Lost Football Heroes of the First World War

This book is a factual narrative of the many brave footballers who gave their lives in a dreadful conflict. They may be lost to the earth, may their memory live on. Today we live in a relatively safe world with football the number one sport, top-flight players being amongst the highest paid people in any profession.

Turn the clock back to the 28th July, 1914 and it is a far different world. There were over 5000 registered footballers at the outbreak of war, with tremendous pressure put on these prominent athletes to join the armed forces.

The clubs eventually reneging on the contracts allowing them to sign up. Over 2000 players answered the call, once the frivolous red tape and contract rules had been relaxed, though many footballers supplemented their careers with jobs such as mining, a reserved occupation in itself.

The heroes of the football field were about to became heroes of another kind, by paying the ultimate sacrifice, or having their lives scarred forever either physically or mentally.

About the Author

Jeff Williamson has been a Bolton Wanderers fan from being a young boy and over the years become rather an obsessive about all things Wanderers related.

His family have been connected in a working capacity with the club for over forty years from the late 1940’s through to the 1980’s, though they had been ardent followers for many years prior to that.

His enthusiasm for Bolton has never left him and as he has matured in years, he has moved into the historical and memorabilia side of football history.