At Boundary Park this weekend, everyone in the stadium will take part in the procession that takes place around football matches during Remembrance weekend.

The minute of silence and playing of the Last Post will offer everyone a chance to reflect on people who have lost their lives in wars around the world.

This moment will be of particular significance to members of the Oldham Athletic Veterans and Armed Forces Supporters Group. 

The Oldham Times: Members of the Veterans Supporters Group with Oldham Athletic owner Frank Rothwell, third from leftMembers of the Veterans Supporters Group with Oldham Athletic owner Frank Rothwell, third from left (Image: Steve Johnson)

The group was founded by Steve Johnson and Garry Brown back in April this year, after the two former servicemen met and realised there was an opportunity to create a group to bring together Latics fans who have served in the armed forces.

Steve said that after the two met, it "snowballed" from that point as they realised how much impact the group could have.

The Oldham Times: Guests, members and supporters of the groupGuests, members and supporters of the group (Image: Steve Johnson)

Steve, who is "born and bred" in Oldham and joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) just days after his 17th birthday, serving 17 years, said: "Football is very social, it brings people together.

"We realised through our group we could start doing stuff for charity and the community."

And that's exactly what they have done. The group has organised things such as mascot packages, which offer people the chance to nominate a local child to be a mascot at a Latics match, as well as sponsoring charity efforts in the borough.

The Oldham Times: The group has been making an impact in the communityThe group has been making an impact in the community (Image: Steve Johnson)

Oldham Athletic offers the group tickets which are made available to veterans, giving them the chance to watch the Latics and meet other veterans in Oldham, which Steve says there are more than 5,000 of.

Steve said: "We recently convinced a guy who wouldn't leave the house to come down to a game, it can make a big difference."

The Oldham Times: The Veterans Group's meeting point at Boundary ParkThe Veterans Group's meeting point at Boundary Park (Image: Steve Johnson)

The Royton resident said he was recently invited by the club, along with RAF Wing Commander Andy Green, to give a presentation to academy players about what remembrance means.

Steve said: "Remembrance is about personal reflection - everybody's remembrance is different for a million reasons.

"I was quite honoured to visit battle sites, such as Normandy and Gallipoli, and when I think about remembrance, I think of the places I went to as a young man and took a moment to think 'somebody was stood where I was, having to put up with the most horrific conditions'."

The Oldham Times: Steve Johnson, bottom left, at the 80th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign in 1995Steve Johnson, bottom left, at the 80th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign in 1995 (Image: Steve Johnson)

Steve will be in attendance for the Latics match against Eastleigh, with the club announcing that Armed Forces and veteran personnel can claim one complimentary ticket for the game per person for the fixture.

The club worked closely with the Veterans Supporters Group to offer the initiative.

Steve said the group wanted to thank the club, the local community and their fellow supporters for their help in setting up and building the group.

He also urged people to get in touch with the group, whether they are veterans or looking to get involved with charity work, through social media.