Interim England football manager Gareth Southgate and three senior members of his squad – Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Daniel Sturridge – have visited Stapenhill Cemetery in Burton-upon-Trent in support of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Living Memory Project.

Local interest

The Living Memory Project is a nationwide initiative aimed at encouraging communities to discover, explore and remember the war graves in their local area. This November, The FA and CWGC are working together to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

Said Southgate: ‘I think it’s important for us to get a sense of perspective. We’re so held up in our own sport yet there are people that have given a lot more and they should be remembered for more significant acts than what we carry out on a football field.

‘We heard a remarkable story of somebody who came from Burton-upon-Trent and went to the Battle of the Somme as a stretcher-bearer and carried some of his colleagues back off the battle field.’

Football’s involvement

While the CWGC’s sites on the continent are well-known and visited, few people are aware that the commission cares for 300,000 graves and memorials throughout the UK in more than 12,000 locations.

The FA has encouraged football clubs at every level of the game to unite behind the Living Memory Project and remember all of those buried in CWGC graves in the UK.

Colin Kerr, Director of External Relations for the CWGC, said: ‘We’d urge visitors to lay flowers as a mark of remembrance but, most of all, we want people to share their experiences by tweeting photos using the handle @CWGC plus hashtag #LivingMemory. That way, we keep the spirit of these brave men and women alive and the war graves are never forgotten.’