Sailors on-board HMS Atherstone gathered on the foc’sle, during their transit North through UK waters, to cheer and celebrate Leicester City Football Club’s triumph.
During their Gulf deployment in the latter half of 2015, Leicester City stepped in and sent out a new strip for Crew 4 following a call to assist with their old torn kit.
Atherstone Ship’s Football Team is nicknamed ‘The Fighting Foxes’.
Atherstone whose affiliated town is just 20 miles from Leicester, have found since inheriting the playing kit, that they have enjoyed a long spell of good luck including their 7000nm transit home from Bahrain last year arriving home just before Christmas.
Having just won the Premier League the ship thought it was only right to send their support and congratulations back to the mighty all conquering Leicester team.
MCMV’s operate in the Gulf in support of the UK’s mission in the region; a key element of which is to ensure security and stability in an area that contains three of the world’s six maritime chokepoints.
The UK MCMVs work together with regional allies and international organisations (such as the Combined Maritime Forces, a multi-national naval partnership comprising of 30 nations) to help promote international partnerships; as well as improving the international community’s ability to maintain freedom of navigation in one of the world’s busiest areas of water.
In support of wider British efforts in the region, minehunters provide the capability to conduct route survey, sea-bed clearance, and mine clearance operations all over the Gulf.
The operation also aims to provide a visible naval presence in a region where stability and good relations with local nations is vital.
Much of the UK’s oil and gas, as well as other products, come from the Gulf region and as such these efforts are of vital importance to Britain’s economy and lifestyle.
