Dragon Interview: Col Patrick Crowley – Organiser of the “Over the Top” Football Tournament

Published on: 23 Jun, 2016
Updated on: 25 Jun, 2016

Col Patrick Crowley holding a replica of a football kicked “over the top” at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 by the East Surreys. In the background, men of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment parachute team.

Col (Retd) Patrick Crowley, a former Army cadet at St Peter’s School, Merrow, is currently the chief executive of the South East Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association. He leads a tri-service team which promotes the Reserves and encourages the Cadet experience in the nine counties of the South-East. This follows 34 years of service with the Queen’s Regiment and The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, in which he is still Deputy Colonel.

He is a keen military historian, having published two editions of Guide to The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. He is also a battlefield guide having recently led groups to the bicentenary events associated with the Peninsular War Battles of Albuera and Salamanca.

What is the “Over the Top” football tournament all about?

This is a unique football event on 1 July 2016 at Surrey Sports Park, Guildford. It will commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme; 20,000 British soldiers were killed on that first day.

One British Army unit, 8th Battalion The East Surrey Regiment, kicked footballs “over the top” to encourage the troops to advance. One hundred years later, there will be 18 teams, military and civilian, male and female, adults and youth, playing each other and remembering the sacrifices made by local men from the South East of England.

There will also be a short commemorative ceremony at the end of the event and money is being raised for two charities: the Soldiers’ Charity and the local regiment’s museum fund.

Why is it important to commemorate these terrible events, shouldn’t we try to be positive and look more to the future.

Huge sacrifices were made during the battle of the Somme, by all sides – one million casualties between 1 July 1916 and mid-November 1916. We owe it to those thousands of men from the South East, and their families, to remember what they achieved in what was the bloodiest battle the British Army has ever fought.

What do you think that those who died in the battle would make of the UK today? Do you think they would feel their sacrifice was worth it?

The UK is free today because of the sacrifices made by all our servicemen in both world wars.

What is the local connection with the battle?

There are lots of local connections with the Battle. The current local regiment, The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment had 51 battalions of its forebear regiments at the battle of the Somme, almost 51,000 men over the four and a half months.

These were regular and territorial soldiers as well as men of Kitchener’s New Armies. This included seven battalions of the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, trained mainly in Guildford at the old Stoughton Barracks and six battalions of The East Surrey Regiment, trained mainly in Kingston.

Why should people go to the event?

Whether you enjoy football or history, or you just want to remember those men of the South East who paid the final sacrifice at the battle of the Somme, this is a unique commemoration event and worthwhile supporting.

How can people contribute to the two charities?

Entrance on the day is free, but we are selling programmes and various stalls will be on site.

Contributions, which will be split with The Soldier’s Charity can be made to: ‘PWRR & Queen’s Museum Fund’ (a/c title PWRR Museum, a/c no. 10486955, sort code 161926).

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