Second World War: Morale Support

Despite its ability to raise public spirits, maintaining a coherent football league programme proved problematic between 1939 and 1945 – and not just because of the constant threat of air attack.

- Matthew Taylor

When war was declared on September 3, 1939, the fate of professional football may not have appeared to be the most pressing concern for the British government. But decisions over whether the game should continue or not, at national and local level, were closely wrapped up with broader debates about wartime morale.

Initially the fear of air attack led the government to close all sports grounds, along with cinemas, theatres and other entertainment venues. However, Home Office files demonstrate that while few ministers or civil servants had much time for football themselves, the government recognised its positive effect on public well-being. This was particularly true in relation to vital groups such as servicemen and workers engaged in war production.

The social research organisation Mass-Observation put the case most forcefully, informing the government that a programme of league matches was more useful in raising morale than expensive poster campaigns “urging cheerfulness”. That the government’s support for football was maintained, by and large, through crises such as the fall of France in June 1940, the blitz of 1940-41 and a press campaign against “unnecessary” sporting events in early 1942 demonstrates the recognition of football’s value as a form of relaxation and entertainment for those most in need of both.