| Letters on dispute involving William G Carn on arrangements for selecting a Kingston-on-Thames representative for the Surrey F.A. |
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SURREY
COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION.
TO THE EDITOR. Sir,-Various paragraphs and comments having appeared in the local Press relating to my expressed intention of bringing forward at the forthcoming meeting of the Surrey County Football Association a resolution to increase the number of representative clubs and to the subsequent failure on my part to get such resolution on the agenda I shall be obliged if you will allow me to explain to the large number of clubs interested how my intention has been frustrated. When at the proper time I was about to send in my resolution it was intimated to me from a private source that the Kingston F.C., whom I had represented for the past two years, did not intend to again nominate me and that consequently I should have no right to attend the county meeting. I at once communicated with the secretary of the Kingston F.C. who informed me that Mr. Shaw had been nominated in my place, but admitting that no intimation of this change had been given me. Two courses were open to me- to get myself nominated to represent some other club, or to ask the K.F.C. to send me as a delegate to the meeting, and in response to my applications the Kingston Hill F.C. kindly nominated me for a seat on the Council, and the Kingston F.C. made some tardy amends by appointing me a delegate. Unfortunately, when the intimation of these appointments reached me, the time had elapsed for sending in notices to the county secretary. I would remark that when at a recent League meeting I mentioned my proposal two of the Kingston representatives and Mr. Shaw were present, but although they must have known that I was contemplating again representing their club they said not a word to enlighten me as to my position. Owing to this conspiracy of silence the Surrey clubs have been deprived of any chance of increasing the number of their representatives for another year, and I was rather surprised therefore to see a circular issued by the Kingston club urging junior clubs to vote for Mr. Shaw as their especial friend and champion. This precious document holds up as a proof of Mr. Shaw's capabilities his efforts in relation to the Kingston League; the clubs in the League have a very pertinent knowledge of those efforts and their result, but I doubt whether such knowledge will bring Mr. Shaw many votes. With regard to the clubs outside the League, I can only suppose the K.F.C. wish to trade upon their lack of knowledge! Putting aside my personal feelings, I am much annoyed that the K.F.C. and Mr. Shaw should by their lack of ordinary courtesy have deprived the junior clubs (whom they pretend to wish to befriend) of the chance of improving their representation. -Apologising for a rather long letter. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, WILLIAM G. CARN. Kingston-on-Thames, 16th Sept., 1896. Letter
from Surrey Somet dated 19 Sep 1896- See
letter in original format.
TO THE EDITOR. Sir.-My attention has been called to a letter in your issue of the 19th, signed " Wm. G Carn." in which he accuses the secretary of the Kingston F.C. and myself of a lack of courtesy and a conspiracy of silence. He also sneers at my capabilities and efforts in relation to the Kingston League, but I am too much of a sportsman to take notice of his sneers. To me it seems to be a case of "the fox and sour grapes". With regard to his accusation against the Kingston F. C., I think I can place a different complexion upon it. In his letter he states that when it was time to send in resolutions, intimation was conveyed to him by a private source that Kingston F.C. did not intend to nominate him again. Might I point out that Mr. Carn received a written communication of the general meeting of the Kingston F.C. A full report of that meeting appeared in your paper, and in it it was stated that I was nominated in place of Mr. Carn. What more public announcement does he desire? Your correspondent goes on to say that he wrote to the Kingston F.C. regarding the nomination, which statement I flatly contradict. What did occur was this. Mr. Carn having received a nomination form, forwarded the same to Mr. Bartlett, requesting him to nominate him on behalf of the Kingston club. This being contrary to the wish of the general meeting I informed Mr. Bartlett when he spoke to me on the matter that he could not nominate Mr. Carn as I had already been nominated, and advised him to write to Mr. Carn informing him of the circumstances, a course which he immediately pursued, and so far as I am aware no further correspondence has taken place, except an acknowledgment of Mr. Bartlett's letter, in which Mr. Carn stated that he had no desire nor wish to represent another club, and now we find him on his own admission making repeated application to Kingston Hill to nominate him. Such is consistency. Now, coming to the serious part of his letter where he tries to throw the blame on the Kingston club for his failure to get his resolutions on the agenda, I may state distinctly and without fear of contradiction that it was his own fault, for when the county secretary received his resolutions a day after the appointed time he wrote Mr. Carn informing him that they were too late. He replied, stating that he thought that he had up to the 14th inst. in which to forward any resolutions, and it was after receiving this letter from the county secretary that he wrote to the Kingston secretary requesting him to nominate him. On whose side, therefore, does the blame lie? Certainly neither on mine nor on Mr. Bartlett's. I trust when Mr. Carn next writes to the press he will present the true facts of the case and not try to throw dust in the eyes of the football public with a view to delude them and thereby derive cheap notoriety. Apologising for the length of my letter, I am, sir, yours, etc., ALAN
V. N. SHAW. |