Football match remembers WW1 Christmas truce

A football match commemorating the World War One Christmas truce has taken place in Nottinghamshire. On Christmas Day 1914, British and German troops stopped fighting and met at several locations in Belgium. A soldier from Newark, William Setchfield, was present at one near the village of Messines and he may have provided the football used during the truce. On Saturday, Newark Town played a side from its twin town of Emmendingen in what was billed a Peace Match. Luke Parsons, manager of Newark Town FC, said: "We've played previously. It's two histories, two cultures coming together to symbolise the friendship of what we are about." He added: "Obviously that was put down 108 years ago and we want to continue that with this game." The two teams have played each other twice before at the site of the front lines in Belgium for the centenary of the event. However, this was the first time Emmendingen FC had come to Newark to play. Parsons said: "It makes me incredibly proud to invite them over to England to fulfill another fixture." Jakob Griessbaum, captain of Emmendingen FC, said the team was "honoured" to visit and play in the match. "It's a nice opportunity for us to get together," he added. "We are happy to play football, to think about World War One and what happened there." Francis Towndrow, local historian for Newark Town FC, who was at the game, said the score in the two previous encounters was 4-1 to the German team, and then 2-2, but Newark won on penalties. "The Germans have been itching to play again to beat us so it's wonderful they are here," he added. The final score of the game, played at the YMCA centre in Lord Hawke Way on Saturday, was a 2-0 win to Newark. The Blues thanked Emmendingen and wished them "safe travels home", adding: "Thank you to all that came out to support. "Football is the winner. Fantastic to be a part of." Towndrow said research had revealed accounts of how good Setchfield was as a goalkeeper. He added: "We can from that deduce that he may have played in goal that day and also that [the] football he got for Christmas was used." Towndrow said Setchfield survived the war and stayed in the Nottinghamshire area. He died in 1959 at the age of 71. Listen to BBC Radio Nottingham on Sounds and follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook , on X , or on Instagram . Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. More on this story Match commemorates World War One Christmas truce 'We were laughing and talking with our WW1 enemies' WW1 letter recalls Christmas truce Related internet links Newark Town FC