Teams to wear poppies despite ban threat

ENGLAND and Scotland players will wear black armbands bearing the red poppy when they meet in a World Cup qualifier on Armstice Day, despite the threat of sanctions from FIFA.

The English and Scottish football associations had been negotiating with the world governing body, which bans political, commercial and religious symbols on team outfits during matches.

The FA insisted on Wednesday that the wearing of a poppy represents an “appropriate tribute” to Britain’s war dead.

“The poppy is an important symbol of remembrance and we do not believe it represents a political, religious or commercial message, nor does it relate to any one historical event,” said an FA statement.

“The FA intend to pay appropriate tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice by having the England team wear black armbands bearing poppies in our fixture on Armistice Day.”

England play Scotland in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley on November 11, the day when Britain traditionally remembers its war dead.

Many Britons wear red poppies as a tribute to those who have died in conflicts that have involved the country.

The Scottish FA issued a similar statement to their English counterparts saying the wearing of a poppy was “an appropriate tribute”.

“The Scotland national team [will] wear black armbands bearing poppies in our fixture against England.”

Earlier on Wednesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May attacked FIFA’s opposition to the gesture.

“It is utterly outrageous,” May said when asked about the matter in parliament.

“Our football players want to recognise those who gave their lives for our security.

“It is absolutely right that they should be able to do so. A clear message is going from this House: Before they [FIFA] start telling us what to do, they jolly well ought to sort their own house out.”

FIFA was linked with scandal that led to its president Sepp Blatter being ousted in December. A new regime is now in place.

But a FIFA statement issued on Wednesday reiterated their stance.

“FIFA fully respects the significance of commemorating Remembrance Day on November 11 each year,” it said.

“The laws of the game are overseen by t he Internationa l Football Association Board [composed of the four British FAs and FIFA] and applicable to a ll 211 member associations.

“The relevant Law 4, para 4, clearly states that the players equipment should not carry any political, religious or commercial messages.

“The laws are applied uniformly in the event of similar requests by any member association to commemorate similar historical events.”

In 2011, FIFA agreed to let England wear a poppy symbol on black armbands when they played Spain in a friendly on November 11.

The strength of feeling against FIFA was reflected when nearly 200,000 people had signed a petition urging a rethink.

FIFA is considering sanctions against Ireland for wearing a political symbol during a friendly in March, a spokesperson for the world body said yesterday.

A FIFA spokesperson said “the disciplinary committee of FIFA is evaluating the matter” of Ireland’s shirt. The spokesperson said there is no specific date for a decision.

Ireland had the years 19162016 and other symbols on their jerseys in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the country’s Easter Uprising for the March 25 friendly against Switzerland.