‘Let those that come after see that this name is not forgotten’: Memorial to Charlton player who died in First World War
Fans and ex-players of Charlton Athletic Football Club attended a Peace Poppy Ball exchange in tribute to former player Herbert Nightingale, who died in the First World War.
During the event at The Valley, in Floyd Road, Charlton, a Peace Poppy Ball was handed over to Charlton Athletic Museum by quartermaster Peter Tait of the Woolwich Royal Artillery Barracks.
The Peace Poppy Ball was signed by the Mayor of Greenwich, Councillor Dominic Mbang, Lieutenant Colonel Greenfield, David Ramzan of the Children’s Football Alliance, and children from Notre Dame Catholic Primary School and Woodhill Primary School – who played the first game on Charlton’s peace pitch in October.
The peace pitch is twinned with another pitch in Flanders Peace Field, Belgium, at the site of the First World War Christmas truces – a series of unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front which saw troops cross the trenches to meet in no man’s land, most memorably to play football.
Mayor of Greenwich, Cllr Mbang, said: “The Peace Poppy Ball is a wonderful reminder of the power of football.”
The pitches are part of the international peace fields project, organised by the Children’s Football Alliance (CFA), which currently has 69 peace pitches over six continents.
The pitches commemorate all wars and celebrate “peace through play”.
The Greenwich Peace Pitch is inspired by Herbert Nightingale, born in Silvertown, Newham, in 1888 before he moved south of the Thames to Charlton, settling with his family in Mount Street.
A keen footballer, while working at Seimens telegraph works, Mr Nightingale joined Charlton Athletic FC and played for Woolwich Polytechnic – now the University of Greenwich.
Mr Nightingale was in the team when Charlton played their first-ever FA Cup match against Dartford in 1915.
In the same year, Mr Nightingale joined the Royal Garrison Artillery at Woolwich – serving as a gunner – and arrived in France on June 6, 1915.
His unit was positioned south of Ypres. On the night of January 11, 1916, Mr Nightingale was killed after his unit was fired upon.
Charlton’s former player was buried not far from where he fell, behind the lines in R.E. Farm Cemetery, near Messines.
Charlton Athletic Community said: “Charlton Athletic’s football in the community link with the Royal Artillery is perfectly connected through Herbert Nightingale.
“We are proud to honour a local man and facilitate children in the community playing football games on the first-ever peace pitch in South London.”
Charlton Athletic Museum trustee, Clive Harris, said: “The Charlton Athletic Museum is delighted to be involved in this project as it highlights the long-lasting links between Charlton Athletic FC and the military history of Woolwich and Charlton.
“The inscription on the grave of Herbert Nightingale reads ‘let those that come after see that this name is not forgotten’. The Peace Pitch initiative helps to do just that.”
Pictured top: From left, Will, David Ramzan from CFA, quartermaster Peter Tait, and Ben Hayes from Charlton Museum (Picture: Ernie Brennan)