As so frequently happens in trials, the West Ham "Blues", mainly reserve players, defeated the probable first' team, "Club Colours" at Upton Park.
Blues were the more impressive of two very friendly teams, and their 24-year-old centre forward. Stan Johns, on trial from South Liverpool, had the satisfaction of notching three of his side's four goals.
All the players took matters very steadily and the whole 90 minutes was punctuated with small jovial incidents and gestures so absent from the real thing. In fact the match took on the air of an ordinary weekly training game, the only difference being the presence of spectators.
Inside forward. George Petchley, was unable to get leave from the Army and his place at inside-left in the "Blues" was taken by Wade, whose position on the left wing was filled by Tucker.
Onlookers had barely time to glance at their programmes before Gerry Gazzard followed up a long centre from Jackson and ran the ball over the line to put the Blues ahead after 30 seconds. Still the second strings continued to dominate the proceedings and after an exciting bombardment of the Colours' goal by Gazzard, Tucker, Wade and Jackman, Johns scored the first of his three goals with a quick turn and snap shot.
The first eleven were thus two goals down in the first 12 minutes, but nobody worried and the momentum and spirit did not change one iota.
As an opportunity of assessing newcomers' abilities and to discover if the old 'uns have still got it there, the match did not help much.
Gazzard looking very fit and perhaps a little speedier than last season, was the best player on view. Ken Tucker had a good first half, but rarely touched the ball after the interval. Dick Walker was as casual as ever, but showed that he could get there when he wanted to. Eric Belts did a lot of hard first-time picking but did not indulge in much positional play and all four backs, Forde, Yeomanson, Kearns and Armstrong took the chance of extra practice at long-range clearances. Jackman displayed pace and craft at left half for the "Blues" and his companion on the right Hank, Andy Malcolm, the club's newest and youngest professional, performed with an ease and coolness that augurs well.