The Football Battalion: The Elite Footballers Who Fought in the Great War

’An extraordinary story’ - David Williamson, Chief Political Commentator at the Daily Express

’Lovely book ... a lot of unknown stories in there’ - Paul Hawksbee, talkSPORT

’Excellent... a compelling analysis, drawing on social, political and military history, eye-opening but enlivened throughout by his keen eye for the humorous and hypocritical’ - When Saturday Comes

’A worthy tribute to the footballers who fought, were wounded or lost their lives’ - Late Tackle

THE POIGNANT STORY OF HOW PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS WENT TO WAR

1914. Britain is slowly becoming football-obsessed: players are becoming household names, attendance is increasing and George V attends the FA Cup Final in May. Then the war breaks out.

In this fascinating work, equal parts footballing and military history, Christopher Evans explores how, once the war began, footballers were put under immense pressure to sign up, resulting in the formation of Football Battalions in England and Scotland. He recounts the wartime exploits of the leading footballers of the day. Some would return to leave their mark on the game; some would fade into obscurity; and some would never make it back.

Among them are Vivian Woodward, an Olympic gold medallist and football’s first superstar; Frank Buckley, who would emerge from the war a hero and go on to redefine the role of a football manager; and Walter Tull, Tottenham and Northampton hero, who faced racism both on the football field and battlefield before becoming the first Black man to win a commission and command a unit in the British Army.

Drawing on archival material, this is a captivating exploration of the elite footballers who went to war.

Christopher Evans is the Labour (Co-op) MP for Caerphilly, and has been an MP continually since 2010. His first book, Fearless Freddie: The Life and Times of Freddie Mills was published in 2017 and shortlisted for The Times Biography of the Year at the 2018 Sports Book Awards. He also wrote the acclaimed Don Revie: The Biography. @Chris_EvansMP