British Consul-General Chris O’Connor, TV presenter Ross King, former Gladiators star Mark “Rhino” Smith and TV writer/producer Kris Lythgoe were just a few of the eminent Brits who gathered for a friendly game of football last week to commemorate the centenary of the famous Christmas truce of World War One.
A BAFTA-backed team lined up on one side against a team comprised of the business and diplomatic community on the other, as local Brits did their part for the Football Remembers campaign, which his being led by Prince William and in which embassies and consulates around the world have organized football matches and seminars to spread the message of peace, unity and goodwill. The campaign culminated in Belgium this week when UEFA boss Michel Platini unveiled a statue in remembrance of the combatants from both sides, German and the Allies, who put aside war on Christmas Day, 1914, and left their trenches to celebrate with each other.
Defying the orders of their officers, the troops ceased hostilities for a few brief hours to play a football match in the mud of no-man’s land, as well as to sing carols, swap gifts and share a drink or two. The Germans won the match 3-2, according to the journal of Kurt Zehmisch, a soldier from the 134th Saxon Regiment.
This week’s contest began with a reading of excerpts of the Poet Laureate’s Christmas Truce poem before the (friendly) hostilities commenced. Other participants included Xan Rufus-Isaacs, Jamie Donovan, Kris Lythgöe, Julian Stone, TJ Ramini, Bobby Summerfield, Matthew Wiseman, Jon Griggs, Muru Subra, Jim Piddock and Kevin Parry.
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