Kingston-on-Thames F.C. turned up four short in their first match of the season on Saturday against Wandsworth, at Wandsworth, and were defeated by three goals to nil.

This club has this season lost several of their most prominent players. J. Baker had early in the season accepted an engagement at Brookwood Asylum, and now he is followed by J. Fagan, who has gone to the same place. A. R. Short, one of the best backs Kingston has ever had is at Brighton, where he has been elected captain of the Old Strollers F.C., and with F. Lanham being unable to keep goal regularly, this has practically broken up their back division.

Of the Kingston forwards Bert Grant has, we understand, withdrawn from the club and thrown in his lot with the Hounslow F.C., champions of the West London League, 1896-7, who have entered for the English Amateur Cup, Middlesex Senior and West Middlesex cups and West London League. He played for them last Saturday at Hounslow against the Mercians, who were defeated by eleven goals to none, of which Grant scored four.

His chief reason for seceding from Kingston is because they decided not to enter for the Surrey Senior cup. He has been connected with prominent football clubs since a boy, and has played for Kingston, Surbiton-hill, Olympic, Northfleet, (Southern League), Culham College, 1895-6, scoring 37 goals out of 70 made by that team, and obtained county honours in 1896 for Oxfordshire when that county defeated Surrey by 5 to 2.

Since he has been in the south he has played against some of the best clubs in this part of the country, including London Caledonians, Clapton, Sheppey United, New Brompton, Ryde, etc., and when in the Midlands against such clubs as Kettering and Loughborough. His services have been in great demand this season, Northfleet and Southall being among the clubs desirous to see him in their ranks. Kingston's loss is Hounslow's gain.

Report from Surrey Comet dated 18 Sep 1897- see report in original format.