Home and Away: Football in the British Army

08/09/2025  -  1.07

Alex Alexandrou

The Fusilier Museum, Warwick is home to the collections of 6th Foot, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. It spans almost 350 years of the Royal Warwickshire’s history, from its inception in 1674 right through to the present day. The current main exhibition includes original artefacts from the 17th century through to both World Wars and most recent campaigns such as Afghanistan, that include engaging interactive activities, audio visuals and a replica World War One trench where visitors can experience the sights and smells of what it was really like to be in the trenches.

The Museum with the support of the Football and War Network and the Army Football Association is putting on a temporary exhibition entitled – Home and Away: Football and the British Army that will run from 27th August to 3rd December 2025. It will be accompanied by a varied programme of talks by leading club, local, national and international football and military historians and authors, with the added bonus of a related family activity programme during the school holidays.

Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 1933. Source: The Fusilier Museum, Warwick

The exhibition will tell the story of how football has shaped the lives of soldiers in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and contributed to the wider war effort in various conflicts, as well as during peacetime. Through rare objects including trophies, medals, jerseys, original war diaries, regimental accounts and photographs, the exhibition will reveal new local stories about football’s influence on and off the battlefield, be it from the perspective of an ordinary soldier to Field Marshal Montgomery! 

Referee's Whistle for the 1931 Army FA Challenge Cup Final. Source: The Fusilier Museum, Warwick

Visitors will find out about some of the professional players who served in the regiment and learn how matches helped maintain fitness and boost morale on the frontlines, as well as help soldiers develop teamwork and leadership skills. The exhibition also reveals football’s impact on the Home Front, including its role in creating new clubs for soldiers on leave, such as the origins of Stratford Town FC during the Second World War; rehabilitating injured soldiers; women’s factory teams during the First World War; little-known matches played with foreign prisoners-of-war; aspects of the history of Army Football Association, as well as the Games of Remembrance which took place between 2014-2018.

Dover S. R. Brigade Cup won by the 4th Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1918. Source: The Fusilier Museum, Warwick

No exhibition about Army football would be complete without reference to the 1914 Christmas Truce and the contested role football played in it as the truth behind the matches that were claimed to have been played is still hotly debated. As part of the exhibition, the Museum will be displaying a diary written by a key eyewitness to the truce, which will be illuminating.

More information about the exhibition can be found at: https://fusiliermuseumwarwick.com/exhibition/football-and-war-how-the-beautiful-game-played-out-in-the-army  

As alluded to above, the exhibition is supported by a programme of talks as follows:

13th September - Football and the World Wars: The Stories of Local Teams

Local historian, Douglas Smith MBE, explores stories of World War One soldiers from local football clubs like Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Moor Green. Whilst, Stratford Town FC historian, Alex Connor, looks at the World War Two origins of the club.

11th October - World War One Football Stories: Football's Role in Gallipoli and Ammunition Factories

Military and football historian, Clive Harris, discusses the impact of football on the soldiers involved in the Gallipoli Campaign and Steve Bolton, women’s football historian, discusses the rise of women’s munitionette factory football teams.

29th November - How Football Fouled the Christmas Truce of 1914

Historian, Taff Gillingham peels away the layers of myth and reality around World War One Football and the Christmas Truce.

More information and how to book tickets for these talks can be found at: https://fusiliermuseumwarwick.com/explore/whats-on 

The Museum is located on the first floor of Pageant House in Warwick Town Centre and is open Tuesday to Saturdays from 10.00 am until 5.00 pm.

Biography

Alex Alexandrou is Co-Founder and Chair of the Football and War Network