PREPARATIONS are well under way to re-enact an iconic piece of cinematic footballing history at Colchester’s United’s Weston Homes Community Stadium.

To help commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion, the home of the U’s will be whisked back to the Forties on Sunday for a re-enactment of the film Escape to Victory.

Apart from a restaging of the film’s showpiece game, the community stadium will host a day of World War Two exhibitions, with displays of military vehicles, military stalls and family fun activities.

However, the centrepiece will be the game itself.

Organisers have special permission from Warner Brothers to recreate the match, which formed the famous ending to Escape to Victory, when a team of Allied prisoners of war took on a German side.

The Allied team in the film included legends of the game such as Pele, Osvaldo Ardiles and Bobby Moore, as well as Ipswich Town stars John Wark, Russell Osman, Laurie Sivell, Robin Turner and Kevin O’Callaghan.

Kevin Beattie, who played Michael Caine’s double in footballing scenes in the film, will be among those involved in the recreation match at the U’s, alongside former professional players and stage and screen actors.

However, all the players will have to brush up on their history as the fully-competitive match will be played to 1940s rules, with a hand-stitched 1940s style leather ball and in replica strips.

And to keep the re-enactment as true to the original film as possible, the stadium will be decked out the same as in the movie, complete with German guards ringing the pitch, prisoners of war and top brass in full uniform.

As well as being 30 years since the film was released, 2011 marks the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion. All money raised from the event will go to the Legion’s Poppy Appeal to help former servicemen and women.

The event opens at 11am, with kick-off at 2pm.

Tickets are available from the stadium or www.colutickets.com and cost £5 for adults and £3 for five to 14-year-olds.