Why would a poppy remind him of the bombing of a Serbian village. Not sure why people like him & McLean are putting their own interpretation on the poppy. First of all it's only the people in Commonwealth countries who wear the poppy. To 95% of people including me it's a mark of respect to the millions of soldiers (including ,1000's of Irish) who died in two world wars without whose courage we probably wouldn't be alive today. Others may have family or friends who died in more recent wars in the Falklands, Iraq & Afghanistan so show their respect the same way. We all know the history of the poppy from "Flanders Field" the WWI elegy so I'm at a loss why Matic wants to associate it with the bombing of a Serbian village.
I can understand McLean but not Matic but each to their own and I won't slag people that don't wear one . I have a small family due to their decimation in WW1 I wear one in their memory . My choice .
I certainly don’t think it’s 95% that only associate it with the two world wars. I associate it with British soldiers full stop & any who’ve lost their lives, any that’s suffered as a result of going to war or just anyone that’s represented our country in a war. When he thinks of British soldiers he thinks of civilians from his country been blown to bits by bombs so he doesn’t wear a poppy. That’s fair enough for me. When McClean thinks of British soldiers he thinks of 6 men off his estate in Derry been killed so he doesn’t wear a poppy. Again, that’s fair enough. When I wear one I think of my ancestors who fought in wars which I think is fair enough. I’m surprised more players don’t make a stand & not wear them, for a starter I’m surprised any of the Argies, Aguero, Otamendi, Zabaleta, Lanzini etc wear them. The wearing poppies on shirts only got introduced in 2012 at a time when there’s more foreigners than ever playing in England, it seems daft that it even became a thing. Surely a minutes silence at every home game before the 11th of November is enough without putting pressure on individual players?
NATO bombed Serbia during the Balkans conflict. I suppose NATO is the modern equivalent of The Allies.
I noticed ve didn’t have a poppy on our shirts on Saturday unlike a lot of clubs, including Southend.
Id have more time for Mclean if he stuck to his original statement instead of using bobby sands for an insirational quote.
I don't understand what this means in context of the rest of your argument? Surely that provides a good example of why someone not from the Commonwealth would choose not wear it? Or am I missing something? The poppy is for all fallen soldiers in war not just WW1 and 2. As has been done to death on the other poppy post, it's out of order to guilt trip people into wearing one. It should be by choice and by pressuring people into wearing one it devalues the whole point and meaning of it in the first place!
Matic doesn't want to think of the UK (as part of the UN) bombing Serbia but he's happy to live here. I think that might be a bigger reminder than a poppy.
The average man on the street didn't bomb his country though? I've worked in China for a year- doesn't mean I agree with or support their human rights record (nor did I at the time). An entire country's people aren't responsible for events that occur in history. I personally don't blame every German for what Hitler did- i'm sure they didn't foresee what was coming. The two (population and govt) can be separated.
This annual poppy controversy gets right on my tits. People should be free to not wear a poppy without being questioned or made out to be a ****.
My argument isn't whether he wears one or not. Read it again. I just wondered why a poppy reminded him of a Serbian village being bombed. It wasn't the commonwealth that bombed the village. The poppy is not the emblem of NATO it's more a symbol of the futility of war. Do not get why he would associate a poppy with a bombing. Personally I don't give a monkeys who wears one and who doesn't, it'just his reasoning that appears flawed to me.
I read it a few times before making my comment and wasn't having a go, just didn't see the relevance. We are part of NATO and Matic clearly associates British soldiers as being a part of what happened. I don't see any issue with that, no right or wrong really. Most of us alive today haven't experienced bombing on home soil (from a war anyway) so it's not up to me to criticise his rationale.
Strangely the practice of wearing a poppy at this time of year is not solely a British one. Indeed, the adoption of the poppy had a very international birth. In November 1918, a poem by Canadian military doctor John McCrae inspired American humanitarian Moina Michael to wear and distribute poppies in honour of fallen soldiers. The poppy was officially adopted by the American Legion at a conference two years later. At the same conference, a French woman named Madame E Guerin saw an opportunity for orphans and widows to raise money in France by selling the poppies. Britain did not adopt the practice (through the Royal British Legion) till 1921 But the poppies, which are made in a factory in London and sent to British embassies in countries as varied as Argentina, Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka, are sometimes used by the local community as well.
Why do you care either way? As you say mainly for people in commonwealth countries so why would a Serbian wear one anyway?
I don't care. It was just a debate I promoted because I thought his reason was flawed. If he'd just not worn one fair enough but to say a poppy reminds him of a village being bombed is a bit poor in my opinion.
It certainly is a strange thing to say. Perhaps he should consider why the UN forces were attacking Serbian targets in the first place. They were responsible for some horrendous acts and war crimes during the war in the Balkans. I agree, I don't care if he doesn't want to wear a poppy but I also find his linking of the poppy with a village being bombed very flawed.
