BURTON Albion's first team squad have visited the National Memorial Arboretum as we look towards Remembrance Day.
Nigel Clough, his backroom staff and all the first team players made a trip to the national centre for remembrance at Alrewas which is getting ready to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
The team took a stroll around the grounds taking in the major memorials including the famous Armed Forces Memorial which honours those members of the Armed Forces who were killed on duty in more than 50 conflicts.
The Burton Albion manager said: "We have given the lads a break from training so we could come here and pay our respects to all those who have given their lives which is in everyone's thoughts at this time of year."
So far, more than £1,700 has been raised for the annual Poppy Appeal by collection boxes at the Pirelli Stadium.
It's all part of a big push by the football community with the Premier League, The FA, EFL and the PFA joining forces under the banner of ‘Football Remembers’ to mark the Armistice Centenary and Remembrance weekend.
On 11 November 1918, the Armistice was signed, signalling the end of The First World War. One century on, England’s four football bodies will be part of the nationwide commemorations, with support from Premier League Clubs, EFL Clubs and the English national teams paying tribute through a variety of activities.
Remembrance Sunday coincides with the Armistice Centenary, and a range of Football Remembers activity will take place over the weekends leading up to November 11 to mark the efforts of servicemen and women, past and present. Bespoke commemorative coins from the Royal British Legion will be used for the coin toss at every Premier League, EFL and FA Cup match to pay tribute and say thank you to all those involved in the First World War.
In the build-up to Remembrance weekend, Football Remembers will also be backing a number of related projects, including For Club and Country, for which Premier League and EFL clubs across the country, including Burton Albion, will plant trees at their stadiums and training grounds, serving as living legacies to the hundreds of footballers who served and fell in the First World War.
Through For Club and Country, which is run in partnership with the Woodland Trust and the National Football Museum, The FA and England planted trees at St George’s Park in memory of the 14 internationals who served in World War One.
Launched in March and continuing through to November, the Tull100 project is using the story of Walter Tull to inspire a series of inclusion projects at football Clubs and community organisations around the country. Walter Tull was one of the first black heritage professional footballers and in 1917 he became the first black heritage Infantry Officer in the British Army.
In a more artistic tribute, the four football bodies are sponsoring The Greater Game at Waterloo East Theatre, a play that tells the story of Clapton Orient and the men who swapped the football fields of London for the battle fields of the Somme in 1916.
In addition, Football Remembers will be promoting the Games of Remembrance which see the British Army and German Army football teams competing in memory of those who fought so bravely decades ago. Two fixtures will take place in Nottingham on Thursday 8 November with Notts County hosting the Women’s game at 12pm and Nottingham Forest hosting the Men’s match at 7pm.