The Football Battalions
The Elite Players Who Fought in the Great War
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Remove from wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Adding to library failed
Please try again
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
LIMITED TIME OFFER
Get 3 months for £0.99/mo
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.
The Football Battalions
Narrated by:
Oliver Hembrough
Buy Now for £12.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Oliver Hembrough
About this listen
'A brilliant book' - Kevin Day
'An extraordinary story' - David Williamson, Chief Political Commentator at the Daily Express
THE POIGNANT STORY OF HOW PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS WENT TO WAR
1914. Britain is slowly becoming football-obsessed: players are becoming household names, attendance is increasing and George V attends the FA Cup Final in May. Then the war breaks out.
In this fascinating work, equal parts footballing and military history, Christopher Evans explores how, once the war began, footballers were put under immense pressure to sign up, resulting in the formation of Football Battalions in England and Scotland. He recounts the wartime exploits of the leading footballers of the day. Some would return to leave their mark on the game; some would fade into obscurity; and some would never make it back.
Among them are Vivian Woodward, an Olympic gold medallist and football's first superstar; Frank Buckley, who would emerge from the war a hero and go on to redefine the role of a football manager; and Walter Tull, Tottenham and Northampton hero, who faced racism both on the football field and battlefield before becoming the first Black man to win a commission and command a unit in the British Army.
Drawing on archival material, this is a captivating exploration of the elite footballers who went to war.©2025 Christopher Evans (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
No reviews yet