Rather than thinking about the prospect of a beating from Spain on Saturday the English football community has ‘gone to war’ with FIFA over a poppy.
Having survived throughout it’s history without wearing a poppy on their shirt the FA have jumped on the bandwagon of wishing to wear a poppy alongside their famous ‘three lions’.
The dubious benefits of seeing such fine citizens as John Terry and Ashley Cole wearing a poppy has worked the nation into a frenzy rather than the prospect of having Fabio Capello’s side turned over on home soil by the current European and World champions.
FIFA have written to the FA to remind them of Law 4, FIFA’S laws of the game, which prohibits any sort of political symbolism in international football. If any England player is wearing a poppy on their shirt referee Frank de Bleeckere could refuse to start the match.
A FIFA statement yesterday said: “We regret to inform you that accepting such initiatives would open the door to similar initiatives from all over the world, jeopardising the neutrality of football. Therefore, we confirm that the suggested embroidery on the match shirt cannot be authorised.”
There is lots of talk in today’s media about this so called tradition without anyone noting the irony that this ‘tradition’ has never been used before by the international side.
Up until Tony Blair ordered troops into combat in Afghanistan and Iraq Remembrance Sunday was a solemn affair contemplated in silent respect.
Since then football clubs have jumped onboard the poppy bandwagon with some even cashing in by selling club shirts including a poppy.
In 1981 the former Labour Party leader Michael Foote received widespread condemnation for attending Remembrance Sunday wearing a duffle coat. Foote, who lived through World War 2 was a ferocious opponent of war.
It’s not known if the England football team will attend the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph but of more relevance to the players the WAG’s circus will accompany them to next summner’s European Championship finals in Russia and Ukraine.
Sound-bite Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said: “I very much hope that having had a letter from me, as the sports minister of this country, that Fifa will reconsider this decision because I simply believe they have got this wrong. Wearing a poppy is not commercial, not political and not religious. If the FA wishes to take this further, it will have my full support.
CLICK HERE for Marcus Fraser interview
CLICK HERE for Video Celts TV
Follow Video Celts on Twitter, Facebook
At the end of the day it’s about remembering brave soldiers past and present not about about who’s turning up where and for what
FIFA should hang their heads in shame how many times throughout the world have fans shown respect in some form to the death of someone from their favourite club sorry to upset fans but in my mind this is the same thing and as such should be regarded as such forget about all forms of bigotry, politics etc
LET US REMEMBER OUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN FOR GIVING THEIR LIVES FOR US
What’s worse, being banned from wearing something or being forced to?
The Poppy’s went way way beyond the symbol for a charitable organisation. It is now being used as a nationalist imperialistic symbol, with people being forced through peer pressure or even threats of violence to wear it as proof of how British they are.
The Poppy should remain as it always was, up until certain institutions decided to hijack it for their own POLITICAL agenda and
elitists interests, personal choice. I thought that’s what charity was all about!
Maybe if businesses and business men all paid their rightfull taxes the ‘Earl Hague Fund’ and charities like it wouldn’t need such national and now international (which is way OTT and tantamount to sabre rattling) publicity for their work.
If I were a British soldier I would much prefer good body armour in a secure armoured vehicle, than a ‘free’ ticket to a sh*t game for a seat that no one else would be stupid enough to actually pay for.
Next we’ll be getting told that triumphalist tunes like the Dambusters, amongst others, aren’t political………em!
Max, this was the best written comment on the subject I have ever read. Great job. You are dead on the money. I couldn’t have put this any better, (or I would have!!).
HOW ABOUT THE EASTER LILLY BEING WORN EVERY EASTER SUNDAY PINHEAD OR STICKY WHO CARES POPPY EASTER LILLY WHATS THE DIFFERENCE ?
Go to white poppy web.the wearing of a red poppy “from mid October”.is nothing but a fashion statment.ninety percent of the dead in wars since 1939 to the present day were innocent civilians. not military personel. WHITE POPPY WEBSITE.
how about a bit of respect for the brave soldiers of all denominations who died only the really bigoted among us would be against this