Members of the local Royal British Legion will be in attendance at our game tomorrow to collect for the Poppy Appeal.

We hope that supporters from both teams will give generously to this very worthy cause.

As time passes it is too easy to not appreciate the sacrifices that members of our armed forces have made in the past.

The following article will appear in tomorrow's programme and is dedicated to all those men and women from generations past and present who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom and democracy. It looks at former Banbury Spencer players who lost their lives on active service during the Second World War.

It is a reminder that it was ordinary people from communities like Banbury, the Charlie Wise, Ricky Johnson, Jack Harding of their day, who had in all likelihood never travelled outside of the UK, who bravely flew in planes, served on ships and fought on battlefields in mainland Europe and beyond to defend and serve our country.

Spencer players who lost their lives in World War Two include Eddie Salmons, Archie Bywater, Oliver Twynham and Alban Danson.

Eddie Salmons was the club’s first Secretary. He also played at centre-half in Banbury Spencer’s first ever game after the formation of the club back in August 1931, a friendly against St Johns. Eddie did not turnout for Spencer when they began to play competitively but continued to fulfil the role of Secretary until June 1939 when he was elected Chairman of the Club. He served in the RAF during the War but was killed on active service in May 1941. His name can be seen on the War Memorial tablet in St Mary’s Church at Banbury.

Oliver Twynham joined Banbury Spencer from local village side King’s Sutton, starting out in the Spencer reserve side, making his debut at that level as a 16 year-old against Bodicote United on Saturday 24th November 1934. His first team debut came on Saturday 5th January 1935 away to Heyford RAF in the Oxfordshire Senior League, deputising for his elder brother, Jesse, on the left wing. After spending the next two seasons back with King’s Sutton he returned to Spencer in October 1937. He made a total of 16 first team appearances in his two spells with the club. In the War, Oliver served as a private in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry but was killed in action at St Omer, France in 1940. His name can be seen on the War Memorial at King’s Sutton, sited on the village green outside the Church.

Alban Danson joined Spencer prior to the start of season 1937/38. He moved to the area from Liverpool, took up employment at the Spencer Works and went on to make a total of 41 first team appearances for the club over the course of two seasons, primarily playing at centre half. He left the club in April 1939 and returned to the North West to join the Liverpool City police force. Alban served in the RAF during the War but was killed on active service in November 1944. His name can be seen on the War Memorial in the village of Upton, near Birkenhead, Cheshire.

Archie Bywater was another player to have appeared in Spencer’s first game against St Johns in August 1931. He played for Spencer in their first season of competitive football in the Banbury Division of the Oxfordshire Junior League in 1933/34. Archie served as an aircraft wireless operator in the RAF during the War but was killed when his plane was shot down over France whilst on a bombing raid to Stuttgart in March 1943. His name also appears on the tablet in St Mary’s Church at Banbury.