Schools to recreate WWI Christmas truce football matches

Schools across the country will recreate the famous Christmas truce football matches to mark the centenary of the First World War.

The games, which saw German and allied soldiers stop fighting on Christmas Day, are remembered as one of the most recognised moments during WWI.

And now the Football Association (FA) has launched its Football Remembers project to help children learn about the truce, which was also a time when each side could bury their dead.

Those schools taking part are asked to get both teams together for a photo and tweet it using the hashtag #FootballRemembers.

They will then be uploaded to the footballremembers.com website as a permanent online tribute to those soldiers who laid down their arms during the unofficial ceasefires.

The Duke of Cambridge, who is president of the FA, said: "We all grew up with the story of soldiers from both sides putting down their arms on Christmas Day, and it remains wholly relevant today as a message of hope over adversity, even in the bleakest of times."

Vicky Gough, schools adviser at the British Council, said: "It's a powerful lesson for all our children so we hope that every school in the UK will join this national act of remembrance."