FOOTBALL CHARGE JULY 1st 1916

Colonel Treeby 1/1/12 displays one of the balls used in the charge.
On July 1st 1916, the East Surrey 8th Battalion Rgt was preparing for the "Football Charge" at Moutauban, France. Captain Wilfred P Nevill took with him 4 footballs, no doubt in his possession to entertain the chaps in free time! BUT realistically, as his troops dribbled across the battle field, to take their minds off the prospect of being mown down by German guns. Head down and charge!

His platoon was to cross "No Man's Land" and his troops cheerfully referred to the event as "The Great European Cup Tie-Final. East Surreys v Bavaria. Kick Off at Zero".
This was inscribed on one of the balls


Another ball referred to the 1 and 1/4 mile dribbling competition. Match v Death.
another stated in capitals "NO REFEREE" which implied there should be no mercy shown.

Leading his troops, Captain Neville fell early to machine gun fire. One of the balls was recovered and Neville, who was an old boy of Dover College, had his memory cast in bronze as a statue at the school and each year,  around November 11th, he is the centre piece of the school's Rememberance Service. His grave stone is below.
http://thebignote.com/2016/07/01/the-8th-east-surreys-at-montauban-billie-nevill-carnoy-military-cemetery/

850 Burials were at the Carnoy Memorial Cemetery, with only 30 or so unidentified.There were approx 20,000 deaths and many more casualities at the end of all this.

This headstone records Neville as an East Yorkshire man but was actually East Surrey after he changed regiment.
This link will tell you more about the two World Wars...and other blogs of mine also will.
It is terrific!!!! This link I mean, especially......
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/9-facts-about-football-in-the-first-world-war