1918. Huge crowds of soldiers line the football pitch to watch the Fanshawe Cup Final in Trissino, Italy
It's 100 years since the famous Christmas truce, when English and German soldiers met each other for a cigar and a sing song smack bang in the middle of 'No Man's Land'. This truce was revealed by General Walter Congreve, who wrote a letter to his wife outlining the circumstances of the truce - in which a British captain shared a smoke with 'the best shot in the German army' and men from both armies fraternised in no man's land.
There I found an extraordinary state of affairs – this a.m. a German shouted out that they wanted a day’s truce & would one come out if he did; so very cautiously one of our men lifted himself above the parapet & saw a German doing the same. Both got out then more & finally all day long in that particular place they have been walking about together all day giving each other cigars & singing songs. Officers as well as men were out & the German Colonel himself was talking to one of our Captains.
Legend has it that a game of football took place between the British and German soldiers. No pictorial evidence exists of such a truce.
However, the Open University have sifted through the Imperial War Museum archives to show the importance of football in World War 1. Thanks to Kieron Hughes of the Open University for sending this our way.
1916. A handmade football net is setup by soldiers for an inter-company match on the Balkan Front on Christmas Day
1918. The football is crossed into the box as British Army troops play in the final of the Fanshawe Cup with hundreds of spectating soldiers watching on in the Trission sunshine
1916. A handmade football net is setup by soldiers for an inter-company match on the Balkan Front on Christmas Day
1918. The British 7th Division organise a football match on the Italian front, watched by crowds of Allied troops and Italian civilians
1916. British Navy officers watch on as Warship Company play a football match in Stavros, Greece
1917. An impromptu game of football kicks off between British and Italian troops, as others take some time out to rest on the hills and watch on
You can see more here.
