A unique piece of sporting memorabilia yesterday found a new home, in a museum normally devoted to matters military.

The football used in the historic soccer match in Kabul a month ago between British troops and an Afghan side will now permanently reside in North Yorkshire.

It was presented to the Green Howards' Regimental Museum in Richmond by the regiment's former Colonel, Field Marshall The Lord Inge.

The ball was brought back to England after the match and later raffled at the Variety Club of Great Britain's recent annual dinner to raise funds to entertain poor children in London in the Jubilee Year.

Lord Inge was a guest at the dinner and, after his ticket won the football, he decided it should be placed somewhere that the public could always see it.

Football was only tolerated under the Taliban under the very strictest of rules that took all the fun out of the game and meant it was rarely, if ever, played.

For example the players were not allowed to wear shorts during the game and the spectators were only allowed to watch silently, with shouts or cheers strictly forbidden.

During the Taliban regime the main football ground in Kabul was also mainly used for a far more grisly spectacle _ as a place of public execution.

And the historic match featuring British soldiers and a local side proved a huge success with the Afghans, helping them to shake off the fundamentalist shackles of their recent past.

The curator of the museum, Lieutenant Colonel Neil McIntosh, said after yesterday's ceremony: "We are delighted that our former Colonel of the Regiment has presented this unique football to the Green Howards Museum.

"The Green Howards are proud of their football heritage, one of our 18 Victoria Crosses was won by a professional footballer in World War 1, and the famous Middlesbrough footballer Wilf Mannion was a sergeant in the regiment in the Second World War.

"This symbol of peace from war-torn Afghanistan will be displayed with pride in our museum for all to see."