Why won’t club help me honour veterans?

I HAVE been trying to start a campaign in relation to one of the May bank holidays being dedicated to our troops by having it known as Veterans’ Dedication Day.

The USA has a bank holiday for their veterans on November 11 each year, when any member of the Armed Forces can go into a restaurant and be provided with a free meal on the production of a card.

If you are an avid reader of The Sentinel, you will have seen my story printed, and several mentions of my intentions over a considerable time.

It occurred to me how wonderful it would be to be able to speak to the crowd at a Stoke City game either before or during half-time to gain some support.

After all, to speak to such a huge number of people would be extremely beneficial.

I therefore wrote to Stoke City Football Club’s chief executive Tony Scholes with copies to Peter Coates and Gordon Banks to gain support.

I waited in anticipation for a reply, and finally received a response from the head of community.

It was the smallest (some four-and-a-half lines) of the most unhelpful, couldn’t care less comments I have ever received from any of the celebrities or organisations I have written to over the past four years.

He had the nerve to say how proud Stoke City Football Club were of the country’s servicemen and its veterans, but were unable to allow individuals or groups to actively campaign inside the stadium. Well shame on you Stoke City Football Club. Thanks for absolutely nothing.

Remember this: ‘We are here because they were there’.

Whatever we do for them will never be enough.