School and Sport.

The School and Sport was an ill fated enterprise by former Amalgamated Press editor H. A. Hinton. It was first published on 17th December 1921 and was obviously intended as a rival to the Companion Papers. Hinton had left the A. P. under a cloud after he was found to have recycled parts of an old story when short of copy. In his long running series 'Lets be Controversial' in the Collectors' Digest Eric Fayne discusses Hinton's departure. You can read the article here.

Hinton persuaded Hamilton to write for his new publication and using the pen name of Clifford Clive St Kit's was born. (Note - this is a different St Kit's from that featured in the Pluck of 1907). The storyline would be familiar to any reader of Hamilton - Boy of unknown parentage makes good, tyrant headmaster, rescue from drowning and a good old barring out! Unfortunately Hamilton didn't received a single penny for his work and reluctantly bowed out after 8 issues (although Hinton split the last two instalments into 3 and created his own ending by use of a sub writer). There has been some discussion over the years about just how long the paper ran for - figures ranging from 10 to 28 were suggested. However it was reported in CD issue 91 that Roger Jenkins had visited the British Museum and confirmed 28 issues. Issue 25 was Magnet sized - and still featured St Kit's!
As Hamilton hadn't been paid for his work he retained copyright so was able to sell the work to the A. P. The stories were later reprinted in the Boys' Friend (September 1924 - May 1925) and the Schoolboys' Own Library using his own ending rather than that by a sub writer.

In the Collectors Digest issues 61 & 62 of 1952 Tom Hopperton discussed the School and Sport, you can read the article here.

For the 1981 Collectors Digest Annual almost 30 years later Laurie Sutton wrote an article featuring some of the more obscure Hamilton stories and he touched on School and Sport. In the editorial comment following the article Eric Fayne made some ill advised comments contradicting Laurie Sutton and as a result Laurie followed up with two detailed articles for the Collectors Digest Monthly. You can read the original article here and the follow up here.

To read Hamilton story in it's entirety I suggest reading issues 1-8 and the first 6 chapters of issue 9 of School and Sport before jumping to chapter 24 of Schoolboys' Own Library 188.