Poppy football shirt's £816 for military charity

An auction for a Remembrance Day football shirt worn by Leeds United player Ao Tanaka has raised more than £800 for two military charities.

Chris Fella, 61, from Otley, was presented with the shirt, which features a special poppy design, after taking the salute before the club's match against QPR at Elland Road on 9 November.

An online auction which ended on Sunday raised £816 for Blind Veterans UK and Hounds for Heroes.

Mr Fella said: "It's a lot of money and I hope it helps the charities which do such good work for so many veterans."

William Witt, from Blind Veterans UK, said: "It's an amazing amount. We're really grateful to Chris."

Mr Witt said the money would be "extremely helpful in providing services to blind veterans across the UK".

After joining up in 1982 Mr Fella served for seven years with the Army.

However, he was later diagnosed with optic neuritis, which caused him to lose his sight. He has received support from Blind Veterans UK ever since.

The former soldier was invited to give the salute in front of 38,000 fans by RAF veteran Darren Brooke, at the special Remembrance Day memorial match at Elland Road, alongside Navy veteran Danny Dance, his fellow founding member of Veterans Club Leeds.

He had been gifted the item, which had been worn by Tanaka during a previous fixture, by the football club, on the condition he sold it to raise funds for a military charity.

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