With this weekend’s Premier League match at Stamford Bridge being our closest men's home game to Remembrance Sunday and the last before Armistice Day, Chelsea Football Club will be honouring those lost in conflict and supporting the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal at the fixture.
In addition, there will be Remembrance Day commemorations as part of a special heritage event organised by supporters at the stadium prior to the game.
Royal British Legion poppies
Poppies will be available from sellers located around the stadium who will accept both contactless and cash payment. 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 Manchester United, the teams will be led out of the tunnel by Chelsea Pensioners from the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The UK Armed Forces Chelsea Official Supporters Club will play their part by holding both the poppy centre-circle banner and a new Remembrance-themed banner which will be unveiled on the pitch.
Remembrance will be marked in the stands as well with a dedicated crowd-surfing banner in the Matthew Harding Stand and, at the other end of the stadium, a display organised by We Are The Shed.
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.
In Saturday's matchday programme, Xabi Alonso and Reece James will write about Remembrance in their respective manager's and captain's notes.
Chelsea FC Women will be marking Remembrance at their dedicated match on Saturday 7 November, when the team play Everton Women at Stamford Bridge.
Bid for a poppy shirt and support the appeal
With support from Official Online Match Shirt Auction Partner,MatchWornShirt, the jerseys with embroidered poppies, worn and signed by the relevant player, will be auctioned. All net proceeds are donated to the Royal British Legion appeal.
Heritage event
The latest in the exciting series of Those Were The Days events, held in collaboration with the Chelsea Heritage Partnership, takes place from 10.30am on Saturday in the Tea Bar. It features Remembrance Day commemorations, with members of our Armed Forces joining, subject to matchday timings.
The event focuses on an incident dating back over 100 years to the First World War, when Chelsea were the
victims of a match-fixing scandal between two of our great rivals, Liverpool and Manchester United.
It will also feature:
An on-screen presentation from club historian, Rick Glanvill, reflecting on those players and
staff who made the ultimate sacrifice in the warPrized historical artefacts and photos on display around the venue
On-screen coverage of iconic past matches against the Red Devils and memorabilia from these great games
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.
Chelsea Foundation donation
Chelsea Foundation has made a donation to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, made possible through a percentage of profits from the Chelsea Pensioners-inspired Heritage Collection that was available last year.
Click on these links for Chelsea wartime history and rolls of honour: