In case you have been living under a rock today and did have not yet heard the Poppy Flower Issue, well you will get to know all worth knowing about it after reading this article. To mark Remembrance week, Sportsmail (or, indeed, the Daily Mail) have led this campaign to get all Premier League clubs to have an embroidered poppy on club kits. While the idea is very noble and worthy of praise, however, if a Club is not interested in following suit, then any attempt to portray the club as non charitable or disrespectful towards the armed forces is not only pathetic but also spoils the very purpose of such a campaign. Manchester United and Liverpool, being the only two clubs who have refused to wear Poppy Embroidery are being cast in the same light.“Poppy fascism” as veteran broadcaster Jon Snow memorably termed it should be resisted at all costs. While initially Stoke City and Bolton had refused to follow, however once a detailed list of the clubs following (and hence of the clubs not following) the campaign was hailed by Sportsmail, the two clubs had no option but to give in to the pressure. That left us with United, Liverpool, and Bolton. Bolton have also agreed to be a part of the campaign after all the unnecessary pressure from the campaigners. That leaves United and Liverpool look like two arrogant clubs which are too disrespectful and snobby to wear a mere Poppy to show respect for the dead soldiers. Ironically, the reality could not be any further from this.
Other than the fact that both these clubs have a red jersey against which the Poppy Flower would not really stand out, these clubs have cared to explain there stand when a gentle refusal was not understood. United have said that they are very proud of what they do for charity and rightly feel that a poppy would not add to it in a significant way.
“We are very proud of the work we do with the armed forces and we do not feel a poppy on the shirt would add to our contribution,” said a United spokesperson. “Our staff and officials will be wearing them as usual and we are confident we are doing the right thing.”
Similarly Liverpool have explained:
Liverpool Football Club has worked with the Royal British Legion to help publicise and support the Poppy Appeal.
Now to be very honest, I would not really mind to wear a poppy on Jersey or for that matter if my club wears it, but that is a matter of choice. Charity and all such acts of benevolence are not forced but natural. So if we feel that we already do enough for the charity and do not wish to be a part of a campaign, then we have all right to not be casted in a negative light because of the “choice”. Ironically it is this choice for which, the soldiers laid their lives years earlier.
The Guardian’s Marina Hyde said this best here:
After all, isn’t frothing yourself into demented indignation at the Blackburn squad’s lack of a poppy the very definition of having way too much time to indulge in fatuous rows? It’s redolent of that long-running, now mercifully expired argument about footballers not singing the national anthem in a manner acceptable to whichever Middle Englander wasn’t really watching the game anyway.
The point so often ignored is that the second world war, in particular, was fought to allow people the choice in this and many other matters. Victory meant freedom from fascism, which makes Jon Snow’s choice of words for this annual hounding of any public figure pictured without one – “poppy fascism” – particularly significant.
As rightly said by Mail, Chelsea would leave no stone unturned to show this difference of “charitable” nature.
Manchester United’s decision not to put poppies on their shirts will be underlined during their live TV match on Sunday against Chelsea, a club that highlights their connection with the famous Chelsea Pensioners on Remembrance Sunday weekend.
Indeed with the likes of cunts like John Terry, the hero of England (where England>Chelsea) who leaves no moment of greatness and chauvinism the drama has already begun.
They love their football, they like to look up to us but I would like to be in their shoes and do what they do,” Terry said. “It’s great they want to do that and they are brilliant at their job. I would love to serve, of course. Put your life on the line for the country – I would love to.
Yes! Yes! Yes! you worthless piece of money sucking leech, how about going forward and signing up for the war. Noone stopped you from that Oh John of Terry! But wait, who would pay your money sucking suckers £170k a week? Yeah right…Noone! So, the next time you try to be so idealistic and charitable, go ahead and prove your words.
