Signed Sunderland shirts have raised £1,565 for the UK’s largest Armed Forces charity, The Royal British Legion, in this season’s Sky Bet Poppy Shirt Auction.
Match-worn Poppy shirts from Sunderland’s 1-0 victory over Sunderland on 5th November 2017 were auctioned on the CharityStars website.
The shirts raised an average of £97 with Lee Cattermole’s shirt raising the most, £200.
The money raised will be used by the Legion to support the vital welfare services it provides to the Armed Forces community, such as the Battle Back Centre in Lilleshall which helps wounded, injured and sick Service personnel to achieve their best possible recovery and either return to Service duty or to make a smooth transition to civilian life.
Sky Bet spokesman Sandro Di Michele said: “The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal is a cause we’ve worked closely with for nearly four years and we’re always impressed by the swell of support we see from EFL clubs and their fans.
“To be in a position where we can raise a huge amount of money for such a worthwhile cause and pay our respects to those who have served our country is an honour.”
The Royal British Legion’s Ben France said: “We're grateful to Sky Bet for supporting the Legion through the shirt auctions and to the football league community who each year dig deep and donate to the Poppy Appeal.
“The Legion’s work is made possible thanks to the public’s generous support and the money raised from the auction will help us provide support to the Armed Forces community wherever it’s needed.”
The auction remains ongoing with signed, match-worn Poppy shirts from clubs throughout the EFL available in the coming weeks.