Ahead of Everton’s Remembrance fixture against Leicester City on Saturday, serving and former military personnel paid a special visit to Finch Farm.
Attendees of Everton in the Community’s veterans programme and members of the Tri-Service Toffees, an official Everton Supporters’ Club, were welcomed to the training ground by Club Ambassador Graham Stuart.
Anthony Gordon, Izzy Christiansen, Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Tom Davies and Toni Duggan all took the time to meet the group, who were also joined by EitC staff.
The players learnt about the visitors’ backgrounds and EitC’s veteran provision, before also discussing both teams’ seasons to date.
Left-to-right: Craig Zenko (Tri-Service Toffees), Nikki McGee (EitC), Graham Fisher (T-ST), Jason Booth (T-ST), Chris Dargan (T-ST), Jordan Pickford, Ray Marshall (Veteran), Ian Farley (Veteran), Jack Highton (Veteran), Dave Curtis (EitC).
After the meet and greet, the group was taken on a tour of Finch Farm by Stuart, before watching Frank Lampard and his staff put the men’s squad through a training session.
The Blues will recognise the incredible sacrifice and bravery of the Armed Forces and merchant navy ahead of Saturday evening’s Premier League match.
Players, coaching staff and match officials will emerge from the tunnel slightly earlier than usual, with both captains to lay a poppy wreath on the edge of the centre circle.
The same personnel that visited Finch Farm will then line the centre circle and be joined by both sets of players for a period of silence, with the Last Post to be performed by a Bugler, accompanied by two standard bearers.
On the work of the Armed Forces, Stuart said: “They’ve got the whole country’s respect, and quite rightly so. The sacrifices that people have made throughout their life for our freedom is something that we should celebrate and totally and utterly respect; and that’s something we like to do at Everton.”
Dave Curtis, Everton Veterans’ Hub Coordinator and former Lance Corporal in the Army, also spoke of what Saturday’s pre-match activities will mean to him and his fellow veterans.
He said: “It’s a bit of a bittersweet moment, because we’ve all served and all done our job for our country.
“We’re all standing in the middle of the pitch of the team we know, love and support. However, we’re there doing something we don’t want to have to do – remember the fallen. I personally have lost friends and will remember them, as well as everybody else who has made a sacrifice.”
With the planned Remembrance activities in mind, supporters are encouraged to take their seats as early as possible on Saturday evening (kick-off 5.30pm).
The shirts worn by Everton’s players for the fixture will bear a poppy emblem and will be signed and auctioned off in support of the Royal British Legion. Look out for more information about the auction and how to bid on evertonfc.com from this weekend.
