Fifa agrees to relax ban on home teams’ poppy displays

FIFA is set to lift its controversial ban on home nations wearing and displaying poppies on their shirts or armbands and in stadiums.

The Football Association of Wales was fined nearly £16,000 for a poppy display in their World Cup qualifier against Serbia in Cardiff on November 12 after fans unveiled a giant poppy tribute in the stands in conjunction with the FAW.

They were even charged for a member of the armed forces holding a bunch of poppies at the entrance/exit of the players’ tunnel.

Fifa interpreted the poppy as a political symbol, but the FAW strongly disputed this at the time.

The English, Scottish, and Northern Irish football associations all defied the ban and players wore poppy-printed armbands during World Cup qualifying matches.

However, a new proposal will allow poppies to be worn, providing the opposing team and the organising body concerned give their approval before the match.

Fifa’s new proposal concerning “political” symbols on shirts amounts to a relaxation over the rules on poppies. The proposal states that “Whilst ‘religious’ and ‘personal’ are relatively easily defined, ‘political’ is less clear”.

A notice was also sent by Fifa to all national governing bodies last week reminding them of law four in the Laws of the Game. It states that on shirts “The following are normally permitted: player name, number, team crest/logo, initiatives.”

It is understood that a poppy marking Armistice Day is considered a commemoration of a significant national event.