The final few limited-edition Blues warm-up tops supporting the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal are still available for you to show that Chelsea remembers.
A symbol honouring those who have lost their lives in armed conflict around the world, the poppy features heavily alongside the Chelsea rose from our club crest on the special warm-up tops from Nike.
They are being worn by our men’s and women’s teams across four games around Remembrance Day on 11 November, starting with the 1-0 Premier League derby victory away at Tottenham Hotspur last week, before making its appearance at Stamford Bridge before tomorrow’s kick-off against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As well as showing Chelsea’s appreciation for the work of the Royal British Legion supporting veterans, for every top sold £15 will go directly to their Poppy Appeal, helping them continue their good cause.
Only 2,025 shirts were made and they proved hugely popular with Blues supporters. Men’s sizes have sold out already, but there are still a few available for women and children to show their own pride for the Poppy Appeal.
Chelsea has a long association with military veterans through the Royal Hospital Chelsea, dating right back to the club’s founding, and giving us our first popular nickname ‘the Pensioners’.
This top is certainly a poignant reminder, given the origins of the poppy symbol, which comes from the flowers which grew on the World War One battlefields where so many brave young soldiers lost their lives, most notably in Flanders.
Among them were several Chelsea players past and present, who left London to serve their country, some in the specially-created footballer’s battalion, while national sporting competitions were suspended.
Among them was George Lake, who made his Chelsea debut aged 24 in 1914, not long before war was declared, and put his career on hold to sign up for the armed forces. Sadly he would never return, tragically dying in France just four days before the armistice was declared to bring the fighting to an end.
The current Blues players will be paying tribute to George and all the others who have lost their lives to armed conflict by wearing our limited edition poppy warm-up top, and so can you.