Remembrance at Chelsea – Sunday’s support for poppy appeal and wartime heritage event
From the official Chelsea FC website:
With this weekend’s Premier League match at Stamford Bridge taking place on Remembrance Sunday, Chelsea Football Club is again supporting the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal at this match and with match-worn shirt auctions.
In addition, those lost in conflict will be honoured at the game and a special heritage event organised by supporters will be held at the stadium prior to the game.
Royal British Legion poppies
Poppies will be available from sellers located around Stamford Bridge on Sunday with contactless as well as cash payment available. The Royal British Legion uses funds raised to support serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans and their families.
Inside the stadium
Ahead of kick-off for our meeting with Arsenal, the team will be led out of the tunnel by Chelsea Pensioners from the Royal Hospital Chelsea, whose famous red uniforms will contrast with the players’ blue. Poppy wreaths will be laid
The UK Armed Forces Chelsea Official Supporters Club will play their part by holding both the poppy centre circle banner and CHELSEA REMEMBERS lettering on the pitch, and Remembrance will be marked in the stands with a special crowd-surfing banner in the Matthew Harding Stand and at the other end of the stadium, a display organised by the We Are The Shed group of fans.
There will be a silence honouring those who lost their lives in conflict across the world, with the Last Post played by a trumpeter of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.
Reece James, on his captain’s page in the matchday programme for this weekend’s game, says: ‘We are supporting the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal at today’s game, which falls on Remembrance Sunday, so you will see that we are wearing the poppy on our shirts in memory of everyone who has lost their life due to war. We will remember them.’
Chelsea Women captain Millie Bright, on behalf of her team who are playing away at Liverpool, says: ‘It’s always an honour to wear the poppy. It’s a day that we have such pride and passion for and we hope that our performance, both on Sunday and moving forward, reflects the bravery and courage shown by those who we are remembering.’
Sunday’s programme also has Enzo Maresca talking about Remembrance and an article about a group of fans who visited the battlefields, cemeteries and memorials of the Western Front, plus in-person stories from Chelsea players and fans who fought in the First World War.
Bid for a poppy shirt and support the appeal
With support from club partner MatchWornShirt, the jerseys with embroidered poppies worn by Chelsea Women in last weekend’s victory at Everton and those to be sported by the men’s team against Arsenal, signed by the relevant player, are being auctioned. All net proceeds are donated to the Royal British Legion appeal.
Remembrance Sunday heritage event
Continuing a series of fan-led happenings reflecting on the club’s past which began last season, the Chelsea Heritage Partnership, an affiliation of the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, in collaboration with Chelsea FC is hosting a Remembrance Sunday free event in the Tea Bar before the teams take to the pitch for the London derby.
Between 2pm and 4pm, all fans are welcome to pop in and talk about, share thoughts on, or learn more about a period in Chelsea history with a range of activities taking place:
- A screened presentation from the club historian
- Screening of wartime match footage
- Attendance from past and presently serving military personnel
- A spotlight on our Arsenal rivalry, including past matches and displays
The Tea Bar is at the South End of the stadium, between Frankie’s and the ticket office and opposite the Shed Wall. Poppies will be available to purchase there.
Poppy shirt patches available
We are pleased to be able to offer poppy shirt patches in the Megastore at Stamford Bridge and the online store this year, with a percentage of the sale of each poppy patch being donated to the Royal British Legion. In the Megastore the patches are available on home shirts only, but online patches on home, away and third kits are available.
In the Stadium Megastore we are also offering poppy pin badges and poppy scarves.
‘Chelsea Supporters Group’ can also be found on X and Facebook
