James McClean (Poppy Dodger).

[subsub]

Just because you don't wear one doesn't mean you don't respect the dead.

But if all the football shirts have already been made with a poppy on them, you'd have to be pretty opposed to wearing one to ask specificially for a shirt without a poppy - that's the difference in this case.

[Reg]

Didn't some newsreader get shit not long ago for not wearing one. Bit daft that attitude to me personally.

Yes.

His point was that he bought a poppy each year and wore it on Remembrance Day, and he didn't like the way people were expected to wear them for weeks before on TV.

I agree with him. It's not a fashion, like a wrist band, it has a specific significance, and the hysteria about people not wearing them goes against the whole point of them.

[finchman]

Republic of Ireland international James McClean explains poppy stance.



Wigan Athletic’s Republic of Ireland international winger James McClean will not be wearing a poppy shirt tonight alongside the rest of his Wigan Athletic team mates, as the club takes part in football’s annual Remembrance Day commemoration.

This is a personal decision by James, who explained his position in a letter to Latics Chairman Dave Whelan before the two met face to face to discuss the issue this week.

Following the meeting, Mr Whelan accepted James’ decision and it is both their wish that the letter is published here in full, alongside this statement. There will be no further comment on this issue by the club.

Read more at http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk/news/artic ... oVQWf2o.99

[andyrich666]

There's a lot of poppy fascists about these days.

Remember, they died for our freedom, not so you can dictate to others.

I do agree, My Grandad was in WW2 and suffered a bullet in his right leg for the rest of his life, but the freedom is gone, where is the freedom, unless you have money you have to live with shyte.

[Reg]

It's either a free country or it's not.

[andyrich666]

Republic of Ireland international James McClean explains poppy stance.



Wigan Athletic’s Republic of Ireland international winger James McClean will not be wearing a poppy shirt tonight alongside the rest of his Wigan Athletic team mates, as the club takes part in football’s annual Remembrance Day commemoration.

This is a personal decision by James, who explained his position in a letter to Latics Chairman Dave Whelan before the two met face to face to discuss the issue this week.

Following the meeting, Mr Whelan accepted James’ decision and it is both their wish that the letter is published here in full, alongside this statement. There will be no further comment on this issue by the club.

Read more at http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk/news/artic ... oVQWf2o.99

Can you disagree with that statement........discuss, I am a little bit ignorant to the Poppy, I agree with him, as I read earlier it would be like John Terry playing for Bayern Munich and takign part in a German remembernce ceremony

[andyrich666]

It's either a free country or it's not.

England is not free it is a apart of the UK

[al growler]

People can support and respect remembrance without having to display the fact

[NorthBank]

There is no law saying you have to wear a poppy. People have different views and they have the choice to wear a poppy or not. Personally I never wear one. Not because I don't respect those who made sacrifices, but because wearing symbols and displaying a political stance so prominently is not my style. And whether people like it or not the Poppy has a political connotation. So I stay away from that and instead choose to show respect privately.

[Roddy]

He's got more chips on his shoulder than a Las Vegas casino.

[Lord Notin Kwestion]

Fucking sack the cunt.

[Sadact7]

Fucking sack the cunt.

[paolo]

His explanation seemed pretty well thought out.

Real war heroes must be turning in their grave as every tattooed fuckwit who touched down in camp bastion and made a brew is automatically labelled a hero

Kudos to him for sticking by his guns

[Carlos J]

His explanation seemed pretty well thought out.

Real war heroes must be turning in their grave as every tattooed fuckwit who touched down in camp bastion and made a brew is automatically labelled a hero

Kudos to him for sticking by his guns

Agreed, especially the part in red.

[Shedboy]

Over the past few years, in my opinion, the whole Poppy Appeal / Remembrance Sunday has been turned more into an American style Salute to the Services than an occasion for poignancy and remembrance.

These days we are expected to consider anyone who dons a uniform a hero and that doesn't sit right with me.

Hopefully it doesn't get to the point, as in America, where we're at a show or concert and members of the armed forces are asked to stand and the rest of us are expected to give them a thunderous round of applause. I've experienced this over there and the Yanks give you funny looks when, like us, you don't applaud.