Report on the cancellation of the Ferry Works game scheduled for 17 February 1984 and the complaints of the Ferry Works club from Surrey Comet dated 24 February 1894.

"FIRESIDE FOOTBALLERS."- Under this heading "Half-back" writes from Thames Ditton: "Sir,-I wish to place a few facts before your footballing readers in the interests of sport. Last Saturday the Ferry Works F.C. had a fixture with Kingston-on-Thames Association F.C. on the Fairfield, Kingston. The Ferry Works eleven journeyed to Kingston and dressed ready for the match. Four or five of the home team were present, including the honorary secretary. Nothing was mentioned as to not playing the match until about fifteen minutes after our men were ready, when Mr. Lloyd, the honorary secretary, came in with the ground man to say that the ground was unfit. We offered to pay the Kingston team's fares to Thames Ditton and play them there, but it was of no avail. The end of it was that ten out of our eleven went on the field and had a game to themselves for over an hour. How's that for sportsmanlike conduct? Only a month ago Kingston-on-Thames scratched their first fixture with us, and played another team, for which we reported them to the Association; still it is possible that our late honorary secretary had something to do with that, as he had been playing for them for some time previous and our matches had been lapsing." See report in original format. Kingston-on-Thames F.C. reply to the complaint printed in the Surrey Comet dated 3 March 1894. FIRE-SIDE FOOTBALLERS. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,- Referring to the remarks made under the above heading in your last issue, I must admit that to some extent I agree with your correspondent. The members of my team ought certainly to have put in appearance to see if there was any prospect of play, and I believe I was the first to suggest it on the afternoon in question; but anything beyond this I cannot admit. The fact of the matter is that Ferry Works had gone to some expense in bringing outside players from Cray Wanderers and Uxbridge to assist them in lowering our colours, and having necessarily to postpone their intentions they very naturally felt rather sore. I should have felt the same. But surely it was needless to cast any reflection on the ground man, who of course has the approaching cricket season to think of, and if we had played and cut up the turf it would have given him an unnecessary amount of trouble to get it right again in so short a time. Your correspondent mentions that Ferry Works reported us to the Surrey Association for scratching their first fixture, but does not state why we scratched, nor the fact that the Association declined to take any notice of the complaint. o Ferry Works have been playing so regularly all the season that of course enforced idleness for one afternoon must have seriously affected them. However, wishing them good luck for the remainder -I am, yours truly, P. G. LLOYD, Hon. Sec. Kingston-on-Thames F. C. See report in original format.