The story of the poppy on our shirt
From the official Chelsea FC website:
It was on 8 November 2009 that the Chelsea home shirt was first adorned with a poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those lost in conflict.
Manchester United were our opponents at Stamford Bridge that day, with the Blues one of a small number of Premier League sides to display the poppy emblem that weekend in the English top flight.
As detailed in Blue Is The Colour – The Official History of the Chelsea Shirt, and with the below imagery taken from the book, the Blues being at the forefront of this drive to formally recognise the sacrifice of our fallen heroes was no great surprise given our early history.
For a time – and on occasion to this day – we were known as ‘The Pensioners’ in honour of the famously red-coated ex-servicemen who reside at the nearby Royal Hospital.
From the 2010/11 season onward, the poppy was adopted as a tradition on Premier League club shirts worn on or immediately around the weekend of Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day. Clubs across the English football pyramid have also followed suit.
The poppy was on display during our Premier League encounter with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge yesterday and, as detailed in Blue Is The Colour by author Nik Yeomans, the symbol has only ever appeared on our men’s home shirt – even on the occasions when the Blues have played away.
However, the opposite has largely been true for the women’s team, who have predominantly worn poppy-embroidered away shirts since the WSL adopted the tradition from the 2017/18 campaign.
Supporters have had the opportunity to purchase the match-worn poppy shirts since 2012, with proceeds donated to the Royal British Legion, who provide invaluable support for veterans and their families.
Blue is the Colour is researched and written by Nik Yeomans, the foremost expert on the Chelsea kit over the years. Whether you are also an aficionado, a collecting enthusiast or a fan who simply wants to know more about this fundamental part of the club’s heritage, this book is simply a must-have.
It can be ordered here now and is on sale in-store.
‘Chelsea Supporters Group’ can also be found on X and Facebook and Bluesky
