Dan Jarvis MP, Labour’s lead for the First World War centenary, commenting ahead of the unveiling of a memorial to the Christmas Truce by the Duke of Cambridge at the National Memorial Arboretum, said:

“The new memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum will stand as a permanent reminder of the power of football to bring people together and serve as a force for good.

“I pay tribute to the excellent work of The FA, The Premier League, The Football League and The British Council in coming together to ensure those footballers who fell in the First World War are remembered in our schools and on football pitches across the country.

“The Christmas Truce reminds us that sport has the power to change the world and to unite people in a way that little else does. It doesn’t matter where you are from – it speaks to all of us in a language we can understand. That was true 100 years ago, and it’s still truetoday.”