The annual Staff versus Pupils Football matches took place this week. Hurst was originally a Football school but changed to playing Rugby in 1925.

This vintage photograph shows the last Masters versus Boys Football match played before the outbreak of the First World War. The last match played by boys versus masters was in the autumn of 1913, just before hostilities broke out and so many from our college joined up to fight in WW1.The Hurst Johnian School Magazine of 1913 said of this event, "May this early promise be more than fulfilled”. Sadly we know that of the 22 that played football that day in October, 6 died in that war. 

The HJ continued,  "The rival teams were photographed together, so that a souvenir of the unique event can be had for the modest sum of two pence." 

We revived this annual match in their honour for the centenary in 2013 and it has become a school tradition once again.

So this vintage photograph is a memory of that day and we have played matches annually since 2013 in their memory, but also to raise money for charity. This year it is for MIND.

This photo has kindly been shared from our Archives which you can contact directly on archives@hppc.co.uk