Hanspeter Hauke and Renzo Duringer, from Newark’s twinned town of Emmendingen, Germany, watch Newark Town vs Deeping Rangers football match

A pair of special guests from Germany were treated to a game of football by their twinned town’s players.

Hanspeter Hauke and Renzo Duringer, from Newark’s twinned town of Emmendingen, paid a visit to the town over the weekend.

While attending a town twinning event, Hanspeter and Renzo, both directors of FC Emmendingen, took time on Saturday afternoon (February 8) to watch the Newark Town vs Deeping Rangers football match at the YMCA, which saw the game end in a 2-2 draw.

Organized by Francis Towndrow and Paul Baggaley on the from Newark and Renzo and Hanspeter on the German side, the teams from the twin towns of Emmendingen and Newark have previously met in the Belgian town of Ypres in 2014 and 2018 as a tribute to the historic Truce Game of December 25, 1914 where German and English soldiers laid down their weapons on the battlefield for a spontaneous football match, a powerful act of friendship and humanity that remains a symbol of victory over hatred and the horrors of war.

To keep the memory of December 25, 1914, alive and to promote understanding and friendship, the organizers are committed to preserving and fostering the tradition of these friendship matches.

Before the game, the pair visited the Tom Mann Pavilion on Sconce and Devon Park, the home of Newark Town FC's junior teams, where they met Carla Brown, the youth team’s secretary.

Their busy schedule also included a visit to the bridge alongside Newark Castle, where town council representatives presented them with a coloured print of famed painting 'The Boy with a Bat' by Walter Hawkesworth Fawkes.

This print shows one of the earliest depictions of Newark, with the bridge over the Trent, the town’s castle, and St Mary Magdalene's Church and a young sportsman, created around 1750, with the young boy ready for a game of cricket.

Hanspeter said: "Despite the disappointment of the last-minute equalizer, the match highlighted Newark’s strong performance on the field.”

Francis Towndrow said: "Football is a universal language more than just a game, an internationally shared passion, therefore, its always lovely to see Hanspeter and Renzo of FC Emmendingen, friendships developed through friendly matches played against our Twinning Town in Belgium 2014 and 2018."