Newark Town FC beat German visitors Emmendingen FC 2-0 on Saturday in a Peace Match marking the 1914 Christmas Truce, symbolising a heartwarming collaboration between England and Germany, and remembering an important moment in our history, at this poignant time of year.
On Christmas Day 1914, British and German soldiers stopped fighting at several points in Belgium. Newark soldier William Setchfield was at one of them, near Messines. Club historian Francis Towndrow says accounts of Setchfield's goalkeeping suggest he may have played in goal that day, and that the football he received as a Christmas present may have been the one used during the game. Setchfield survived the war and died in 1959, aged 71.
The sides had met twice before in Belgium, at the site of the original front lines, with Emmendingen winning 4-1 and the second game finishing 2-2 before Newark won on penalties. This was Emmendingen's first visit to Newark, and the teams exchanged a replica First World War-era football.
Newark manager Luke Parsons said: "It's two histories, two cultures coming together to symbolise the friendship of what we are about." Emmendingen captain Jakob Griessbaum said his team was "honoured" to take part: "We are happy to play football, to think about World War One and what happened there."
