MWS and Terry Butcher launch eighth Poppy Appeal campaign of match-worn shirt auctions
Published October 23, 2026
Eight years. Well over £4 million raised. And another set of poppy shirts ready to make a difference.
This autumn, MWS teams up with the Royal British Legion for the eighth year in a row, bringing the poppy shirt auctions back to football clubs across the UK.
What began in 2019 has become a Remembrance tradition. Clubs wear the poppy, players sign the shirts they wore, and fans bid to own them, with all net proceeds going to the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal.
Fronting this year's campaign is Terry Butcher, the England and Ipswich Town legend, who joined us at Portman Road to talk about what the poppy means to him, and why every bid counts.
How the poppy shirt auctions work
The Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal runs from Thursday 22 October until Armistice Day on Wednesday 11 November 2026, with poppy shirt auctions going live throughout late October and November.
From the pitch to your collection, here's how every poppy shirt makes its way to auction:
1. The poppy goes on. Over the Remembrance fixtures, participating clubs take to the pitch in shirts carrying the poppy emblem.
2. The auctions go live. Every poppy shirt is auctioned exclusively on the MWS website and app, with most going live at kick-off.
3. The players sign them. After the final whistle, the shirts are signed by the players who wore them.
4. Every shirt is authenticated. Club kit managers send the shirts to MWS. Each one is authenticated with our Fabricks™ technology, so you know exactly which player wore it and in which match.
5. Your bid makes a difference. All net proceeds go to the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal, supporting the Armed Forces community.
Poppy football shirts from across the game
This year's poppy football shirts come from right across the English pyramid, with clubs from the Premier League, EFL and WSL all taking part.
Top clubs include Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United.
For one weekend, rivalries step aside. Different badges, different colours, one shared emblem, worn in respect for the Armed Forces community past and present.
Terry Butcher: “There's such a story in these jerseys”
For Terry Butcher, this campaign is personal. His son Chris, a Captain in the Royal Artillery who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, died in 2017, aged 35, while suffering from PTSD.
Since June 2024, Butcher has been a patron of Combat2Coffee, a not-for-profit supporting veterans and their families.
Speaking at Portman Road, he explained what the poppy stands for:
Eight years of support for the Armed Forces community
Since 2019, the MWS poppy shirt auctions have raised well over £4 million for the Poppy Appeal. Eight consecutive years of clubs, players and fans standing together for one cause.
This year's appeal shines a light on a simple truth: when someone serves, their family serves too. Months apart. Missed birthdays, anniversaries and first days at school.
The Royal British Legion supports Armed Forces families during and after service, from guidance during deployment and help with financial hardship to support after a bereavement and care in later life. Every Poppy Appeal shirt auction helps keep that support going, for life.
Bid on a poppy shirt
Join Terry Butcher, MWS and clubs across the UK in backing this year's Poppy Appeal.
Head to the Poppy Appeal 2026 auctions to browse every match-worn and signed poppy shirt, place your bid, and own a piece of Remembrance football history.