Liverpool players will wear poppies on their kit this
November after the personal intervention of manager Roy
Hodgson.
The Anfield club were one of only two sides to ignore last
year’s Sportsmail call for
Premier League teams to have commemorative strips over the
Remembrance weekend.
Manchester United, the only other side who refused, have
so far not said whether or not they have had a change of
heart.
Blackpool and Manchester City, who both wore the poppy
with pride last year, were last night unable to confirm they would
do so again.
Backing: United defender Rio Ferdinand has told his
Twitter followers to wear their poppies but at present he cannot do
this with his club
All other 17 clubs have told the Premier League they will
be wearing the symbol on their kits.
Last year’s campaign saw six clubs change their minds and
rally to the Sportsmail
cause.
Hodgson has been the moving force behind Liverpool’s
change of mind. A club spokesman said: ‘Roy Hodgson wore a poppy at
the last game against Blackburn and he feels it is very important.
We will be wearing shirts with poppies against Stoke on November
13.’
The club will donate the commemorative shirts to the Royal
British Legion for them to use to raise funds, and Liverpool will
hold a collection when they entertain Chelsea on November
7.
The club refused to discuss the matter last night, but
last year said: ‘We are 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. Our staff and officials will be wearing them as usual
and we are confident we are doing the right
thing.’
High-profile individuals at the club are known supporters
of the poppy appeal.
Ferguson sported one at press conferences last year and
this week United defender Rio Ferdinand has repeated a message sent
by one of his 140,000 followers on Twitter.
The message read: ‘Can you please use your Twitfam to
remind everyone to wear their poppy with pride. I salute you’.
Ferdinand’s reply was: ‘Great shout.’
When Sportsmail
launched the campaign last year — in response to an investigation
by Charles Sale’s Sports
Agenda — only 12 top-flight clubs had informed the Premier
League of their intention to have a poppy sewn on the kit. By the
end of our campaign six further clubs — Portsmouth, Fulham, Bolton,
Aston Villa, Blackburn, Stoke — had been persuaded to produce
special kits.
United and Liverpool said the flower symbol would not show
up on their red shirts, but that excuse was made to look absurd by
Arsenal’s poppy display and subsequent auction.
A Premier League spokesman said last night: ‘Football has
a proud tradition of honouring the nation’s troops and all of our
clubs maintain close links with the armed services throughout the
year. It is down to each individual club to decide how best to do
this, and we are sure all 20 will mark Remembrance Day
appropriately.’
Sportsmail’s
campaign last year spread to rugby as both the All Blacks and Wales
wore poppies on their shirts for their Test in
Cardiff.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp said: ‘I’m in favour of
everybody wearing poppies. We keep seeing young lads in Afghanistan
getting killed. It’s horrific. They are so brave. You look back
over the years and the people we’ve lost. I’ll wear
the poppy with pride.’