Forgotten Front: The Footballers of Loos

Posted on March 6, 2021 by

13 Comments

Was this the ‘greatest game’? On 25th September 1915, men of the London Irish Football Club kicked a ball into battle signalling the start of the Battle of Loos. We follow their story and the other London lads who fought that day in the slag heaps near Loos and Lens.

Podcast Extras

Category: Podcast Episode

13 Comments on “Forgotten Front: The Footballers of Loos”

  1. Looking forward to this one. Can’t wait to get back to guiding, hopefully in August. Particular interest in the VC story.
    Will look up some of the books too
    Thanks Paul

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  2. Smashing listening thanks, amazed that the soldiers were not wearing helmets just cloth headgear, quite incredible what they had to endure. That brings me up to date with your podcasts, 3 today and a great accompaniment to the completion of my WW2 Brewster Buffalo. Can you recommend any reading on the EFC/ ASC please, my grandfather served from 1916 until 1919 but apart from the medal card index and his original EFC staff particulars form from 1916 that we have I have not been able to find any details. KR Nigel.

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  3. Great Podcast and very evocative. I have been to Loos, its a grim and somewhat depressing area. A distant relative of mine was killed onthe first day of the battle with the South Staffs. I think they were pretty much mown down when they went over the top. Still I visited and added a poppy next to his name on the Dud corner memorial. All we can do is to remember. I found the area very confusing a further visit with a proper guide will have to be a future expedition. Thanks for keepting these stories alive. Best, Guy

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  4. Nice one….Loos 1915 Most Unfavourable Ground. As I say all roads from the Somme lead back to Loos. As you know my Grandfather was there as a Chemical Corporal with the RE and not a forgotten battle to me. Excellent as usual.

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  5. My Grandad Fred McLeod was from Battersea he joined 18th London’s (London Irish Rifles) in 1914 at only 16yrs of age and fought at Loos and throughout the war eventually winning an MM in 1918

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  6. Great podcast. I find myself more and more drawn to the battlefields around here. Loos isn’t the prettiest part of the Western Front but the industrial landscape has a beauty of its own in many ways. Loos, Aubers Ridge, Neuve Chapelle etc are first on my list of places to visit when Covid restrictions allow. I look forward to these podcasts each week

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  7. Excellent podcast about one of the forgotten battlefields of the Western Front, which I visited with you on the 90th anniversary tour in 2005. Although I “read up” for it at the time,courtesy of the Pen and Sword battleground Europe books on Hill 70 and the Hohenzollern Redoubt, it was very useful to be reminded of the meaning of some of the names , Fosse, Puits, Double Crassier etc. As a non French speaker, with no internet access to translation websites in 2005, I found these terms problematical. The only one that I did understand was the reference to Tower Bridge!!

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