Ten members of the official England Supporters Club helped mark the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Truce by playing in a special seven-a-side tournament in Belgium.
The tournament was organised and hosted by the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) and comprised teams from Belgium, Germany, France, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
It was played on the historic field in Messines, the spot where British and German troops laid down their arms on Christmas Day 1914 to distribute gifts and play football on various sites along the frontline.
The tournament was organised and hosted by the Royal Belgian Football Association
The England team was made up of fans from all over the country, from London, Walsall, Torquay, Norfolk and Doncaster.
Lewisham-based Paul Newstead summed up the feelings of the England camp.
He said: “Over the years I've been lucky enough to attend a number of commemorative supporter events whilst representing my country and wearing the Three Lions, but this weekend has been something that will live in my memory for a long time.
The game was played in Messines, on a field where British and German troops laid down their arms on Christmas Day 1914
“We played three matches of 20 minutes each on the infamous 'Flanders mud' and it was a struggle, I cannot imagine having to live, fight and die in that same mud for months at a time.
"However, the supporters matches were just an appetiser for the main event the following day.
"To be taken around the battlefields surrounding Ypres and seeing and hearing what went on, and the numbers of young men killed was a really sobering experience.”
After the football, the eight representative teams then went to a specially arranged ceremony in the Last Post under the Menin Gate.
They also visited a number of Christmas Truce locations in Comines-Warneton (Plugstreet) and Armentieres.
Teams from Belgium, Germany, France, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland all took part
Head of England Supporters Travel Club, Harpreet Grewal, helped organise England’s involvement in the weekend of commemorations.
She said: “This was a fantastic event to help mark the Christmas Truce and our fans were extremely proud, and humbled, to be a part of it."
The England team slipped to defeat in each of their three matches, against Germany, Northern Ireland and Belgium, and the tournament was won by France.
The weekend was rounded off with a special match between Sparta Dikkebus and Jespo Comines dedicated to the Truce.
The game comes at the end of the Football Remembers commemorative period
The tournament was part of the ongoing Football Remembers campaign which has involved The FA, Premier League and Football League working in tandem with the British Council marking the centenary of the Christmas Truce.
During the first weekend of December, team across the country were took part in a combined pre-match photo to replicate the spirit of the 1914 Christmas Truce.
All the images – over 11,000 in total – have been uploaded to a special commemorative website.
