Wilfred Percy Nevill was born at Canonbury Park in London on 14 July 1894[1] to a coal merchant father.

[1] The Jesus College magazine, The Chanticlere,[3] describes Nevill's style of play -[1] ...his tackling is brilliant but he does not help his forwards too cleverly.

On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the 8th Battalion Royal East Surrey Regiment left their trenches at Carnoy to attack the German position at Montauban 300 yards away.

To provide his soldiers with a reassuringly familiar symbol, Nevill bought the footballs while on leave in London and took them back with him to France.

Alcock, wrote to Nevill's sister -[1] There were two footballs, and on one was printed:- "The Great European Cup-Tie Final.

A CHARGE WITH FOOTBALLS and gave the following account -[2] The platoon commanders kicked off and the match against Death commenced...

The gallant captain himself fell early in the charge, and men began to drop rapidly under the hail of machine-gun bullets.

The other is believed lost after a fire the Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Museum at Clandon Park, Guildford in 2015.