FOOTBALLERS squared off this weekend to recreate a match that was played in the midst of the horror of the First World War nearly 100 years on.
Christmas Truce games are said to have broken out in the battlefields of Belgium in 1914.
And Newark Town FC played a team from their German twin town of Emmendingen, in Ypres as part of the commemorations of the Great War, the Germans winning 4-1 in front of a crowd of around 150.
Lewis Poole, of Sawyer's Close, Newark, is a serving soldier in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment, known as the Poachers and captained the side.
The 21-year-old said: "Obviously we wanted to win, but the result wasn't really important and it was a great game to be part of.
"It was a very emotional weekend – seeing all the graves and paying our respects to those that gave their lives in the war.
"I feel pretty honoured to have taken part in the game too. We both gave 100 per cent and wanted to win, but they were stronger."
The idea to recreate the truce game was that of Newark historian Francis Towndrow who had been researching the diaries of Newark soldier William Setchfield, the man widely credited to have sparked the kick-about on the battlefields.
Private Setchfield, said to be a keen Forest fan, served in the 1st Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and in a letter sent to his brother from the front, said: "We spent a wonderful Christmas. The Germans came over to us in the afternoon and we had our photos taken with them, but it would be a big task to put everything that happened in a letter. Forest made a draw with Derby, I see, although I haven't seen anything about the game yet."
The trip was granted £8,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and £650 has been secured from Newark Town Council to send an official delegation.
Amateur photographer Ben Blyth, 18, was invited on to the trip by the team.
He said: "It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get involved, it was just really humbling to see people play football knowing what happened there 100 years ago.
"The difference was we got to go home but they didn't."
What are you doing to commemorate the war? Email newsdesk@nottinghampost.com
