A number of UCFB Etihad Campus students have helped to organise a one off exhibition highlighting the players who left the pitch for the battlefield during the First World War, in partnership with the Woodlands Trust and the National Football Museum in Manchester.

Here, BA (Hons) Football Business & Marketing student Julia Kuźniak describes the project and what she and her classmates have learnt so far from The Footballers Who Went to War…

The Woodlands Trust is raising money to plant trees at the charity’s First World War Centenary Wood in memory of those who lost their lives, whilst the museum has prepared an extraordinary exhibit with memorabilia from the Great War.

Our lecturers introduced us to the project because our task was to prepare an event promoting The Footballers Who Went to War, which will take place at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday 6th December. The campaign is a reminder of all the professional footballers who played for top English teams and who died during the First World War or shortly afterwards.

It’s a brilliant initiative because it’s not only educational, but also incredibly fascinating for all those who are interested in football and history. Our plan is to host an event which will offer students, as well as important figures from the sports industry and local government, a chance to see First World War memorabilia; listen to our guest speaker Phil Stant talk about football before, during, and after the Great War; and to get to know more about the footballers who not only played key roles on the pitch, but also on the battlefield.

The support we’ve received from both the National Football Museum and the Woodlands Trust has been exceptional and very helpful in preparing the event. The work we have been doing during the lectures and outside of the classroom has been great practice which enabled us to use the Event Marketing theory we were taught during classes.

In addition, working with National Football Museum and Woodlands Trust has given us an insight into their organisation, daily operations, and strategies – an experience that will be beneficial for all of us after we graduate and start looking for jobs.

The Footballers Who Went to War takes place at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday 6th December.