10 Facts About Football In The Second World War 10 Facts About Football In The Second World War On 8 September 1939, the Football Association (FA) declared that all football except that organised by the armed forces was suspended 'until official notice to the contrary'. This was in contrast to 1914, when professional football had continued during the first year of war. In 1939, the threat of air attack and the introduction of conscription made it impossible for football to continue as before. However, on 21 September, the Home Office agreed to allow a revised programme of football as long as it didn't interfere with national service and industry. Crowds were limited to 8,000 in evacuation areas and 15,000 elsewhere. There was a limited regional league and cup programme. Home internationals and inter-service matches also took place and football remained a popular spectator sport on the home front. Players were called up into the forces or drafted into war work. Grounds were also badly affected by air raid damage and changes of use. When Arsenal's Highbury ground became an Air Raid Precautions (ARP) centre they had to ground share with North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. In all three services, football was encouraged as a way to keep troops fit, active and entertained.
A few teams with links to factories related to war efforts that are still around please add if you can The club, named after the Supermarine aircraft company, Reformed in 1992 as Swindon Supermarine fc Vickers, Crayford & Dartford Athletic Football Club
Anzio Football Match, May 1944. Courtesy Shepherd Family Collection Amusement on the Bridgehead is very plentiful more so than any other war front. There are cinema and concert shows every day, innumerable football, netball, and hockey matches and very well organised baths. At the latter they troop in for a hot shower, change dirty clothing for new stuff, emerge for a free cup of tea at a YMCA van and end up, if they are lucky in the cinema next door. The latter has been dug in underground by bulldozers- amazing machines which can make underground cities in a matter of days.
Another from Italy - 12th May 1945: Matt Busby and friends - CMF v United Kingdom. WEEK-END SPORT IN C.M.F. (© IWM NA 24991)
The Victory Home Internationals Championship. Trust Scotland to win the title! 15 September 1945 Ireland 0–1 England Mortensen Windsor Park, Belfast 20 October 1945 England 0–1 Wales Powell The Hawthorns, West Bromwich 10 November 1945 Scotland 2–0 Wales Waddell Dodds Hampden Park, Glasgow 2 February 1946 Ireland 2–3 Scotland Walsh Liddell Hamilton Windsor Park, Belfast 13 April 1946 Scotland 1–0 England Delaney Hampden Park, Glasgow 4 May 1946 Wales 0–1 Ireland Sloan Ninian Park, Cardiff
"Navy football match on Hitler Youth football ground. May 1945, Kiel. The football match played on the former Hitler Youth movement sports ground between naval party 1734 (based on the flagship) and the 30th Assault Unit of Royal Marine and Royal Navy Commandos team, who won 4-3. German civilians, young and old, flocked to see the game and to listen to the pipe band of the Camaronians, but there was no fraternisation." "Sandy Powell, the Assault Unit goalkeeper, kicking clear during a Naval Party attack." (IWM A28730)
Arakan Front, Saturday, 11 March 1944 RAF Aerodrome Codename George, Nidania 1-1 draw between 607 Squadron (Supermarine Spitfires) vs 20 Squadron (Hurricane IIDs) In his diary my dad wrote: Jim Spendlelow played in goals for 607. I looked into this name (free account, Ancestry.com) and National Archives. He was probably James Arthur Spendelow, No. 1041608, Born 1921. With a bit of luck, someone researching him will find this one day.
Avro Fc The club was founded in 1936 at the Failsworth factory of British aircraft manufacturer Avro. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_F.C.
