Remembrance at Chelsea: Poppy appeal support, heritage event and pre-match commemoration
From the official Chelsea FC website:
Chelsea Football Club will be honouring those lost in conflict and supporting the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal at tomorrow’s Premier League meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers, which is our closest home game to Remembrance Sunday and to Armistice Day.
Ahead of kick-off, there is also a Remembrance theme to a heritage event organised by supporters at Stamford Bridge and post-match online auctions of match-worn shirts will open, also to raise money for the Poppy Appeal.
Royal British Legion poppies
Poppies will be available from sellers located around Stamford Bridge on Saturday 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
We recommend supporters take their places in time to see the players led onto the pitch, as is the Stamford Bridge tradition, by Chelsea Pensioners from the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
Joining the famous red-uniformed veterans in laying commemorative poppy wreaths will be currently serving personnel who are members of the UK Armed Forces Chelsea Supporter Group.
Accompanying displays will be a centre-circle banner with a poppy design and a new Chelsea Remembers banner which will be unveiled on the pitch. A Remembrance crowd-surfer will be passed across the lower tier of the Matthew Harding Stand and at the opposite end of the stadium, there will be a display organised by the We Are The Shed group of fans.
To honour those who lost their lives in conflict across the world, there will be a moment’s silence held with the Last Post played by a Trumpeter of the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment.
The captain’s page in the matchday programme for the game has Reece James’s thoughts on the occasion.
‘Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, it will be our honour to be led out of the tunnel by Chelsea Pensioners from the nearby Royal Hospital,’ he writes. ‘It is important that we remember everyone who has lost their life to war and we will be laying poppy wreaths as part of our support to the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal. Thank you to everyone at the club, and the fans, who have organised the pre-match displays for the game.’
Chelsea women captain Millie Bright adds: ‘Remembrance is a really important time of the year when we remember those who have lost their lives to war and conflict. To those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we will come together to pay our respects ahead of our match against Arsenal on Saturday.’
The programme also features a report on the Chelsea Academy Under-12s’ participation in the annual Truce Project which includes research on and engagement with veterans. There is a feature on a famous game at Stamford Bridge shortly after the Second World War which will also be recalled at Saturday’s heritage event.
Remembrance heritage event
Prior to the match, the Tea Bar behind the Shed End Stand at Stamford Bridge will stage the Chelsea Heritage Partnership’s next Those Were The Days gathering. Supporters can drop in from 6pm onwards for the event which will feature Remembrance commemorations, with members of the Armed Forces visiting (subject to matchday timings) and poppy sales taking place.
There will be a focus on the 80th anniversary of Chelsea’s historic match against Moscow Dynamo, which took place on 13 November 1945 and drew the largest crowd ever at the Bridge. As well as on-screen presentations, including from club historian Rick Glanvill, reflecting on the match, there will be historical artefacts and photos on display around the venue.
Opponents on the day, Wolves, will also feature with videos of previous games and memorabilia relating to past matches.
Remembrance pre-match top
As at Tottenham last Saturday, the players at Stamford Bridge and at the Emirates for Chelsea Women’s game tomorrow will be warming up wearing the new pre-match top produced in partnership with the Royal British Legion. It is raising funds for the Poppy Appeal.
The poppy features in the design where it is united with Chelsea’s historic rose and with the top available for purchase as a limited edition, £15 from the sale of each item is being donated to the appeal. Full details are here
A £30,000 minimum donation is already guaranteed and although the top in men’s sizes has sold out, there are women’s and kids’ versions still available from our online store and in the Megastore at Stamford Bridge.
Also available are poppy pin badges and scarves with a percentage from the sales of these being donated to the Royal British Legion as well.
Chelsea Women will also be wearing the pre-match top next weekend when they visit Liverpool, the second of their matches designated by the WSL for marking Remembrance.
Bid for a poppy shirt and support the appeal
The shirts to be worn by the players during the game against Wolves, and by Chelsea Women for the WSL away game at Arsenal, have embroidered poppies on the front.
They will be signed by the relevant player and with support from club partner MatchWornShirt, they will be auctioned with all net proceeds donated to the Royal British Legion appeal. The shirts from the Premier League victory at Tottenham last weekend featured the poppy and are being auctioned now.
They will be joined by Chelsea Women’s jerseys from their visit to Liverpool on Sunday 16 November, which will also raise funds for the Poppy Appeal.
‘Chelsea Supporters Group’ can also be found on X and Facebook and Bluesky
