later that the fine for an assault in Santos was 1s 4d (about 7p). The boys said they wished they had known it before. It would have been cheap at the price. When we got back to the ship everyone was glad to see us. The ways of Brazilian justice are unusually tedious and we would have been in custody for days. I had quite made up my mind up to pay any fine. It was the first time I had been under arrest and we all enjoyed the experience." Mr McGahey was, however, full of praise for the hospitality of the Brazilians and Argentineans and the sportsmanship of the sides which they played. They met numerous Englishmen living in Argentina who were involved in promoting soccer there. City lost their first match in Buenos Aires against Argentina North 1 - 0 before a capacity 12,000 crowd. But Mr McGahey says they still hadn't found their land legs after been three weeks at sea. They went on to win the rest of their games, even the one in which the opposing club secretary threatened to shoot the ref.

Details all from left to right: Back row, S Greenway (trainer) Norman Kendall (director), A Chadwick (manager), JI Pengelly, W Norman and GA Middleweek (directors) and SH Thomas (secretary). Third row: E Lewis, R Loram, R Gerrish, W Kirby, R Pym, S Strettle, A Evans, F Hunt, J Manaton and Groundsman. Second row: F Whittaker, J Fort, J Rigby, MJ McGahey (chairman), W Smith, F Marshall, H McCann, JC Lee. Front row: H Holt, C Patt, F Lovett, J Lagan, and J Goddard.