James McClean writes letter to West Brom fans explaining his poppy stance

It's that time of year again.

James McClean has written a letter in West Brom's matchday programme confirming he won't be wearing the Remembrance Day poppy next month, and explaining his reasons for doing so. "We are coming up to Remembrance Day and I won’t wear a poppy on my shirt," McClean's letter reads. "People say I am being disrespectful but don’t ask why I choose not to wear it."

"If the poppy was simply about World War One and Two victims alone, I'd wear it without a problem." "I would wear it everyday of the year if that was the thing but it doesn't, it stands for all the conflicts that Britain has been involved in. Because of the history where I come from in Derry, I cannot wear something that represents that."

The Derry winger took a similar measure last year, when he was playing for Wigan Athletic, and issued an open letter to Wigan's then-chairman Dave Whelan explaining his stance. McClean also refused to wear the poppy while playing for Sunderland. In the programme for Saturday's 1-0 win over Sunderland, McClean also said that his "attitude is to live and let live."

"I don't think we should have any ideas forced on us just as I don't want to force my ideas on anyone else. The Albion fans have been great to me and I just want to put it out in black and white why I do what I do and give my side of the story. If I were to sing the British national anthem, then that would be disrespectful to the place I come from. A lot of people are still hurting there and so I can’t pretend that that didn't happen."

After the game against Sunderland, McClean's celebrations in front of the away fans resulted in a melee as Sunderland players Danny Graham and Lee Cattermole rushed to confront him. A section of the Sunderland fans were also recorded chanting an anti-IRA song following the game, and had jeered McClean throughout the game at the Hawthorns.