Exactly 100 years ago this week football players’ concerns about the coming season were eased after the Hertfordshire FA confirmed that the outbreak of the First World War would not delay the big kick off.
FA secretary Mr Wagstaffe Simmonds had received a number of enquiries about the start of the football season in September but reassured the public games would still go ahead.
He called for all games to be played in the name of charity, adding: “The Football Association has issued an urgent appeal for financial help to be given to the fund that is being raised by the Prince of Wales to mitigate, so far as financial assistance can mitigate, the sufferings inevitably connected with the war.
“In the past, football clubs and organisations have done nobly when appealed to, and I sincerely trust that Hertfordshire clubs will again show their practical sympathy by their contributions.”
• To see the full edition of the Hertfordshire Express from August 22, 1914, click on the link to our dedicated war section at the top of the page.
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