WWI Christmas truce football matches to be recreated as part of centenary commemorations - Polidicks

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/xc2o.jpg[/img] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21393377[/url] [quote]Football matches played during the Christmas truce of World War I could be recreated for next year's centenary celebrations. Ministers are working on plans to commemorate the anniversary with a match on the battlefields of Flanders. The unofficial truce took place at several places across the Western Front on Christmas 1914. British and German soldiers stopped fighting and ventured into no man's land to talk, exchange gifts and play football. French and Belgian soldiers also took part.[/quote]

That would be pretty awesome.

I hope they end it by fucking shooting at each other.

[QUOTE=Paul McCartney;39539048]I hope they end it by fucking shooting at each other.[/QUOTE] watch yourself on that edge bro

[QUOTE=Paul McCartney;39539048]I hope they end it by fucking shooting at each other.[/QUOTE] No you should just shoot yourself

[QUOTE=Paul McCartney;39539048]I hope they end it by fucking shooting at each other.[/QUOTE] oh man i hope you're not too cool to be my friend!

I'm still surprised that so many men could put aside their enmity so easily and go out for a friendly football match. And before long they were shooting, stabbing, and bludgeoning each other. Geez.

[QUOTE=Paul McCartney;39539048]I hope they end it by fucking shooting at each other.[/QUOTE] Well...what else did they do pack up, go home, and end the war? They went back to war.

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;39539149]I'm still surprised that so many men could put aside their enmity so easily and go out for a friendly football match. And before long they were shooting, stabbing, and bludgeoning each other. Geez.[/QUOTE] For a while after, many men refused to shoot directly at the enemy, instead aiming too high. Then the officers in command got executed for treason. And war went on as normal.

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;39539149]I'm still surprised that so many men could put aside their enmity so easily and go out for a friendly football match. And before long they were shooting, stabbing, and bludgeoning each other. Geez.[/QUOTE] It wasn't exactly even that the soldiers didn't like each-other; to them it was just a war that they could fight. When they realized how much of a slaughter trench warfare was, it quickly turned from "Oy lets go get them Germans eh?!" to "Why aren't the politicians just making a truce already? Can't they see that everyone here is fucking miserable?" Eventually they just all gave up and tried to not fight, but would then be caught and executed for treason.

That is why football is the best sport. Such a easy game, everybody could play it.

[QUOTE=shian;39539356]That is why football is the best sport. Such a easy game, everybody could play it.[/QUOTE] Bahahahaha, fuck off. When kids play football the team with the most born and raised football fanatics wins, every time. Without training from a young age its a depressing shitty sport to play and impossible to pick up and play instantly even marginally well. Easiest sport by far is cricket. Thick bat so its easy to hit the ball, even the weakest swings send it flying, and the after-hit stage is simple, run from A-B, repeat.

who won the match ??

[QUOTE=Riller;39539186]For a while after, many men refused to shoot directly at the enemy, instead aiming too high. Then the officers in command got executed for treason. And war went on as normal.[/QUOTE] I remember reading an old Canadian story from the second year of the war. Obviously it was death to go and get jolly with the Germans, so the men wrapped up small gifts, smokes, booze, that stuff, and threw them at the German trenches. Then the Germans threw over some gifts of their own. It was a pure mess of a war, and yet that humanity could still shine through.

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;39539438]Bahahahaha, fuck off. When kids play football the team with the most born and raised football fanatics wins, every time. Without training from a young age its a depressing shitty sport to play and impossible to pick up and play instantly even marginally well. Easiest sport by far is cricket. Thick bat so its easy to hit the ball, even the weakest swings send it flying, and the after-hit stage is simple, run from A-B, repeat.[/QUOTE] Do you not even know how to kick a ball?

[QUOTE=ElectricSquid;39539469]Do you not even know how to kick a ball?[/QUOTE] Any idiot can kick a ball, but not everyone can dribble it around, run with it, look up and have an awareness of surroundings at the same time. Even from a young age I saw people who could do that with ease, and short of lucky instances where you could run like a loony at them and try to kick it away, they were impossible to beat. Without a load of luck or training allowing you to lift the ball off the ground and making it go fast enough that you have any conceivable chance of getting it past a goalie to scorie goals is hard or impossible unless the goalie in question is a jibbering idiot.

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;39539517]Any idiot can kick a ball, but not everyone can dribble it around, run with it, look up and have an awareness of surroundings at the same time. Even from a young age I saw people who could do that with ease, and short of lucky instances where you could run like a loony at them and try to kick it away, they were impossible to beat. Without a load of luck or training allowing you to lift the ball off the ground and making it go fast enough that you have any conceivable chance of getting it past a goalie to scorie goals is hard or impossible unless the goalie in question is a jibbering idiot.[/QUOTE] Were talking about a muddy field full of craters here I don't think there were goals And I don't think they were pros either

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;39539149]I'm still surprised that so many men could put aside their enmity so easily and go out for a friendly football match. And before long they were shooting, stabbing, and bludgeoning each other. Geez.[/QUOTE] You're surprised that men don't want to kill and be killed? Lol.

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;39539438]Bahahahaha, fuck off. When kids play football the team with the most born and raised football fanatics wins, every time. Without training from a young age its a depressing shitty sport to play and impossible to pick up and play instantly even marginally well. Easiest sport by far is cricket. Thick bat so its easy to hit the ball, even the weakest swings send it flying, and the after-hit stage is simple, run from A-B, repeat.[/QUOTE] Obviously picked last during lunchtime footy matches

[QUOTE=Zi;39539893]Obviously picked last during lunchtime footy matches[/QUOTE] I wear that badge with pride after I watched how those so good at it they thought life was going to be easy as soon as they became professional footballers ended up in the deepest ditches of society and lowest School classes. I am fucking glad I wasn't indoctrinated into liking Football by a pair of Soccer parents.

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;39540009]I wear that badge with pride after I watched how those so good at it they thought life was going to be easy as soon as they became professional footballers ended up in the deepest ditches of society and lowest School classes. I am fucking glad I wasn't indoctrinated into liking Football by a pair of Soccer parents.[/QUOTE] Come down to Elland Road I'll show you around, footballs great, but not if you are a leeds fan

Jesus fucking christ WWI started almost 100 years ago.

[QUOTE=Stopper;39539891]You're surprised that men don't want to kill and be killed? Lol.[/QUOTE] No I'm surprised that men who only days before were trying to kill each other, who have been told by their governments that each other are mortal enemies fit only to be killed, and who have spent months watching their friends and family be killed by each other, can put that aside so quickly and play a sports game together. Obviously few of them [I]want[/I] to kill each other, but for the most part, they will if they have to. The truce games were a way to escape the horrifying reality of the war, a reality that came back all too soon.

It's always utterly awed me that this happened. I mean, how did it even start? Who had the balls to actually propose the game in the first place?

[QUOTE=Seriousshakey;39539457]who won the match ??[/QUOTE] I remember reading somewhere that the british units won a few matches

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;39539438]Bahahahaha, fuck off. When kids play football the team with the most born and raised football fanatics wins, every time. Without training from a young age its a depressing shitty sport to play and impossible to pick up and play instantly even marginally well. Easiest sport by far is cricket. Thick bat so its easy to hit the ball, even the weakest swings send it flying, and the after-hit stage is simple, run from A-B, repeat.[/QUOTE] I never went to training as a kid and I can play pretty decently. All you're doing is kicking a ball at an intended target and running to a certain place. [QUOTE=Dr.Critic;39540009] I am fucking glad I wasn't indoctrinated into liking Football by a pair of Soccer parents.[/QUOTE] And liking football means you're brainwashed? Yeeeeeaaaaaaah.

Battlefields Of Flanders? [img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSfywrN3uFuX5YA20z44AYYNp_X0FzW3b7Go9uUj-HZT21E6eyg8Q[/img]

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;39540009]I wear that badge with pride after I watched how those so good at it they thought life was going to be easy as soon as they became professional footballers ended up in the deepest ditches of society and lowest School classes. I am fucking glad I wasn't indoctrinated into liking Football by a pair of Soccer parents.[/QUOTE] you're looking exactly like you were bullied on for not liking football bro just because (no offense meant) you're bad at it, or you don't like it =/= everyone who likes it is brainwashed, forced to play, or spent their life player.

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;39539438]Bahahahaha, fuck off. When kids play football the team with the most born and raised football fanatics wins, every time. Without training from a young age its a depressing shitty sport to play and impossible to pick up and play instantly even marginally well. Easiest sport by far is cricket. Thick bat so its easy to hit the ball, even the weakest swings send it flying, and the after-hit stage is simple, run from A-B, repeat.[/QUOTE] You can't have played cricket properly if you think it's that simple.

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;39539517]Any idiot can kick a ball, but not everyone can dribble it around, run with it, look up and have an awareness of surroundings at the same time. Even from a young age I saw people who could do that with ease, and short of lucky instances where you could run like a loony at them and try to kick it away, they were impossible to beat. Without a load of luck or training allowing you to lift the ball off the ground and making it go fast enough that you have any conceivable chance of getting it past a goalie to scorie goals is hard or impossible unless the goalie in question is a jibbering idiot.[/QUOTE] I see where you're coming from. I know 8 year olds who could easily beat an adult who never plays football. Just being able to kick the ball won't get you anywhere. You also need to graciously move it away from the person running at you.