England & Scotland Set To Defy Poppy Ban
The Football Associations (FA) of England and Scotland have announced that they will not adhere to a ban imposed by FIFA on players wearing poppies.
England and Scotland meet on Armistice Day (11th November) for the teams’ FIFA World Cup qualifier, with both FAs allowing players wear black armbands with poppy emblems.
World football’s governing body, FIFA, bans political, religious or commercial messaging on shirts, with the Scottish and English FA stating they will accept any punishment. Both associations wrote to FIFA asking for permission to wear the emblem on black armbands, but were told that it would breach the rules of the game.
The Welsh FA has also written to FIFA requesting permission to wear poppies on armbands during its game against Serbia on 12th November, but has yet to commit to defy the imposed ban.
FIFA general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura told BBC Sport that “any kind of sanction” could follow.
Samoura added: “We have to apply uniformly and across the 211 member associations the laws of the game.
“Britain is not the only country that has been suffering from the result of war. The only question is why are we doing exceptions for just one country and not the rest of the world?”
Martin Glenn, CEO, The FA said: “We are standing shoulder to shoulder with the other home nations on this, we all feel very strongly. It’s not a political symbol and I think most people would agree with us.
“We don’t think we are breaking their law – we think they are misinterpreting it. I’m confident it won’t come to anything draconian.”
The Scottish FA confirmed that it “intends to pay appropriate tribute by having the Scotland national team wear black armbands bearing poppies.”
Glenn will appear alongside FA development and particaption director Kelly Simmons at next week’s Sport Industry Breakfast Club on 10th November, with limited places still available. For ticket information click here.
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