Football Battalion

17th (Service) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment
Recruitment poster featuring the Football Battalion
Active	12 December 1914
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Battalion
Role	Infantry
Size	600 troops
Nickname(s)	"The Football Battalion" "1st Football"

The 17th (Service) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment was an infantry battalion of the Middlesex Regiment, part of the British Army, which was formed as a Pals battalion during the Great War. The core of the battalion was a group of professional footballers, which was the reason for its most commonly used name, The Football Battalion. The 23rd (Service) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment was formed in June 1915 and became known as the 2nd Football Battalion. The battalions fought in the Battle of the Somme in 1916 amongst others, and soldiers who fought for the 17th included Second Lieutenant Walter Tull, who was the first black Infantry Officer in the British Army.

During the First World War there had been an initial push by clubs for professional football to continue, in order to keep the public's spirits up. This stance was not widely agreed with and public opinion turned against professional footballers. One soldier, serving in France, wrote to a British newspaper to complain that "hundreds of thousands of able-bodied young roughs were watching hirelings playing football" while others were serving their country. The suggestion was even made that King George V should cease being a patron of The Football Association.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle publicly objected and appealed for footballers to volunteer for service, saying "If a footballer has strength of limb, let them serve and march in the field of battle".

William Joynson-Hicks formed the battalion on 12 December 1914 at Fulham town hall after Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, suggested it as part of the Pals battalion scheme.England international Frank Buckley became the first player to join, out of thirty players who signed up at its formation. The formation was announced to the general public on 1 January 1915.