UK home nations ask Fifa’s permission for football teams to wear poppies
The four football associations of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are to request permission from Fifa to wear poppies on their team shirts during November’s international games.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA), the Football Association (FA), the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and the Irish Football Associ- ation (IFA) have issued a joint statement after Fifa changed its laws last month.
A change in the rules now allows the home nations to wear a poppy on the shirt if opposing teams and the competition organisers agree to it.
Each nation was hit with a fine after displaying poppies during matches held in November last year.
Scotland and England wore black armbands incorporating a poppy emblem during their World Cup qualifier at Wembley, while Wales and Northern Ireland displayed the symbol in their stadiums.
The joint statement read: “The four football associations of the home nations (The FA, FAW, the Scottish FA and Irish FA) welcome the new clarification on Law 4, issued on 26 September 2017 by The International Football Association Board, in close co-operation and agreement with Fifa, governing what can and cannot be worn on players’ shirts. It was important that clarity was brought to this issue as it affects many football matches/competitions throughout the world and is particularly helpful in relation to remembrance and poppies.
“In any year when there are international matches in the week leading up to and including Remembrance Sunday, it is the intention of all four home nations to seek permission from the opposition team and Fifa (as the authority responsible for those matches) to display the poppy on armbands.”
Scotland face the Netherlands at Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen on 6 November, while England face Germany on 10 November, and Brazil on 14 November.
Wales play France on 10 November in Paris and host Panama on 14 November. Northern ireland play switzerland on 9 and 12 November, in Belfast and Basel respectively.