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David Beckham and Commonwealth War Graves Commission team up for remembrance
Football legend David Beckham has lent his support to an engaging and imaginative new education resource from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which teaches students about the sacrifices made by footballers during the two world wars.
Glory Days – Football in Times of War is a ten minute DVD aimed at engaging teachers and students. Introduced by David Beckham, and supported by the Daily Mirror newspaper, it has been sent to all schools in the United Kingdom in time for Remembrance Day. The film can be viewed at www.cwgc.org/glorydays/dvd , while the Glory Days website can be accessed at www.cwgc.org/glorydays .
As David says, "We often talk about footballers as heroes, but the real heroes were those men and women, some of them footballers, who gave their lives in the two world wars, and those servicemen and women who still fight for us today. We should remember them always."
Peter Francis, spokesperson for the Commission added, "The Glory Days is all about challenging the assumption, long-held by some, that history is dull and boring. With David’s help it demolishes the idea that learning about a serious subject can’t be fun!
Our aim is to inform and to entertain. Equally, our intention is to spark an interest in history and a sense of respect for the footballers who gave so much, not only on a football field, but, in a different and more profound way, on the field of battle."
For further information please contact Peter Francis on 01628 507163 or 07766 255 884 or peter.francis@cwgc.org
Notes for Editors
1. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for marking and maintaining the graves of those members of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two World Wars, for building and maintaining memorials to the dead whose graves are unknown and for providing records and registers of these 1.7 million burials and commemorations found in most countries throughout the world. For more information visit www.cwgc.org
2. The Glory Days – Football in Times of War website can be found at www.cwgc.org/glorydays while the film can be watched or downloaded from www.cwgc.org/glorydays/dvd
By means of an interactive football game, Glory Days tells the stories of some of the footballers who gave their lives for their countries and how they are remembered. It explores how the two world wars affected football teams and how football played a part in times of war as entertainment, for boosting morale and for propaganda.
3. For more history of football, visit www.mirrorfootball.co.uk They’ve got a terrific collection of old football pictures going all the way back to 1903 and electronic reprints of the actual newspaper pages as they appeared at the time.
4. Glory Days was produced for the Commission by Sliced Bread Animation (http://www.thebestthingsince.com) and is supported by the Premier League, Football Association, Football Foundation, Ministry of Defence, the Professional Footballers Association and the Daily Mirror.
was produced for the Commission by Sliced Bread Animation () and is supported by the Premier League, Football Association, Football Foundation, Ministry of Defence, the Professional Footballers Association and the Daily Mirror.
Contacts:
Peter Francis
Phone: 01628 507163
Mobile: 07766 255 884
peter.francis@cwgc.org
