United defend poppy stance

Stuart Mathieson

November 04, 2009

UNITED have defended their decision not to wear embroidered poppies in their shirts for Sunday's Remembrance Day match at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

The Reds won't be making a U-turn but insist their action is not a snub to the Armed Forces, and point to the club's unpublicised 12-month programme designed and dedicated to help our soldiers, airmen and sailors.

Chelsea, this Sunday's hosts for the big Premier League showdown between the division's top two, are among 12 top-flight clubs, including City to agree to wear the one-off jersey.

The London outfit are, of course, closely connected to The Chelsea Pensioners, who are former soldiers at the retirement home in the nearby Royal Hospital.

All United officials will be wearing a poppy on the day as they have been doing for a number of weeks since the British Legion began their run-up to Remembrance Day.

"We show our support in different ways and we didn't feel that wearing the embroidered poppy would add anything in sense of our respect for the Armed Forces," said an Old Trafford spokesman.

"Our work, and the way we show our respect, is not just a two-week thing, it is an all-year round effort.

"Only last Saturday, we had injured members of the services who have returned from Afghanistan on the pitch at Old Trafford during half-time of the match with Blackburn Rovers.

"It was all part of the Manchester United Foundation's year-round project with the Headley Court rehabilitation centre which cares for injured members of the Armed Forces."

Click here to read Paul Hince's comment on the subject

Headley Court, which is situated close to Epsom in Surrey, is the MOD's dedicated rehab centre for injured former troops.

"We send coaches to Headley Court regularly throughout the year to help. Our coaches are involved in the rehab programme," added the United spokesman.

"Servicemen from there were also guests at our Disabled Supporters Association dinner on Friday night before the match with Blackburn Rovers.

"They also met with United's amputee team and had a training day with them.

"This is just an example of the kind of work we do for 12 months of the year.

"So we do have a lot of respect for all members of our Armed Forces and put in a lot of work with them. It is not just a one-off gesture."

Bolton Wanderers have also defended their decision not to embroider poppies into their shirts against Chelsea last Saturday or for this weekend's match at Aston Villa.

A club spokesman said: "Bolton Wanderers supports the poppy appeal annually.

"This year, the Royal British Legion poppy appeal held a collection at the Reebok Stadium before the home game against Chelsea as this was the nearest date to November 11 we had a home game scheduled."

In marked contrast to the Reds and Bolton, City have confirmed that their players will be wearing a special shirt bearing the poppy for Saturday's Premier League home clash with Burnley.

| Submit Comments | Comments (44) |

Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All

Scholesy passed me the ball..., England (04/11/2009 at 16:16)

Not sure why it is a big deal this year. We didn't do it last year when others did.

Just because it is not on the players shirt does not mean we do not respect the occasion.

RJKS, St Retford (04/11/2009 at 16:22)

What possible harm could it do to wear the embroidered top & have done with it ?.

Tone84 (04/11/2009 at 16:36)

Why is nobody naming the other 7 clubs who won't be wearing one?

This poppy thing is going way too far, it's like you no longer have a choice if you wish to wear it or not. If you're on telly or in the media spotlight, you HAVE to wear one or expect comments. You can't force people to support a cause and you can' force them to support it in your way.

steve wilson (04/11/2009 at 16:54)

What possible harm could it do to wear the embroidered top & have done with it ?.
RJKS, St Retford
4/11/2009 at 16:22 Offensive or Inappropriate?

none;but your citeh boys were not wearing their`s at Birmingham but the opposition were!

John Murphy (04/11/2009 at 17:17)

'United defend poppy stance'
There's nothing to defend, why don't they just have the shirts embroidered and add a further sense of respect to the armed forces-simple!

Rick Jenks, Bury (04/11/2009 at 17:31)

Paul Hince thank you and absolutely right.

I hope this decision is overruled by The Glaziers and the person who took the stance not to allow players to wear the shirt with embroidered Poppy is sacked. It is outrageous and an insult to our current and departed Armed Forces.

I would hope all the Media and The pundits of Sky, ESPN and The BBC will highlight this when the match and Highlights are transmitted. It is important that the viewers in all Countries are aware.

waternymph, manchester (04/11/2009 at 17:48)

I was thinking the same RJKS! especially as so many thousands of supporters from other countries will be watching the match screened- does seem a bad decision!

The old back heel M11 (04/11/2009 at 18:30)

I'm a serving soldier, and Utd need to hang their heads in shame. A poppy on the shirt that shows respect for our fallen. Not only the two world wars but the Falklands, N.Ireland, Iraq, Afghan and many more conflicts, close to us and in our era.

How can you as supporters think it's right? and try and defend your club?

The shirts could be sold on after the games like other teams always have done. The special shirt of the year which will always raise more funds, for the wounded and families.

I know that on the minute silence at the Blue Camp, i'll be hanging my head! Remembering my friends that i have lost in Iraq and Afghan, whilst your club hang their heads in shame.

The worst thing is that we are all one, apart from our football.

manc abroad, OT (04/11/2009 at 18:34)

United have not given a responsible reason for not wearing a poppy. Can't see why the players cannot wear a poppy on their shirt to show support for our soldiers (and their families) who have fought and died / been wounded for this country.

Will it effect shirt sales in Afghanistan ?

PATRICK DOWLING (04/11/2009 at 20:23)

MAYBE IT WOULD NOT SELL ENOUGH ,,IF PUT ON SALE LIKE THE HUNDREDS OF SHIRTS PRODUCED BY THE MONEY MAKING MACHINE

United:The team supported by the majority of mancunians (04/11/2009 at 21:31)

And, of course, we have the Berties on here making mischief. If they truly believed in respecting the dead, they would not have abused the the memory of those who died in the Munich air crash so often as they have in the past. It's no surprise that you can find the letters c,i,t & y in the word hypocrite.

Noddy (04/11/2009 at 23:04)

If you can't afford to have somebody sow a poppy on a few shirts just say so.

tooth&claw, manchester (04/11/2009 at 23:15)

Charity should always be a private issue. I'm against all displays of symbols denoting contributions to charities. Donate if you want to but keep it quiet. Poppies, as with most charity paraphanalia, is there to salve conscience not to benefit the charities. If a charity is deserving it will get funds without trying to shame people into compliance with symbols such as poppies. Most people wear poppies because they feel they have to, whether they support the cause or not, even the dirt poor. I've spent time a the Royal British Legion at Richmond Hill but I won't wear a poppy because it stigmatises those that don't and forces people to donate to charities to comply with social norms even though it may not be the charity of their choice or they may not be able to afford to give to charity at all. I'd personally ban poppies and wristbands and crosses and ribbons. But I'm not God or President just yet, so it'll have to wait. That said, I'm not against the laying of wreathes or rememberance. Just the paraphanalia.

Goatistuta, Manchester (05/11/2009 at 00:02)

What possible harm could it do to wear the embroidered top & have done with it ?. RJKS, St Retford

none;but your citeh boys were not wearing their`s at Birmingham but the opposition were! steve wilson

Steve, why son? ill tell you fella, its because the next time City play is before the event (Sunday 8th remembrance day) however the next time Brum play is after as they play on Monday night you tool. Before you say its 11th hour of the 1th day of the 11th month, I KNOW but its remembered this Sunday.......

Bad bad taste by Man Yoo, but hey you dont care......

palomablanca, manchester (05/11/2009 at 08:15)

I would imagine 90% of people complaining, If they were honest never wear a poppy,Thats not to say United are right to decline,And wearing a poppy does not meam you are supporting the troops it is in rememberance for those fallen heroes ,Every Armistice day I observe the 2 minute silence, But I rarely wear a poppy, Am I any less patriotic ? The answer is NO, It seems it's just another stick to beat United with

Jordie, Manchester (05/11/2009 at 08:16)

Simply it's an absolute disgrace and sums united up to a tee!

alanp, chorlton (05/11/2009 at 08:23)

i am disgusted that manchester united will not wear a poppy especially on remembrance sunday when the game is played on that same day. as someone who lost friends in Northern Ireland and the Falklands, there is no excuse for not respecting our fallen.I will be in London on Sunday to pay my respects as i march past the cenotaph.

WINDY MILLER, CAMBERWICK GREEN (05/11/2009 at 08:46)

If Man Utd don’t want to wear poppies perhaps they would like to return the cash GIVEN to them by Manchester Council in order to rebuild Old Trafford due to the WWII bombings?

the fox, fox hole (05/11/2009 at 09:36)

we all have times in life where we look back and reflect on times that changed our life, these maybe a time where we have lost someone close to us not only in conflict it could be a tradgic accident. football has many such tragedies hillsbrough, munich, ibrox are to name but a few. when these dates arrive football clubs remember in differant ways such as a minutes silence or applause. its about respect for the people who died, some without choice.

millions of people died in the 1st and 2nd world wars, not just in this country but in far away lands, saving the freedom that many take for granted. millions who had no choice but to fight. i'll say thankyou to those people by wearing my poppy.

i think any club that dose not wear the poppy for 1 game really should hold its head in shame, these clubs have a choice.

regards the fox

Stephen Smith (05/11/2009 at 10:06)

How amazing that after many years of complaining about the number of different shirts, now it's apparently disgusting that there isn't yet another one! There were no complaints when NO clubs had poppies embroidered on shirts, so how come now that it's fashionable it's a disgrace when some clubs don't jump on the bandwagon? You don't remember the dead by bragging that you've joined the latest fashion craze.

palomablanca, manchester (05/11/2009 at 10:09)

WINDY MILLER, CAMBERWICK GREEN
5/11/2009 at 08:46
Why would Manchester City Council fund Uniteds re-build, According to your lot United aren't in Manchester ?

danny, WILMSLOW (05/11/2009 at 10:28)

United have always been the meanest club around I could give many examples,as a United supporter it really used to annoy me when I a lot with very young problem Children When I contacted City they would open the doors free to these kids and be happy to do so.
United always expected them to pay and,I remember one of the kids behind the goals getting his glasses broken by a United player they would not even pay for his glasses.
Lets be honest Park only plays for United to sell credit cards in Asia.

Ben'sDad, WA4 (05/11/2009 at 11:11)

This is poppy fascism, as Jon Snow rightly said. If United changed their stance now it would mean wearing the poppy simply to deflect the criticisms. The campaign to shame clubs into sporting the poppy seems to have been started by the Daily Mail. They have tried to bully clubs into altering their strips. I think a number of clubs have changed their position, but that simply devalues the poppy as a symbol: instead of wearing the poppy as an act of remembrance, clubs will be wearing it to avoid being vilified. As far as I know, in previous years Premiership clubs did not have embroidered poppies on their shirts, so why don't we criticise all of them for failing to do so in previous years, instead of praising those which do wear them now? Failure to wear the poppy is not proof of anything - does anyone really suppose that United's players are dishonouring the memory of the dead by not wearing poppy shirts?
The wave of hysteria over poppy-wearing is becoming a national sport. There's a kind of poppy competition, whereby people try to demonstrate how pious and thoughtful they are by drawing attention to the fact they are wearing a poppy - but the most enjoyable part of the sport is jumping on the bandwagon and trying to shame and embarrass those who don't. The real culprits here are those who get a thrill out of trying to shame the 'offenders'. That really does dishonour the poppy.

33 & counting (05/11/2009 at 11:28)

Cant help but think that the clubs that are showing poppies on their shirts use it as a way of gaining good publicity for themselves not to benefit the charity. Helping charitys is supposed to be a selfless act and I agree with T&C, public displays of a paraphanaila in this way (on football shirts ) is not of any benefit to the fallen, the money spent in producing the shirts would be better spent in a donation to the charitys involved.

Manchester United- the team despised by most Mancunians and the majority of football fans., Tick tock, not long now. (05/11/2009 at 12:02)

This is for the 'Rag' on the 4/11 @ 21.31. You are quite correct when you mention about City fans and their mention of the word Munich. Personally I don't know of one who actually salives at the thought of Duncan Edwards, Frank Swift and the rest lying dying on the runway. It is the same for the United fans when they shout Hillsborough at the Scousers, I am sure that I am right when I say that there isn't a United fan who enjoyed seeing the pictures of dead and crushed bodies on the terraces at Sheffield. I am also sure that when United fans shout 'your going down like a Russian submarine' to the City fans that they enjoyed the thought of 20 or so Russian sailors dying for a lack of oxygen. In other words it is done as a 'wind up'. Not very tastful I grant you on anyones part but that is what it is.
It still does not get away from the fact, and the fact is they are being disrespectful by not wearing a poppy.

()

Report

Manchester United