This film is part of Free
Eclair Journal 102-1
A Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough football match interrupts the many news reports about World War I.
Overview
It's late 1914 and the Great War has been raging for several months. Newsreels are full of war related stories but while the full horror of it is still in the future they take a lighter approach: soldiers tending to their horses and children playing at soldiers. But the need for football can't be held back. Tottenham take on Middlesbrough in a first division clash at White Hart Lane. It was a 3-3 draw but Spurs could have done with a win; they were relegated at the end of the season, one point behind Chelsea.
The Éclair Journal was a short-lived British version of a French newsreel. It ran from 1913 to around 1917.
Related
George Best at 21 George Best at 21
News 1968 7 mins Location: Belfast
Flush on wages of £160 per week, George Best ponders money in the game, the pressures of fame and his footballing future.
Don of Elland Road Don of Elland Road
Documentary 1974 26 mins Location: Leeds
Don Revie sits in bed talking to the Sunday papers, barks out instructions in a game at Liverpool, calls out the bingo numbers, and Terry Yorath collects his weekly pay packet.
Derby County and Brian Clough Derby County and Brian Clough
News 1968 4 mins Location: Derby
"The way we're playing I don't want to see an awful lot of them". Typically blunt words from Brian Clough as his team prepare for a visit by Leeds United.
Saturday Fever Saturday Fever
Cinemagazine 1961 9 mins Location: Tottenham
A snapshot of Saturday afternoon football watched by thousands of adoring fans, plus contrasting scenes of Southport and Spurs players in training.
Football Football
Sport 1967 28 mins Silent
Clement Freud explores the importance of football to the people of Liverpool - be they backing Liverpool or Everton in the FA Cup.
Target - Geoff Hurst Target - Geoff Hurst
Advert 1968 1 mins
England's 1966 hat-trick hero doesn't sweat the small stuff - or at all, according to this deodorant commercial.
Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan on working with David Lynch - Q&A Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan on working with David Lynch - Q&A
Inside Film 2025 38 mins
Kyle MacLachlan talks to BFI CEO Ben Roberts about working with David Lynch on the legendary series Twin Peaks.
On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.
Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.
All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.