During the First World War the PFA ceased to exist and following protests the Football League suspended its programme. However, for troops on both sides football played other roles including being a popular form of recreation, it was a useful recruiting tool and was used to boost morale.
1. Football kept morale high
Troops on the Western Front would spend considerable periods of time behind the lines. To keep men fit and active and to maintain morale, sport was encouraged and in many cases officially sanctioned.
2. Prisoners of war played football
Football helped officers and orderlies to keep fit, although the Camp Commandant often stopped or prevented these games taking place. Only nine-a-side matches could be played in the camp due to lack of space. Many of the footballs were sent to POWs via Holland.
3. Football was used to recruit men
Football was widely used as a tool for recruiting men for the forces. Text on posters included direct appeals from the Secretary of the Football Association such as ‘Good sportsmen enlist now and help the other good sportsmen who are so bravely Fighting Britain's Battle against the world's enemy.’ Posters were also produced which appealed directly to supporters of specific clubs.
4. Football was played to prevent boredom
Most service personnel had to endure long periods of boredom when they were not in action. Keen to prevent bored seamen becoming restless and unruly, Admiral Jellicoe of the battleship HMS Dreadnought, encouraged the development of sports facilities at Scapa Flow naval base in the Orkney Islands. A football pitch was constructed, although there were complaints that the ground was too boggy.
5. The 1914 Christmas truce
Many contemporary letters and diaries describe the Christmas day truce during 1914 when opposing German and British Armies climbed out of their trenches and in a moment of humanity, played football in ‘no-man’s’ land’.
6. Women had their own munitions factory football teams
During the First World War, more than 900,000 women worked in munitions factories. Sport, especially football, was encouraged and many munitions factories developed their own ladies football teams. The most famous of these were Dick, Kerr’s Ladies FC in Preston. Founded in 1917, their matches drew large crowds. They continued to enjoy success until women were banned from playing in Football League grounds in 1921. Matches were played between teams from different factories and in north-east England, a cup competition was established.
7. Games were used as propaganda
Toy football games were created poking fun at the opposition. One game included getting the ball bearing ‘footballs’ from kick off, through the maze of trenches and into the Kaiser’s mouth.
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