Under-13s pay their respects and target Truce Cup spot

Our Under-13s players turned their attentions to off-field matters over the weekend, taking part in the Premier League’s Christmas Truce Challenge.

Tasked with producing an educational project to commemorate the famous Christmas Truce during the First World War, the players spent weeks planning a number of activations, which they then put into practice prior to their fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion at Hotspur Way on Remembrance Sunday.

Special-edition warm-up t-shirts symbolising friendship – designed by one of the players – were worn prior to the game, while our team also presented these as gifts to their Brighton counterparts, replicating the gift exchange at the Christmas Truce of 1914, where an unofficial ceasefire occurred on the Western Front.

Calling on the wider community, a local young bugler then delivered a superb rendition of the Last Post as a wreath was laid on the pitch, while there was also representation from the England national team – who were preparing for Monday’s World Cup qualifier against San Marino at our Lodge facility – as Three Lions coach Chris Powell, also our Academy’s Head of Coaching, took a lead role in the pre-match ceremony.

In the build-up to Sunday’s matchday, each member of our team produced either a written poem, diary entry or Christmas card based on the theme of the Christmas Truce, with one player selected to read his poem aloud prior to kick-off.

During the match itself, special-edition corner flags bearing the names of those Spurs players who lost their lives during both World Wars – as seen at our recent first team fixture against Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – were used.

In addition to paying their respects to our fallen heroes, our youngsters are hoping their efforts will be enough to win them a place at the Premier League’s Truce Tournament finals. Normally held as an Under-12 competition in Belgium, our current Under-13s unfortunately missed out on the chance to compete last year owing to the pandemic, but the top six clubs deemed to have produced the best project in the Christmas Truce Challenge will earn a place at a specially-arranged tournament at St George’s Park next month.