NigelS Posted 29 April , 2016 Share Posted 29 April , 2016 Today (29th April) BBC Radio Surrey's Breakfast Show covered the 1st Anniversary of the fire at Clandon House which destroyed 90% of the Surrey Infantry Museum's (SIM) collection there. Amongst the coverage was this interview with Tom Richardson (Click - FFD to appx 2:14:15) of the SIM which, as well as covering the losses in the fire, gives details of a special journey being made over today & tomorrow between Guildford & Kingston by re-enactors with two Edwardian footballs of a similar type to the one kicked off by Captain 'Billie' Neville on the 1st July (and the one lost in the fire). These two balls will later, on the centenary of the opening day of the Somme, be used at special commemorative events there and in Surrey. A short video of part of the interview showing one of the footballs & the chaps in uniform can be viewed on BBC Radio Surrey's Facebook pages (Click) NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 29 April , 2016 Share Posted 29 April , 2016 Thanks Nigel. Most interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 31 May , 2016 Share Posted 31 May , 2016 Another WW1 football? See: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3616950/Is-coming-home-Football-kicked-Tommies-Somme-sale-French-owner.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 31 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 31 May , 2016 The Daily Telegraph's version 'Priceless' football kicked by British WWI soldiers set to return to UK after 100 years - with Manchester United favoured to buy it Asked about valuable he thought the ball might be, Mr Zanardi said: "How can you value something that is unique, and so historic? It's priceless." So, just what is the asking price for something that's 'priceless'? NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 31 May , 2016 Share Posted 31 May , 2016 The Daily Telegraph's version 'Priceless' football kicked by British WWI soldiers set to return to UK after 100 years - with Manchester United favoured to buy it Asked about valuable he thought the ball might be, Mr Zanardi said: "How can you value something that is unique, and so historic? It's priceless." So, just what is the asking price for something that's 'priceless'? NigelS The article says the ball is clearly associated with the Manchester's but is there any proof that this is one of the balls used on 1/7/1916 ? Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 31 May , 2016 Share Posted 31 May , 2016 That was my first thought. Are there anecdotes linking the 18th Manchester to stories of soldiers going over the top kicking footballs? It could just be a football a soldier had for a kickabout during rest periods. I hope that the description in any auction catalogue and if and when it's displayed in a museum won't gild the lily. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 31 May , 2016 Share Posted 31 May , 2016 That was my first thought. Are there anecdotes linking the 18th Manchester to stories of soldiers going over the top kicking footballs? It could just be a football a soldier had for a kickabout during rest periods. I hope that the description in any auction catalogue and if and when it's displayed in a museum won't gild the lily. Moonraker Presumably there must be , somewhere, something to say they kicked balls about on the day but even so, without the connecting proof, it remains a football of interest rather than great significance. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 31 May , 2016 Share Posted 31 May , 2016 Extract from diary regarding Nevill and the 8/East Surreys Diary for 18/Manchesters fails to mention footballs, only that their advance was ordered for zero plus 1Hr 15m & 1Hr 30m as a carrying party to the 90th Infantry Brigade. They carried SAA, RE stores and Stokes Mortar ammo. Loads were later suggested as being too heavy, especially in the heat. Diary page Appendix K1 TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 1 June , 2016 Share Posted 1 June , 2016 Does any of the articles or Dom actually claim it was kicked on 1/7/16? Or as I read it a football kicked by participants of the Battle of The Somme? BTW village of Coin = Couin? TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 1 June , 2016 Share Posted 1 June , 2016 I wouldn't have thought that a football that a soldier happened to have in his rucksack was "priceless", whatever the perceived association. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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