When The Whistle Blows – History of the Footballers Battalion in the Great War

At the outbreak of war in August 1914, the new football season had only just started once again and all the professional players were involved. The cricket season had come to an end, rugby was an amateur game and had decided not to start their season. As the war continued in to winter 1914 football was gathering a lot of opposition to their continued season.

Many of the complaints were coming from those in the Upper and Upper Middle Classes that the men were not doing their duty towards their country. They were also the section of the community that had opposed the working classes enjoying the sport and sporting professionalism. What these people also conveniently forgot that out of the 1 million men that had volunteered for the service over 50% had come from the footballing community.

It was also noted that while people were complaining about professional football, they did not complain about horse racing, another professional sport of the rich, or the theatres being open. Horse racing was not suspended until June 1918 and then Newmarket close to Sandringham and the King kept going.

When the Whistle Blows is about the raising of the 17th Middlesex Battalion which became known as the footballer’s battalion, from its inception at Fulham Town Hall in December 1914 to when it was disbanded in February 1918. From its training through to all the Battles that the Battalion took part in, those who were killed, those who wounded to those who survived the war.

This is a well-researched book that uses official documents of the battalion such as the Battalion’s War Diary, as well as a wide range of source material, from club programmes, archives and newspapers amongst others. Many of the original documents are quoted extensively, with clear maps so you know exactly where the Battalion was during the various Battles.

Through this book I learnt that Brighton and Hove Albion made one of the most impressive contributions to the Battalion, when 13 out of the 17 professional players signed up with the 17th Middlesex. At the same time, we learn that some of these players who were heroes on the pitch to their fans were also heroes in Battle and that footballers were not hiding away behind the lines.

Throughout the chapters we are taken on a journey along with the men of the 17th Middlesex as they fought on the Somme and in particular Delville Wood where Lt Evelyn Lintott, the first professional football to receive a commission, was killed. At the same time how when going over the top at the Somme Captain Billie Nevill kicked four footballs over and offered a prize to any soldier that dribbles one of the balls in to the German trenches.

This books sometimes reveals the coolness with which the footballers faced their imminent death stoically, such as the Aston Villa player William Gerrish whose legs had been shattered, lay quietly smoking a cigarette waiting for the stretcher, he later died of those wounds.

When The Whistle Blows finally tells the tale of how footballers did go to war, and many paid the ultimate price with their lives. It also shows how quickly their sacrifice was forgotten by the critics of football after the War, some of whom were still criticising professional football, saying they had not done enough. This book shows that they did their duty towards King and County and many came back and never talked of their experiences and many were left behind with no known grave. ( )