Wartime letters reveal how Melton soldiers played football near the trenches

One of the big diversions for the men serving in the trenches in France was games of football, often played as missiles and warfare erupted nearby.

And these impromptu matches were described in letters sent to the Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette, as our newspaper was then called, and published in the issue from Christmas Eve 1915.

They were discovered by the team at the Leicestershire Football Archive, which details the history of county players and matches going back to the 19th century.

The first letter published is under the headline, FOOTBALL WANTED.

It reads:

To the Editor of the Melton Mowbray Times.

Dear Sir, As we are without a football, I am taking the liberty of asking you if you know of anyone who has one, for which they have no use.

I am sure it would be greatly appreciated, as at present we have to be contented with an old sock stuffed with straw.

Our address is:- - Machine Gun Section, 5th Leicestershire Regiment. (The address has to be in the text of the letter).

Thanking you in anticipation - We are, yours faithfully, Six of the Melton Boys.

The second letter published in that issue of the paper was printed under the headline, FOOTBALL AT THE FRONT.

It was sent by a local soldier who signs himself ‘A Reader of the * Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette’, writing from Somewhere in France on Dec.12th,.

It reads:

I wish you to insert a few lines in the Melton Times, which I get out here every week.

A football match was played the other day between sides representing the A.S.C. and 13th London Regiment, which is reputed to be the best team out here.

But they got a surprise from the challengers, for the A.S.C. (trained on bully beef and good suet duff) beat the London Regiment (trained on rice) by seven goals to two.

The players were up to the knees in water and sludge, but it was a very exciting match, especially as shells were flying by in all directions, and aeroplanes flew over like crows going to roost.

The third letter reports on a keenly-contested game between soldiers from Melton Mowbray and Oakham.

This one is headlined, A MELTON VICTORY.

It reads:

To the Editor of the Melton Mowbray Times.

Dear Sir. l now take the pleasure of writing these few lines to you, hoping to find you and the Melton people well.

We had a football match which took place on December 14th, just at the back of the line.

The match was between Melton lads and Oakham lads. Oakham won the toss, and had the wind in their favour.

The game was very fast, the Melton forwards and the defence played well.

The sides were well matched in the first half.

Pte. Dennis opened the score after 20 minutes’ play for Oakham. This put more life into the Melton lads, and Pte, Linnett and Pte. Lane made several dashing movements but failed to score.

The first half ended with the score 1-0 against Melton.

The game opened in the second period with the wind in Melton’s favour, and the forwards pressed vigorously.

The Melton team was now far the better side, and officers and men cheered for them lustily.

The Oakham defence could not hold the Melton forwards. Pte. Linnett headed the ball to Pte, Lane, who opened the score with an oblique ‘lightener’ which drew forth loud applause from the Melton boys and officers, which made the Melton team more vigorous.

The Oakham side now rallied but ran up against a stone wall defence in Pte. Marston and Pte. Knight who were the backbone of the team, and were playing quite up to the standard of their old games at Melton which you all know of.

Then came the reverse for Oakham, Pte. Bullock, in a combination with Pte. Wedge. dashed down the wing and centred for Bullock to score the second goal for Melton, which gave them the lead.

Shortly afterwards, when time was drawing near, the forwards dashed down, and Pte. Bullock put Melton further ahead by scoring a lovely goal.

Oakham made a final dash which failed to penetrate the Melton defence, and the whistle sounded for time. The game thus ended in a good win for the Melton lads by three goals to one.

The Melton team comprised: - Goal, Pte. Sutton; backs, Ptes. Marsden and Knight; halves, Ptes. Scott, Austin, and Corpl. Knott; forwards, Ptes. Wedge, Linnett, Lane, Bullock, & Bott.

Linesman, Corpl. Stretton. Referee, Corpl. Betts.

Yours truly, Pte. R. L. Turner, 2774, a Melton spectator.

It would be interesting to hear from any family members of the players in the Melton team, if you recognise any of the names.

Please email [email protected] with details and any photos you might have of them.

These matches took place a year after the iconic match between British and German troops, when they laid down their weapons to kick a ball around ‘no man’s land’.

It is said to have happened on Christmas Eve 1914, when men of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) heard the Germans in the trenches opposite them singing carols and patriotic songs and saw lanterns and small fir trees along their trenches. Messages began to be shouted between the trenches.

‘The following day, British and German soldiers met in no man's land and exchanged gifts, took photographs and some played impromptu games of football’, according to Imperial War Museum website.

Click HERE to access more information on the Leicestershire Football Archive website.