Poppy Shirts: When LCFC Began A National Tradition

[davieG]

As we prepare for Tuesday's Remembrance Fixture against Middlesbrough, we turn the clock back to 2003, when Leicester City began a beloved national tradition.
For that match, against Blackburn Rovers on 2 November, 2003, in the Premier League, we wore embroidered poppies on our shirts to mark Remembrance. Rovers agreed to do the same. At that time, no club had done this, it wasn’t a norm. It wasn’t even a recognised gesture in English football.
But what Leicester did that day was noticed. The Premier League were so impressed they formally contacted every club to share the initiative, while Buckingham Palace was also informed of the Club’s activity.
A week later, Manchester City followed suit in their own Remembrance fixture, coincidentally against the Foxes, and from that point the gesture spread across the Premier League and then the EFL. Today, it is universal, we see it every season. It is embedded in the sport’s calendar. But it started here in Leicester, 22 years ago this week.

The exact shirt which Les Ferdinand wore in November 2003.
The shirt featured here was worn that afternoon by Foxes striker Les Ferdinand – an iconic name in Premier League history – and is now preserved in the Club’s historic collections.
The game was broadcast live to troops around the world with almost 31,000 supporters inside Filbert Way. Leicester won 2-0, with goals from Marcus Bent and Steve Howey, while afterwards the shirts were held back and raffled to raise money for the Royal British Legion – another element that also remains a nationwide practice today.
It is rare that one football shirt genuinely starts a movement. A simple embroidered poppy stitched onto royal blue became the start of a national tradition, now part of footballing culture every November across the country. A shirt that began here, at Leicester City, and a shirt that helped shape the game’s annual act of Remembrance ever since.

[FoxesTalker]

I was thinking myself that this article warranted a separate thread. There are very few positives about the club these days, but the remembrance fixture is still one of them.

[Fox92]

Last time I went to football museum they had a collection of these but no Leicester shirt and we started it  

[The Quick Brown Fox]

I remember they used to bring the ball in by helicopter too, when I tell my kids this they don't believe me. 

 

 

[VLC86]

Got a couple of them from that season, I always forget they were the first. 

[Vazman]

4 hours ago, davieG said:

As we prepare for Tuesday's Remembrance Fixture against Middlesbrough, we turn the clock back to 2003, when Leicester City began a beloved national tradition.
For that match, against Blackburn Rovers on 2 November, 2003, in the Premier League, we wore embroidered poppies on our shirts to mark Remembrance. Rovers agreed to do the same. At that time, no club had done this, it wasn’t a norm. It wasn’t even a recognised gesture in English football.
But what Leicester did that day was noticed. The Premier League were so impressed they formally contacted every club to share the initiative, while Buckingham Palace was also informed of the Club’s activity.
A week later, Manchester City followed suit in their own Remembrance fixture, coincidentally against the Foxes, and from that point the gesture spread across the Premier League and then the EFL. Today, it is universal, we see it every season. It is embedded in the sport’s calendar. But it started here in Leicester, 22 years ago this week.

The exact shirt which Les Ferdinand wore in November 2003.
The shirt featured here was worn that afternoon by Foxes striker Les Ferdinand – an iconic name in Premier League history – and is now preserved in the Club’s historic collections.
The game was broadcast live to troops around the world with almost 31,000 supporters inside Filbert Way. Leicester won 2-0, with goals from Marcus Bent and Steve Howey, while afterwards the shirts were held back and raffled to raise money for the Royal British Legion – another element that also remains a nationwide practice today.
It is rare that one football shirt genuinely starts a movement. A simple embroidered poppy stitched onto royal blue became the start of a national tradition, now part of footballing culture every November across the country. A shirt that began here, at Leicester City, and a shirt that helped shape the game’s annual act of Remembrance ever since.

I wasn't fully aware of this, great to know DavieG, I was at the Birmingham City Remembrance Match on Saturday, work related (good match against Portsmouth), and am at the Shrewsbury Town Remembrance match day work related on Sat 15th November I will be sure to mention this to eanyone and anyone who will listen, 

[Fox42]

I was today years old when I discovered the origin of this tradition.

[Foxdiamond]

7 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Last time I went to football museum they had a collection of these but no Leicester shirt and we started it  

Somehow not surprised how Leicester unheralded 

[Guy]

Was at both fixtures we won too! Fitting!

[The Year Of The Fox]

10 hours ago, The Quick Brown Fox said:

I remember they used to bring the ball in by helicopter too, when I tell my kids this they don't believe me. 

 

 

I never ever liked that. The risk was so clear