Millwall remembers as Lions beat Burnley 1-0
Millwall Football Club hosted its annual Remembrance fixture at The Den on Sunday afternoon.
The Lions welcomed Burnley to their home ground in John Berylson Way, Bermondsey, for the Sky Bet Championship match.
Before the action got under way, service personnel led the teams on to the pitch, where they played The Last Post during a minute’s silence.
The service was led by bugler Steve Fletcher, who served with the Royal Artillery Band from 1989 until 2003, flanked by Chief Petty Officer Tim Mills of the Royal Navy, Lance Corporal Jake Hawksworth of the King’s Royal Hussars and Cdt Cpl Amy Aldridge of the Army Cadets.
Throughout the day, bucket collectors were situated outside the ground to raise funds for the Poppy Appeal, with a final total to be revealed in the coming days.
A Millwall FC spokesman said: “Millwall FC is always proud to support The Royal British Legion and our veterans. Year after year, Lions fans demonstrate their incredible and charitable generosity by not only purchasing poppy badges and scarves, but also through donations.
“It was a pleasure to host members of both the Army and Navy and we thank them for their service.”
The Lions wore poppies on their shirts throughout the match, which saw them defeat Burnley 1-0 and move up to seventh place in the Championship table.
The team will adorn their shirts with the poppies when they play against Leeds United on Wednesday night and at Stoke City on Saturday.
After the games, these shirts will be signed by the players who wore them and sold at auction exclusively on the MatchWornShirt website and app.
All of the proceeds of these auctions will be donated to the Royal British Legion.
A spokesman for Millwall FC said: “The money raised via the MatchWornShirt initiative is another shining example of the relationship that the club has with RBL.
“The fundraising would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of supporters volunteering throughout the months leading up to Remembrance Day to organise the sale of poppies as well as assisting with the invitations of military personnel to The Den to pay tribute on a matchday.”
This is the sixth consecutive year that MatchWornShirt has teamed up with the Royal British Legion, having previously raised almost £3million for the Poppy Appeal.
The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal takes place from October 24 until Remembrance Sunday, on November 10.
Ben France from the Royal British Legion, said: “Battlefield trauma and mental health issues can manifest at any time in life and in different ways, including addiction, debt, homelessness and relationship breakdowns.
“Your poppy enables the RBL to support those who struggle with the upheaval and disruption of service life, and life after service.”
To help the Royal British Legion continue its work, head to MatchWornShirt’s website and get involved in one of the many auctions for this year’s Poppy Appeal: MatchWornShirt.com/poppy.
Pictured top: Fans sporting remembrance poppies in the stands as the Lions take on Burnley (Picture: Brian Tonks)