I noticed with interest the old photograph on last week's "Letters Page", under the heading "Down Memory Lane". Apparently it was part of a collection bought by Steve Sullivan of Liskeard, who wanted some information about it. Although I don't know who the men in the picture are, perhaps I could make a few guesses as to what they are and when it was taken.

Judging by the eleven players and the round ball, I think that they are an army soccer team and the man in uniform their manager or trainer. The two gentlemen seated in the middle row are probably young officers in mufti. The team members have the look of regular soldiers of the period, between the 1890s and the First World War. The "E Coy" and "3 LF" chalked on the football could give a clue to their unit, possibly the 3rd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, E Company. Although most regiments in the 1890s had only two regular battalions, this one recruited a third in 1898. As the men seem to belong to an "E" Company, the photograph must have been taken before 1914, the year during which the existing eight companies in an infantry battalion were "doubled-up" to form four.

To sum up, I would say that the picture depicts an army soccer team during the period 1898-1914, probably at a barracks in the UK and belonging to the regiment mentioned above. If I was a betting man and could get a good price, my money would be on the date of the picture being between 1898 and 1902.

LES PRESLAND

Saltash.