Aston Villa is proud to mark Remembrance Day at this weekend’s game against Manchester United.
The club’s famous claret and blue shirts will be adorned with the poppy on Sunday, and there are a number of other activities happening at and around the match.
Ahead of kick-off, serving and veteran military personnel from the Military Lions official supporters club will walk out of the tunnel and, as part of the military parade, wreaths will then be laid on the halfway line before both sides congregate around the centre circle.
The Last Post will be played by Sergeant Timothy Hynde of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force, followed by a period of silence which will end on the referees whistle.
At half-time, the Academy’s Under-12 team will embark on a lap of the pitch while a video plays on the big screens highlighting their educational activities surrounding Remembrance Day. The Young Lions have been learning about the sacrifices made by soldiers in the First World War and the Christmas Day Truce shared by German and Allied soldiers on the battlefields in 1914.
Members of the Royal British Legion will also be conducting a bucket collection at the stadium prior to kick-off and will be joined by the Academy Under 12s team and coaches to collect donations from fans.
In addition to Sunday’s game, Villa will wear poppy shirts for their Carabao Cup tie at Manchester United and against Brighton and Hove Albion, while Aston Villa Women will also proudly display the poppy during their Women’s Super League game against Liverpool.
The shirts will be signed by the players and provided to local military charities and the RBL in order to help them raise vital funds.
