FOOTBALL FATALITY
A sad fatality resulted from a football match played last Saturday afternoon on the Fairfield, between Kingston Wanderers and Cobham Hawks. It appeared from the evidence taken before Mr. Braxton Hicks, the coroner, on Wednesday afternoon, that a young fellow named Arthur Smith, a schoolmaster at Ealing, who was playing for the Hawks, collided with one of his opponents, whose knee seems to have struck his stomach. After a short and painful illness, the young man succumbed to the injury accidently received early on the following Monday morning at the residence of his Uncle, Mr. Shelley, of London street, Kingston. Mr. W. Drewett was foreman of the jury.
George Smith, schoolmaster, living at Hornsey, identified the body as that of his brother, whose age was 22 years, and who was a schoolmaster at St. Mary's schools, Ealing. He lived at 36, Boston- Park road, Brentford.
George Nott, a professional cricketer, of Surbiton Hill, deposed to being engaged in a football match on the previous Saturday, on the Fairfield, Kingston, in favour of Kingston Wanderers, and against Cobham Hawks. Association rules were being observed in the game. Deceased, who was playing for the Cobham team, was taking the position of centre half-back. About 4 o'clock the ball was near the Cobham goal, and witness endeavoured to take possession of it. Deceased at that time charged witness, staggered, and subsequently fell. Witness did not raise his knee, to his own knowledge, but he felt a blow on his own hip. The game was stopped in consequence of the condition of deceased, and some of the players took him to the pavilion, where he was attended to. The game was then continued, and when witness left the field deceased was still in the pavilion.

Charles Denley, postman of Street Cobham, said he was hon. Sec of the Hawkes' Football Club, and in that capacity was watching the match on Saturday afternoon. The ball was coming down from the right wing of the Wanderers and was passed across to the centre man, whom it missed, and the deceased, as half back, made for the ball. At that time the ball went towards the last witness, who put up his knee to stop it. Deceased, who was after the ball, collided with the last witness's knee. It was a pure accident which injured the deceased, and there was no foul play. Deceased did not complain of any pain immediately after the accident; he walked a few yards before he fell. He was taken to the pavilion, where he was attended to, but he gradually grew worse, and he was eventually removed to the house of his uncle, Mr. Shelley, of London-street, Kingston.

Dr. Brown, assistant to Dr. Shirtliff, spoke to being called to the Fairfield on Saturday afternoon about 5.30, and to finding deceased unable to stand. He complained of pain in the stomach, and he had vomited a part of his dinner. He appeared to be suffering from shock, but there was no evidence but that the bladder and stomach were intact. He attended the sufferer at Mr. Shelley's residence, and on Sunday signs of peritonitis set in, followed by collapse, and deceased became unconscious about midnight, and died soon afterwards. Before death clearer evidences of peritonitis had set in, and the result of the post mortem, which he made on Mr. Shelley's premises, led him to believe that the cause of death was peritonitis, consequent upon injury to the bowels in the form of a rent in the small intestine. The bowels had been crushed between the striking body and the spine.
The Coroner, in reviewing the evidence, observed that it was unsatisfactory that so many accidents should occur at football? a game which they all enjoyed, and which accustomed the players to a few knocks and tumbles. He believed that already this season there had been nine or ten deaths from football, and no less than fifty occurred last season. At the same time he for one should be sorry to see the game suppressed.
A verdict of Accidental Death having been returned, Mr. Shelley, uncle of the deceased, asked to be allowed to publicly express his thanks to the coroner and his officer (Mr. Burrowes for their kindness and thoughtfulness, and he was also obliged to Dr. Brown for his unremitting attention to the deceased. About an hour before the death of his nephew he asked him whether he attached any blame to anyone, and the deceased definitely stated that it was a pure accident.
The Coroner said that as far as himself and his officer were concerned they would take it to heart. He was glad to be able to know that everything was satisfactory.

The funeral of Arthur Smith took place at Cobham on Thursday in the presence of a large number of spectators. The respect in which the deceased and his family are held was evinced by the large number of floral tributes sent, there being some thirty or forty wreaths, &c., laid upon the coffin and round the grave. Beside the relatives and personal friends of the deceased, the body was followed by a strong muster of the Cobham Hawks F. C., and the following members of the Kingston Wanderers' F. C.:- Messrs. A. Collins, C. Collins, G. Whenman, A. Peck, G. Peck, W. Ocock, and W. G. Carn. A handsome wreath was subscribed for and sent by members of this club. The choir sang "Now the labourer's task is o'er" and "Brief life is here our portion" with much feeling, and as the body was borne from the church to its last resting place the organist played "Oh, rest in the Lord."

Further report printed elsewhere in the Surrey Comet of 8th November 1890 (see report in original format)

THE painful fatal accident by which a young player named Arthur Smith lost his life in an Association game on the Fairfield, Kingston, on Saturday afternoon, is, we believe, the first instance in which death has resulted from the playing of the game in the old borough, and it is with much regret that we chronicle the sad event. The facts of the case, however, show the circumstances to have been purely accidental, and that no rough play or blame can be ascribed to anyone.