Clapton Orient Footballers’ Battalion Memorial, Flers

CLAPTON ORIENT FOOTBALL CLUB MEMORIAL, FLERS The memorial commemorating the players, staff and supporters of Clapton Orient Football Club who served in the 17th (Service) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment during the First World War, is located in the French village of Flers and was officially unveiled at a ceremony held on 10 July 2011. More than 200 Orient supporters joined local […]

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The Footballers’ Battalions Memorial, Longueval

THE FOOTBALLERS' BATTALIONS MEMORIAL, LONGUEVAL The memorial to the 17th and 23rd (Service) Battalions of the Middlesex Regiment is located in the French village of Longueval and was officially unveiled on Thursday 21 October 2010 by the Chairman of the Football League, Greg Clarke. Situated at the junction of the Rue de Guillemont and Route de […]

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The Story of the Footballers’ Battalion in the First World War

THE FOOTBALL BATTALIONS Following the outbreak of World War One, a heated debate took place in the letter pages of many national newspapers about the continuance of professional football during a time of national crisis. Several prominent personalities of the day, such as W.G. Grace and Field Marshal Roberts saw fit to pass comment. The […]

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The Story of Clapton Orient in the First World War

THE STORY OF CLAPTON ORIENT IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR A recruiting meeting was organised by the FA and the War Office at Fulham Town Hall, Harwood Road, almost five months into World War One, with a view to raising a which would specifically comprise of footballers, club officials and supporters – the 17th Battalion […]

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The Story of Walter Tull

THE STORY OF WALTER TULL The story of Walter Tull is perhaps the best known of all the professional footballers to lose their lives during World War One. Believed to be the first black officer to lead British combat troops into battle and the first black outfield player to feature in the top division of […]

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