Fans raise Normandy funds

Members of englandfans played a crucial role in helping the Normandy Veterans Association secure the funding needed to allow 11 veterans of the Campaign to return to France for the 65th anniversary of the event earlier this month.

After hearing that the Association was faced with the task of raising over £300,000, members of the Fans Forum on the englandfans website began an appeal last December to help the Veterans to reach their target.

The 65th anniversary fell on 6 June, the day that England played Kazakhstan in Almaty, so a collection at Wembley that day was obviously out of the question but supporters on the Forum had already begun to make personal donations whilst members also carried out different group collections all over the country.

Momentum gathered as a group of fans from Exeter held an auction of football memorabilia, two members carried out a sponsored fun run and a collection was taken at the Independent Fans Party prior to the game with Slovakia at Wembley in March, raising over £4000 in total.

By now, the appeal was receiving widespread coverage in the media and the Government added further funds to reach the target set and ensure that the Veterans could attend the anniversary service.

The final event of this year’s commemorations takes place this Sunday, with a march past the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London.