A MATCH which represented the coming together of deadly foes in a football match on Christmas Day 1914, was re-enacted at weekend

The match between British and German soldiers among the trenches of Flanders, was re-enacted on Sunday at The Cliff, by a team of players from Stretford High School versus a team of teenagers from Mönchengladbach, Germany.

The two teams, who have been working together with Trafford Council for 12 months, finally saw their efforts come to fruition as they contested the Sandy Turnbull trophy, which is named after the former Manchester City and Manchester United player, who lost his life during the First World War.

In the build up to the fixture, the team from Stretford High, who were also representing the Manchester United Foundation, took part in the Trafford Remembrance Day service, visited the ‘From Street to Trench’ exhibition at the Imperial War Museum and experienced an Army assault course a Fulwood Barracks in Preston.

John Shiels, chief executive of Manchester United Foundation, which helped organise the event said “We felt it was very poignant as a club to remember the journey of 14, 15, 16 year old boys from Trafford area who went off to war 100 years ago.”

Zeeshan Khan, the captain for the Stretford High team, said “We were all really excited and have been looking forward to this fixture for a while. We’ve welcomed the team from Germany and have all spent time together getting to know each other.”

Mortiz Nick, the goalkeeper for the German side said “It’s amazing for us to be here and play this match just like during the war of 1914. We’re all friends together, sitting next to each other on the bus and eating together.”

He added “It is important to remember that the English and the Germans united and it is important that we reunited 100 years later.”

The Manchester United Foundation team were the eventual 3-0 winners and will take that lead to Germany for the away leg next March.

Stretford High teacher Chris Hirst said: "The occasion may have been to commemorate past actions but the practical result was that they all made friends that will hopefully last a lifetime.

"If that is the legacy of this project then, for me, the whole experience has been totally worthwhile."