The England and Ipswich Town legend, 67, has joined forces with both the Royal British Legion and MatchWornShirt (MWS) to help raise crucial funds for the Poppy Appeal.

Across late October and November, clubs across the English football pyramid, including the Premier League, EFL and WSL, will wear shirts adorned with the poppy emblem, uniting football in a powerful act of respect.

These unique match-worn shirts will be signed by the players and made available to fans through a series of online auctions hosted exclusively on the MWS platform, with all net proceeds being donated to the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

This year’s campaign features Butcher, whose son Chris died in 2017, aged 35, while suffering from PTSD after serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Since June 2024, Butcher has been a patron of Combat2Coffee, a not-for-profit company that supports veterans and their families.

Butcher hailed the Poppy Appeal for making such a difference and hopes fans around the country can support it as it continues to go from strength to strength.

“The poppy represents pride and respect to those who have gone before,” said Butcher, speaking at Portman Road.

“It’s a renowned and well-loved symbol and a symbol of hope and support.

“Buying a match-worn shirt is something unique – it’s very rare.

“People can club together, put it at a social club, in a company or at home – it’s something I would love to have in my collection.

“When you see the poppies you feel the love for it – it’s so calming and reassuring that the Royal British Legion is behind this.

“When I see the jersey, I smile because it’s something that really pleases me.

“It’s a treasure to have something like that – people should really contemplate putting offers in and buying them, because by doing that you’re giving help to families of the veterans who need that help very urgently.

“You’d be doing something good and there’s a possibility you’ll be saving lives – these are very important things that give people hope.

“It’s something I love and something I have a lot of feeling for – when you look at what the Royal British Legion do and the amount of money they raise, it’s quite incredible.

“It’s for veterans and families and those who have served before, and means that we can live our life in safety.

“The Royal British Legion and their Poppy Appeal raise so much money, which really saves lives and is extremely powerful.”

Now in its eighth consecutive year, the MWS campaign has raised over £4million in support of the Poppy Appeal since 2019, helping to further the Royal British Legion’s vital support of the Armed Forces community.

The campaign showcases the Poppy each year as football clubs wear special shirts for Remembrance fixtures, later signed and auctioned via MWS, with all net proceeds going towards the Armed Forces community. 

It unites fans and clubs during Remembrance fixtures – when rivalries are set aside in support of a greater cause – and includes involvement from clubs across the Premier League, EFL, Premiership Rugby and the RFU via their dedicated online platform.

Butcher highlighted the parallels between football and military conflict and hopes the campaign can continue raising crucial awareness this November.

“In football, you have lots of military jargon involved – words that describe both football and military campaigns,” he added.

“It represents a conflict on the pitch – and that is very unique.

“When you look at the calendar and you see November, it’s not just Remembrance Day, it’s Remembrance Month.

“The Royal British Legion are ensuring the money that is raised from the match-worn jerseys is distributed in the right areas to the right people at the right time, and that can help them enormously.

“There’s such a story in these jerseys – they represent hope, pride, respect and so many things.

“If you’re buying a match-worn jersey and supporting the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, then you’re giving back and you’re making sure you’re helping saves lives.”