“They Took the Lead” is a project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and working in partnership with Eastside Community Heritage. The Project seeks to uncover the hidden stories of the footballers who enlisted for the 17th Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment, also known as the Footballers Battalion. The project aims to uncover the stories of the footballers, record family histories of supporters, and research football in Hackney and Waltham Forest at home during the war.

The findings can be viewed on the They Took The Lead microsite