The Greater Game: Sport, War and Peace - a summer exhibition about sport and conflict at Imperial War Museum North.

The first ever major exhibition to examine the links between sport and war will open at Imperial War Museum North, Trafford Park, Manchester on 3 July and run until 1 November 2004 (admission free).

From football matches in the First World War trenches to the successful 'peace' tests bringing the Pakistani cricket team to India for the first time since 1989, The Greater Game will use personal stories and iconic objects to look at sport in wartime. It will examine the role of sport at home and on the front-line in times of conflict, investigate how sport can be a symbol for war and peace, and look at the background to some of today’s most enduring sporting rivalries. The exhibition will focus on the stories of eleven sporting heroes from Britain and the Commonwealth who fought for their country in the First and Second World Wars. It will also consider the servicemen and women who have used sport to build team spirit. Through a wealth of personal stories The Greater Game will consider how war shaped the lives of many of the 20 th century’s sporting greats and it will also reference many of today's sporting personalities and heroes.

The Greater Game will feature iconic objects, rarely seen film and sound, and historical and contemporary art and photography from Imperial War Museum's own comprehensive collections. It will also include many loans from national sports museums and associations around the country. The exhibition will cover a wide variety of sports and sporting events, from boxing and athletics to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, whilst placing a strong emphasis on the subjects of football, rugby, horseracing and cricket. A series of specially programmed events and activities, many of which are interactive, will complement the exhibition.

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