Ahead of this year's Remembrance Day, the Academy’s U12s learned the inspiring story of Walter Tull.
Sunday 11 November – Remembrance Sunday – saw the Academy of Football’s U12s travel to Aldershot to compete for the opportunity to attend the Premier League’s annual Christmas Truce Tournament.
If successful in the qualifying event, the team will attend the prestigious tournament which is held each year in Ypres, Belgium.
The unique tournament is an opportunity for the boys to compete against top clubs from countries that were involved in both World Wars and visits to key landmarks from will be on agenda as the boys learn about the sacrifices of many young men at the time.
Last year, the current Academy U13s were fortunate to qualify for the prestigious Christmas Truce Tournament through their production of an education project that raised awareness about the Battle of Passchendaele.
They attended the tournament, winning their group having finished unbeaten, before – to everyone’s dismay – adverse weather conditions meant that the tournament had to be postponed ahead of a semi-final match with Arsenal.
This year, in the build-up to qualifying, the U12s have been learning about the life and achievements of Walter Tull, a key figure who ties into both the commemoration of soliders who fought in WWI and Black History Month.
Not only was Tull one of English football's first-ever black players, but he was also the first black person to serve as an officer in the British army, and here the U12s tell his story...