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Peter Ricketts

Ambassador to France from February 2012 to January 2016.

Part of UK in France

8th December 2014 Paris, France

#FootballRemembers: commemorating the Christmas Truce in 1914

The Embassy football team
The Embassy football team

I’m really proud that the British Council team here in Paris have been leading the campaign with the Council to remember the football truce, that extraordinary moment around Christmas of 1914 when British and German soldiers got out of their trenches around Ypres (but we think also in some areas in France) and ended up playing football together in no man’s land.


Written version (continued)

A moment of humanity in amongst that period of total war.

So it’s very moving that over this previous week end, all the Premiere League and Footbal League matches have had a moment to mark the football truce ; that His Royal Highness Prince William will be unveiling in our National Arboretum a monument on the 12th of December, designed by an eleven year old boy to mark the football truce.

So I hope that if you’re involved in a game of football over the next few days or you know people who are, you will encourage them to take a moment to remember that period where the two sides came together in a moment of fraternity to play football. And we’re asking you to tweet with #FootballRemembers.