United tribute to armed forces

A FAILSWORTH soldier will be among a regiment given a heroes’ welcome by football fans on Saturday.

Fusilier Dean Dalton will be one of 20 soldiers introduced to the crowd before the Manchester United versus Blackburn Rovers match at Old Trafford.

As a mark of respect and recognition to the work undertaken by the armed forces, the soldiers of 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers have been invited by United to watch the match in a private box and also take to the pitch before the game.

The battalion, most of them local to the North-West, has recently returned from a six-month operational tour in Basra, southern Iraq. For some it was the third time in Iraq in the past five years.

Lt-Col Jim Landon, commanding officer 1RRF, is delighted with the football club’s offer.

He said: “It is a fantastic opportunity for the Fusiliers to see how much the public support and admire them for the sacrifice they have made and continue to make.”

Forty more 1RRF soldiers will enjoy similar hospitality at Arsenal against Sunderland and Aston Villa versus Chelsea on the same day.