U12s learn about Christmas truce in Ypres
Liverpool U12s travelled to Belgium this weekend for a series of events centered around the centenary of one of the most unique acts in war history - the 1914 Christmas truce football matches.
All 20 clubs from the Barclays Premier League were represented in Ypres at the annual Christmas Truce National Tournament - and the Reds youngsters progressed all the way to the final, where they lost out to Chelsea.
The fact that they were finalists, however, means Liverpool will return to the city in December to play in the Christmas Truce International Tournament against teams from Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and Scotland.
The Premier League has held the competition in Ypres since 2011 - and in December 2013 committed to building a floodlit third-generation pitch on KVK Westhoek's Crack Stadion facility.
The new 'Christmas Truce Pitch' was officially opened on Friday by Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore and Jan Durnez, the Mayor of Ypres, in time to host this year's tournament.
Liverpool's trip to the Flanders city formed part of 'Football Remembers', a collaboration between the Premier League, The FA, the Football League and the British Council - and the venture was about more than just football for the young Reds.
On Friday night, all players and coaching staff attended the Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony, where one player from each club placed a wreath as a mark of respect to the 54,896 British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Ypres Salient in World War One.
The following day, the young players took in a one-man theatre show about the Christmas truce called 'Our Friend The Enemy'.
Additionally, the collated thoughts of the boys who took part in the tournament will be passed on to poet and BBC presenter, Ian McMillan, who has been commissioned to write a new poem about the Christmas truce.
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