The Great War

1914-18

The only known photograph of City during the Great War, this 1914-15 team group includes Robert Torrance (laid front extreme right)

The outbreak of war in August 1914 wasn’t expected to affect football too greatly. The general feeling that ‘it would be all over by Christmas’ was shared at the Football Association. The 1914/15 season went ahead as planned, but as the situation deteriorated on the Continent, League football was suspended in July 1915.

Football continued at Valley Parade in the shape of Midland Section competition throughout the war. However, it was a half-hearted affair, with games played in front of a few thousand spectators.

Throughout the war sad news would filter back to Valley Parade of players who had paid the ultimate price.

Robert Torrance, the man of the match in the FA Cup final victory, was killed whilst serving with the Royal Field Artillery during the Kaiser’s last all or nothing offensive on 24th April 1918 at Ypres, Belgium. Sadly, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing, near Ypres.

Jimmy Speirs, the captain and goalscorer in the FA Cup final, was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele on 20 August 1917. He was laid to rest at Dochy Farm New British Cemetery, Langemarck, Belgium.

City’s England international, Evelyn Lintott was serving with 15th West Yorkshire Regiment when killed in action on 1st July 1916, the first day of the notorious Battle of the Somme.

Ingleton born centre half, Gerald Kirk, a Lieutenant in 1st/5th battalion Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, he was mortally wounded in battle at St Julien. He died 24th April 1915 and is buried at Poperinge Old Military Cemetery, Belgium.

James Comrie, Scottish centre half, who joined the club following promotion to Division One in 1908, was killed in action 9th August 1916 whilst serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium.

City’s first international, England outside left, Jimmy Conlin. He was with the Highland Light Infrantry when he was killed in action on 23rd June 1917. He has no know grave and is commemorated on the Nieuwpoort Memorial to the Missing in Belgium.

Manningham born Ernest Goodwin, a City reserve, who lived on South Parade, right behind Valley Parade’s Main Stand. He died of wounds on Friday 21st July 1916. He was serving with the local West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own). He lies at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

Another City reserve, George Draycott. He died on Wednesday 18th September 1918, aged 30, whilst serving with the Lincolnshire Regiment. He’s buried at Gauche Wood Cemetery, near Villers-Guislain, France.

Girlington born Harry Potter. A former City reserve, he was with Lincoln when war broke out. He enlisted with the Lincolnshire Regiment and was serving at Arras when he was killed on Friday 22nd March 1918. Harry has no known grave and is thus commemorated on the Arras Memorial in the Faubourg-d’Amiens Cemetery in the town of Arras.

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