The Great War: Football as Morale and Recruitment
In times of war the ancient Greeks established a sacred truce for the Olympic Games, which required the temporary cessation of war to ensure safe passage for athletes and spectators. The early Olympiads ensured peace whilst the games were active. In the modern era, no such luxury was granted as the 20th century was blighted by two world wars. Global sporting competition was duly abandoned. However, domestic football continued for the duration of both wars, albeit in a regional format. The Football League and FA Cup were suspended and replaced by newly formed competitions. Players enlisted and served the nation in a variety of roles, yet still managed to get the odd game of football under their belts. In June 1914 Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, which triggered a series of treaties and complex rivalries amongst leading European nations. Germany’s invasion of Belgium later prompted the British to declare war on Germany. So began the bloodiest of conflicts and the war to end all wars. There were calls for the league programme to be abandoned, as had happened in other sports such as rugby and cricket. But the FA mandarins were resolute and believed that football would boost morale, and create a rallying point for recruitment. It was also a means of raising funds for the war effort. In August 1914 clubs staged a series of matches to raise money for the Prince of Wales’ National Relief Fund. The initiative raised £7,000, a colossal sum at the time. The 1914/15 season began barely a month after Britain’s declaration of war. There was a naive conviction that it would all be over by Christmas. West Ham were making steady progress in the Southern League and finished in a highly creditable 4th place. The league programme concluded in April 1915 as Everton won the First Division title, and Sheffield United beat Chelsea to win the FA Cup. It soon became known as the ‘Khaki Cup Final’ due to the number of soldiers attending the game in uniform.
The Morality Debate and The London Combination
This was set against a backdrop of escalation in mainland Europe. Static lines were established on the Western Front and led to the hideous spectacle of trench warfare. The battle of Ypres saw the first use of mustard gas and the Gallipoli campaign had just started. It was becoming increasingly difficult to justify competitive football during a war. Satirical magazine Punch carried a cartoon that summed up the dim view taken by many observers. Many questioned the morality of athletes earning a living playing football whilst their compatriots were slain on a foreign field. West Ham were especially singled out for criticism. Frederick Charrington, a native of Bow and heir to the brewery fortune, reasoned that the club’s players were effeminate and cowardly, getting paid for playing football while others were fighting on the Western Front. The FA eventually relented and appealed for clubs to release unmarried players for enlistment. However, the Defence of the Realm Act was later applied to football and seemingly the game was up. However, the authorities still appreciated the game’s therapeutic value. The London Combination was formed in 1915 along conventional league lines and would run for the duration of the war. Aside from the capital contingent it also featured Southampton, Portsmouth and Luton. Players were free to guest for other clubs depending on their commitments.
Hammers on the Frontline: Heroes and Tragedies
Members of the Hammers’ first team squad were quick to volunteer and serve their country. Goalkeepers Joe Webster and Tommy Lonsdale enlisted as Privates in the Footballers’ Battalion which was part of the Middlesex Regiment. They fought with distinction in the most brutal theatres of war including the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Cambrai. The battalion lost more than a thousand men, including 462 at the Battle of Arras in 1917. Both men made it through the war with Webster playing during West Ham’s inaugural season in the Football League. Jack Tresarden had just broken into the first team when the war started. He subsequently joined the Royal Garrison Artillery and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. The half back would become a member of the team that gained promotion and reached the FA Cup Final in 1923. Among his comrades in the Artillery was future teammate George Kay. Although registered with Bolton Wanderers, he guested for West Ham and made 23 wartime appearances. Ted Hufton played for Sheffield United but guested for a number of clubs during the war. Some West Ham players were engaged on the home front but were no less important to the war effort. Herbert Ashton served as a mechanic with the Royal Flying Corps (forerunner to the RAF) and made 89 wartime appearances. Star striker Syd Puddefoot worked in a munitions factory for most of the war which may have been viewed as a ‘cop out’. ‘Puddy’ hit a rich vein of form in the London Combination scoring 100 goals in just 126 appearances. In April 1918, he scored seven goals in a remarkable 11-0 demolition of Crystal Palace. Centre forward Arthur Stallard played in the final 11 games of the 1914/15 season and scored seven goals. He later enlisted as a Private in the London Regiment. But tragically paid the ultimate price at the Battle of Cambrai. On 30 November 1917 Arthur Stallard was killed in action but his body was never recovered. He is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial to the Missing.
The West Ham Pals: Echoes of ‘Up the Hammers’
At the Battle of Cambrai, Stallard fought alongside the West Ham ‘Pals’ Battalion. In December 1914, the Mayor of West Ham applied to raise an infantry unit of local men. They were formed as the 13th (Service) Battalion of the Essex Regiment. Pals Battalions were essentially volunteer units formed to ensure friends and family served together. It allowed men to fight alongside people they knew and instilled a sense of camaraderie. In his book ‘Up The Hammers!: The West Ham Battalion in the Great War 1914-1918’ Elliot Taylor described how many of them supported their local team with a flat cap passion. All came from West Ham’s traditional areas of support, from Stepney to Silvertown, Leyton to Limehouse and Barking to Bow. The fields of France echoed to the battle cry of ‘Up the Hammers’ as both the fans and players made their mark. The entrance to the club shop is now adorned with a plaque paying tribute to our very own Pals’ Battalion. The Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918. West Ham had performed well in the London Combination and won the title in 1916/17. The club were elected to the Football League as 21 years of peace began.
World War II: The War Cup Triumph (1940)
When West Ham lost 2-0 to Leicester City on Saturday 2nd September 1939, it would be the last Football League fixture they would play for almost seven years. A day later the official declaration of war took effect. Unlike 1914, there would be no prevarication from the FA or Football League. West Ham’s playing staff were mostly employed in UK-based activities as part of the war effort. This meant players could appear more regularly and there was less reliance on guest players. The Hammers enjoyed a wonderful run to the Football League War Cup Final in 1940. They scored an impressive 23 goals en route to the Final at Wembley where Blackburn Rovers were the opponents. A healthy attendance of 42,399 saw West Ham edge past Rovers 1-0. The programme for the final provides a fascinating illustration of the players’ wartime service. Key players included: Goalkeeper Herman Conway (Deputy Air Raid Precautions Warden), Captain Charlie Bicknell (Special Policeman, War Cup lifter), Ted Fenton (Sergeant Major Instructor at the Army Physical Training School), and Dick Walker (promoted to sergeant in the infantry, served in El Alamein and Italy). Outside right Sammy Small is remembered for scoring the winning goal in the final. Victory in Europe was declared on 8 May 1945. Attendances were surprisingly healthy during the Second World War with an average of around 10,000 for home games. It provided some much needed relief in the face of terror and uncertainty; a brief oasis of calm when civilisation was under threat.
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