FIFA are believed to be considering sanctions against the FAI for commemorating the 1916 Easter Uprising on the shirt worn in a friendly against Switzerland EIGHT months ago.
The news emerged from a French news agency and follows the poppy row created by the FA and SFA ahead of next week’s England v Scotland match at Wembley.
For over 50 years those that died in conflict were remembered respectively on Remembrance Sunday ceremonies across the country.
Since Tony Blair declared an illegal war on Iraq, initially to find weapons of mass destruction but later switched conveniently to bring about regime change, the poppy issue has been hijacked.
.@FAIreland fans, check out new crest for #EURO2016 which commemorates 1916 Rising. Exactly 113 days to our 1st game pic.twitter.com/mt6faWro2k
— RTÉ 2FM (@RTE2fm) February 21, 2016
For over 50 years football was unaffected by the modern PR blitz. Fans would watch their team as usual on a Saturday then choose whether they wished to attend a Remembrance Service the following day.
Over the last decade this time of year has seen some football grounds put on military ceremonies before two sets of men kick a ball around with supporters yelling obscenities at each other.
Clearly looking to be part of the action the FA and SFA want to wear black armbands including a poppy for their World Cup clash.
FIFA rules, largely drawn up by the FA and SFA, prohibit any kind of political slogan to be added to football kit.
The British associations are now promising to ignore that legislation and have highlighted how Ireland commemorated the Rebellion on the shirt used in a friendly against Switzerland in March.
By reviewing the Ireland shirt it seems that FIFA are preparing to come down hard on the FA and SFA if they go ahead with their poppy plans.
In Scotland Heart of Midlothian have held an annual ceremony on Remembrance Sunday at the War Memorial in Haymarket. The service is held quietly and respectfully in honour of the team that volunteered for national service of which seven died in action, two died afterwards from the effect of being gassed with a tenth player left crippled and unable to play again.
Perhaps if the FA and SFA were to follow the example of Hearts the war dead could be remembered in a suitably respectful manner.