Fifa rejects FA's requests for England to wear poppies

[Smithys]

"Fifa has again rejected the Football Association's request for the England team to wear poppies on their shirts during Saturday's game against Spain."

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Fifa have never been fond of English football, however this just seems silly, it isn't political or religious, rather a proud charitable symbol of British soldiers and pride, a bit like a national shirt itself.

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[ferrarilover]

Do it anyway, have the shirts printed with the poppies in them. FIFA either call off the match and spark massive uproar around the world, or they allow us to play in them.

The best way to beat a bully (for that is EXACTLY what FIFA is) is to stand up to it and refuse to do as told.

Matt.

[Scott Brehaut]

Or, they play the game with the poppies printed on their shirts, await the fine from FIFA and state that they will only pay it if FIFA donate the fine to a charity of Englands choosing, and then nominate the poppy appeal....

[stevegull]

Do it anyway. FIFA will know they will have an uprising on their hands if they punish us. Hardly helping their public image, this.

[Southampton Gull]

I don't think they're bothered about upsetting us English, in fact I think they enjoy it.

[lovinthatsurf]

they love it!! wear the shirts anyway..mow the pitch in a poppy design? players all have them shaved into their heads??

[Plymouth Gull]

I agree it's bad, and I'm not meaning to stick up for Fifa here as I think it's more corrupt than Crawley Town, but I heard/read somewhere that there is a rule in place saying shirts can only have 'x' amount of logos and such on them. I don't know how true that is, but should they let England wear a poppy, then there bending their own rules. One thing I like about national football is that the shirts don't have sponsors on them - that wouldn't be the same if this rule wasn't in place - you can just imagine FIFA saying yes to us having poppies, then some rich nobodies like Qatar saying "well you let England do it so we're whacking a massive sponsor on our shirt" and FIFA can't reject because they accepted Englands poppy thing. I don't know how much truth there is in the above rule but I swear I heard it somewhere and it makes sense.

Though for what its worth, I think we should still wear them.

[Enzo]

I'll probably get a bit of flack for this, but I don't see why the FA, the media and many fans are making this such a big issue. Please don't take this as disrespect for anyone who has died or lost a loved one in conflict as I do not mean it that way. To my recollection we have never requested to do this before - why not wear a black armband and lay a wreath (which I think is permitted). Why are we getting our knickers in a twist? FIFA has not just made this rule up for us - it has been around for years - and we really need to get over this attitude that FIFA is against us. We cry foul everytime things don't go our way. Yes, FIFA is a probably highly corrupt - but we were happy to engage with our own gift bags and dodgy friendlies when we thought the corruption was in our favour. We made a stand a while ago and looked like bitter losers.

Anyway, I digress - Sure the poppy is not offensive, but that is missing the point. I see David Cameron and Prince William have jumped on the populist bandwagon. Thanks fellas - did the world cup bid teach you nothing about how FIFA values your input? Cameron quotes that it is a symbol of national pride - That is the point you idiot!! FIFA has had these rules for years - many countries could do things in the name of national pride which could be ofensive to other states. The idea that FIFA should judge each case on its individual merit would embroil FIFA into all sorts of clashes. It could open up a massive can of worms.

FIFA appears to be a crap organisation rotten to the core - just like the FA, but this is a jingositic issue stirred up by the media, the governament and the FA which means absolutely jack sh1t about how we commenmorate our lost ones. For years and years the black armband and minutes silence (and laterly applause) have been the form of paying respect to lost ones. I think to make such an issue out of this loses sight of that. Choose your battles boys.

[Smithys]

Well to me I feel as a country we should stand up to FIFA and say we wear poppies or we don't play, thousands of Brave men and women have died to protect our country so therefore for Fifa to say we cannot wear a poppy on our national shirt is disgraceful and disrespectful.

And Enzo i disagree entirely, I don't think the media has hyped this, Its a sensitive issue that means a lot to many people and the media a absolutely correct

[Smithys]

BTW Fifa will allow England to wear poppies on the black armbands now, the right decision has been reached

[HRG]

I'm glad a compromise has been reached but I agree with Enzo on some points. England have played on Remembrance weekend before without requesting to wear a poppy and without the outcry so why now?

We know the poppy is the symbol of a charitable organisation which does good work, as do other military related charities but I would much rather see the words 'lest we forget' embroided onto the English player's shirts which would encompass every charity rather than just one and would truly be about remembrance.

I gave money to my daughter to get a poppy at school so I am in no way against it but I choose not to wear one, I observe the minutes silence but I don't see remembrance as being about wearing a symbol but more taking the time to think about the sacrifices that others have made so that I and my children and eventually grandchildren can live the lives that we do.

Fifa still suck though.

[Stoke_Gull]

This whole thing has been perfect for the right wing tabloids hasn't it? Johnny foreigner disrespects British soldiers! Now forgive me but I can see FIFA's point here, a neutrality on symbols of this sort should be imposed. Can you imagine the anger and mouth frothing from the Mail/Sun/Express if Germany or Argentina wore some sort of symbol on their shirts to remember their war dead? There would be national outrage.

Besides it's not like FIFA are banning us from remembering our fallen at all is it? Here is a list of what the FA is doing to mark Rememberance Day.
• England players wearing black armbands during the Spain game on Saturday.

• A poppy wreath on the pitch during the national anthems.

• A one-minute silence before kick-off.

• Players will wear training tops with embroidered poppies before the match.

• Players will wear poppy-embossed anthem jackets during the national anthems.

• Military representatives will be in the presentation party before kick-off.

• 500 England v Spain tickets have been donated to members of the armed forces, and 1,000 tickets for the England v Sweden game on Tuesday.

• The England senior squad will train at Wembley on Friday before the Spain game, will observe the two-minute silence at 11am, and will wear training tops embossed with poppies.

• Those training tops will be passed on to forces' charities post-match as auction items.

• The poppy will be visible around Wembley on Saturday, on the scoreboards and advertising boards, and poppy sellers will be in the stadium.

• On Thursday, the England Under-21s play Iceland in Colchester and the England Under-19s play Denmark in Brighton. All players and staff will be wearing poppies pre- and post-match.

• Both the Under-21s and Under-19s will observe a one-minute silence at their games, with the Under-21s doing so alongside troops from Colchester barracks.

So, in the end, is it really a big deal if we do not wear a poppy or not? I think we're doing more than enough anyway don't you? The FA knew full well they had arranged a friendly on Rememberance Day and they knew the rules laid down by FIFA so why get all offended when told that poppies cannot be worn during the match? I also see that our esteemed leader and the Duke of Cambridge have waded into this debate and have offered condemned FIFA's actions, clearly DC and William have not learnt from last year that they have zero input in FIFA and that Sepp Blatter could not care less if Cameron was outraged.

There we go, rant over.

[Smithys]

I wouldn't be offended at all if Germans or Argentine players wore a symbol to respect their dead, anybody who would needs a history lesson or two about the choice give to them soldiers, and to say we're doing "more than enough", personally I don't think we can do enough.

This isn't about FIFA or national teams being neutral, it about a nation remembered those its lost, and other soldiers lost from elsewhere for that matter.

[Yellow4life]

I'm off to this game!!!!

...glad to see the list above what the FA are doing

[Enzo]

I wouldn't be offended at all if Germans or Argentine players wore a symbol to respect their dead, anybody who would needs a history lesson or two about the choice give to them soldiers, and to say we're doing "more than enough", personally I don't think we can do enough.

This isn't about FIFA or national teams being neutral, it about a nation remembered those its lost, and other soldiers lost from elsewhere for that matter.

Fair enough Smithy. However, my memory and respect for lost ones does not depend on the national team wearing a poppy. I think we have played over rememberence weekend three times in recent times and the two previous times we have not chosen to wear poppies - I can't remember an uproar from fans and the media about this lack of respect. It just seems to me that some people are more up in arms by the fact that it is FIFA who may have stopped us doing something.

I too would have no problem for Germany and Argentina to wear a symbol to honour their dead. However, some countries may have a different intepretation of "national pride" or be less compassionate toward a particular cause - Happily, FIFA has moved an inch and we can claim a victory.