Thetownend.com

TOWN supporters are being urged to put West Country rivalries to one side on Saturday and join forces to provide Help for Heroes.

Swindon take on Bristol Rovers at the County Ground (noon kick-off), knowing that three points can effectively secure their safety from the League One drop.

But the clash is also being used to try and help raise more than £10,000 for the Help for Heroes charity, which looks after service personnel wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While the derby has occasionally spilled over into violence in recent seasons, STFC Football in the Community development officer Shane Hewlett has called on fans to look at the bigger picture.

“Come out and support the club because it’s a massive day for us,” he said. “If we win we are pretty much safe, but it is not just about the football.

“It would be great to put everything else to one side for one day. We want to get the message across that we don’t want people who are going to cause trouble.

“By the time people get there and see what is happening, hopefully it will put things into perspective.

“While we are watching a football match there are people out there who are being shot at and losing their lives.

“People are going to be at the game who have got first-hand experience of that or family members involved out there, and it would be great to leave aside the hostilities.

“It is a massive game for the club and three points would be brilliant to make us safe.

“Hopefully we can pull this event off, and if it the day goes trouble free as well then it would be perfect.”

A range of events have been planned for the day including a 30-piece RAF band, a guard of honour, more than 60 youngsters getting involved whose parents have served in the armed forces, 5,000 Union Jack flags donated by Trak Employment Solutions and goody bags supplied by Coca-Cola.

Hewlett, who has been the driving force behind Town’s Help for Heroes campaign, added: “We want people to arrive early - we want to get them into the ground to turn it into a carnival and help turn up the atmosphere before a massive game.

“Even if you don’t love football, come along because it is a great event to help raise as much money as possible for such a worthwhile cause.”

In a way help for heroes makes me a tad upset as I think really there should not need to be a charity for this - it should be done automatically by the goverment anyway

In a way help for heroes makes me a tad upset as I think really there should not need to be a charity for this - it should be done automatically by the goverment anyway

I quite agree but unfortunately the Labour party are busy spunking our tax money on paying for the mess created by the City boys, thanks to the legacy of Thatcher's market crazy economics which I so admired at the time

Oh god another politics thread

Oh god another politics thread

controlled breeding is the only answer i can think of.it would mean less tax for the decent working people,and money could be distributed fairly to those in genuine need of it.

Unite for the cause, club urges derby fans

It's a great cause, but I don't see many Derby fans making the trip for it

Think that's what you meant

The fact it is, the men and women who serve in the armed forces deserve nothing but the best, especially when they come back seriously injured. They're people, like you, like me and they've made the sacrifice.

EDIT: BArely a post goes by without some kind of snidey comment eh Reg? I guess by the point of your post you are against the support for Help for Heroes this wekend? 

Maybe we could just stop sending them into unwinnable, unjustifiable wars with inadequate equipment?

Maybe we could just stop sending them into unwinnable, unjustifiable wars with inadequate equipment?