THE school football team had plenty of support from the touchline.
Girls at Wenman School, Thame, turned out in force to cheer their boys to victory over a team of builders in March 1968.
The 11 builders were working on extensions on the site when they heard the school was supporting three young orphans in far-away Korea.
The Kim brothers had been left destitute after their father, a teacher, died suddenly. The school decided to ‘adopt’ the boys.
One of the builders, Paul Kingsman – known as Elvis – challenged the school football team to a lunchtime game to raise money for the family.
He assembled an international side, including Englishmen, Irishmen, Scotsmen and one Welshman.
More than 200 pupils and staff paid threepence each to watch the 40-minute match.
The Oxford Mail described the game as “a rough, tough affair, with excellent defensive work from both sides”. The school won 2-1.
The £3 ‘gate’ money was added to the £50 the school had already collected for the orphans.
The school rewarded the builders with a bottle of beer each – “for being good sports”.
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