LFC U16s enjoy special trip to mark Battle of the Somme centenary
Liverpool U16s marked the centenary of the Battle of the Somme by playing a very special game against their Hertha Berlin counterparts in Cambrai on Friday.
The fixture was arranged through the Bundeswehr (German Army), Volksbund für Kriegsgräberfürsorge (German War Cemetery Society) and the Premier League.
The seven-a-side match took place at Stade de la Liberte in Cambrai, with the two teams being mixed together for the second half of the fixture as a sign of respect and unity.
A minute’s silence was also held ahead of the game to remember the soldiers who lost their lives during battle.
Both teams then travelled to Fricourt German War Cemetery, with players from Liverpool and Hertha Berlin reading wartime letters from 1916. A wreath was also laid at the cemetery as a mark of respect.
The occasion marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles in human history.
Fighting at the Battle of the Somme began on July 1, 1916 and lasted four-and-a-half months. In total, 60 nations from across the British Empire and Europe were involved in the fighting across a 25 kilometre front.
When the offensive finally came to a halt on November 18, 1916, the Battle of the Somme had claimed a million casualties.