History

World Championship Dispute 1912-13

In 1912 and 1913, real tennis made headlines in major newspapers and their letter columns over Ted Johnson's abortive World Championship Challenge. In May 1912, after Fred Covey had defeated "Punch" Fairs, Ted challenged Covey for the Championship and on 31st December, Charles Garland lodged an official challenge with the Tennis, Rackets and Fives Association. To confirm it, he sent a cheque for £50 to the Editor of The Sportsman. Throughout the period, Covey and his sponsor, the Hon. Neville Lytton were reluctant to take up the challenge, stating that Johnson was not good enough to do so, preferring a re-match with Fairs.

Covey claimed in early 1913 that his practice partner was injured and that with his other professional duties, he would be unable to play Johnson. He also provided a doctor's certificate which stated that he was incapacitated by varicose veins and would definitely be unable to compete until October at the earliest. Covey's objections raised the question in the real tennis world as to whether a champion was entitled to a championship if not in a fit state to defend it. It was at this stage that the recently founded Tennis, Rackets and Fives Association decided to take full responsibility for the Challenge and ordained that "unless Covey is willing to defend his title under the Rules of the Association within 21 days after May 4th, 1913, Johnson shall be entitled to claim the Championship".

Lytton, a member of the Committee, considered strongly that the Association did not have a remit to settle disputes between professionals. In a letter to The Field he maintained that the World Championship was not in the gift of the TRFA to award, that the Committee was dominated by racquet players who "hardly know one side of a court from another," and that Johnson had yet to beat Covey in a level match. Nor did he believe that the TRFA had approval of the tennis professionals as an arbitrating body. He felt so strongly about the whole affair that he resigned from the Association and encouraged others to threaten to do likewise.

Lytton was an important figure in the game, a fine performer and Amateur Singles Champion in 1911 and 1913. A prominent member of the TRFA, his views and arguments were more likely to hold sway than those of Percy Ashworth who had been deputed by Charles Garland in his absence abroad, to organize and progress Ted Johnson's title challenge.

Johnson must have felt that his chances of a title challenge stood little chance of success and abandoned his attempts but declined to accept the title without having played for it.

On a lighter note, one of my favourite stories about Ted, concerns his cat. On arrival at the Court, the Honorary Secretary found that the cat had been "caught short" on the court floor - Ted, with bucket and mop in hand, wryly commended his cat for choosing to lay it on "chase half a yard"!

Andrew Hamilton