The point is that the servicemen have fought and died for our way of life /safety. The disabled have their Poppy Day, every day by getting the best parking spaces. I am of course joking.

I am a proud Irishman and I wear a poppy to recognise that my grandfather (another proud Irishman) gave his life in 1917 on the Western Front.
I also believe everyone has the right to choose not to wear one without any pressure.
That is what my grandfather fought and died for.

Respect to your grandfather.

I also respect this tradition but yes, compulsion is rarely helpful, though I do believe criticism is fair comment.

People have freedom to comment or not to comment.

Edited by Stirlingsays (05 Nov 2017 12.04am)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Could be worse, could be Croat/Serb living memory war rather than remembering 100 WW1 70 years WW2

It's good to keep an opened mind, but not so open that your brains fall out.

Just a point about ‘compulsion’. Surely it’s the football club that decides to sport the poppy on its shirts, and if players want to play for their club then that’s the shirt they wear that week. If a player was opposed to gambling, they wouldn’t get a choice about wearing a shirt with a betting firm’s logo in it, would they?

When I see a team wearing the poppy on its shirts I see it as the club making a gesture, not the individual players.

Palace since 19 August 1972. Palace 1 (Tony Taylor) Liverpool 1 (Emlyn Hughes)

Growing up the whole point of poppies was to make a conscious effort to go and pay for one, then wear it. This made it more of a worthwhile and respectful act.

My suggestion to footballers. On Remembrance weekend you are given the choice of a shirt with a poppy and one without. If you want to wear the poppy-emblazoned on you have to donate £ ........ to the Poppy Appeal.