Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...land-poppy-ban



A shocking decision by Fifa.:mad::mad:

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Why? Football has nothing to do with remembering armed conflicts and the lives given in said conflicts..

Being ex-RAF I'm all in support for the poppy appeal but don't see why it should be used in conjunction with a sporting event..

As bad a decision as this is I do see FIFA's point. Imagine the outcry if some country decided to wear the Taliban logo! It has to be the same rules for all so I think they may have got this right even though we don't agree.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Why not?Two wars that involved the whole world and involved the death of millions across the world including civilians is not a case for remembrance?It really is no skin of Fifa's nose to look at it that way .to say it's political is complete crap.It's a matter of respect about a situation that affected just about every country across the world.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Exactly.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Yet how many countries wear poppies remembering that it is purely a commenwealth memorial and not even observed by all of the remaining commenwealth..

Even so this is international sport and nothing to do with war..

As for Fifa they've taken the only stance they can even if they didn't have a team strip policy that this decision would break if allowed.. especially with countries like Germany involved or should we be rubbing their noses in it for another 90+ years :rolleyes:

As for two world wars that involved the WHOLE world well that's a whole other thread but you would have to miss out the word WHOLE.

I don't deny that the poppy appeal is special but like any appeal/memorial we shouldn't be enforcing it on other countries.. Or perhaps the French should make everyone in the world sing La Marseillaise on the 14th of July.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Seth blaster need to bugger off and let a human being take over.

Every England player should were a poppy, screw FIFA.

There would be a riot if the ref called off the game over poppies.

---------- Post added at 10:07 ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 ----------

Wearing the poppy is a mark of respect, even my Nephew & Niece are wearing them at school, and they wear them with pride.

The school is also doing a project on the two world wars, and on Friday they will be observing a 2 minutes silence and then sing out WWI & WWII songs.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Let's face it. The Poppy appeal is a Commonwealth thing, and I can understand FIFA not allowing such regional symbols to mark an occasion because it sets a precedent where other countries may wish to adorn their shirts with all sorts of symbols.

Also, I think some veterans would do well to come off their high horse.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15606557.stm

FIFA was founded in 1904. It seems childish to me to state that FIFA wouldn't be here without veterans.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

FIFA are enforcing an existing rule. We wanted an exception but we didn't get one, as FIFA are worried that allowing one exception would undermine their ability to reject other requests from other nations later on. A responsible concern.

An interesting question is why has this suddenly become a big issue all of a sudden? We have had international games around this time before and the England team didn't wear Poppys. Football clubs didn't typically have them on their shirt either. That is a recent trend partly driven by a press campaign to ensure everyone in the public eye is displaying the requisite level of 'respect'. It's much like the tendency for everyone who appears in front of a Television camera to have one affixed by the production staff to avoid any negative press.

This isn't about respect and remembrance. FIFA have permitted, encouraged even, a two minute silence before the game. The England team will be allowed to wear them before and after the game, the coaching staff can wear it all the time, and black armbands can be worn. The issue of if the players are wearing a Poppy symbol during the game is irrelevant. I wear a Poppy symbol on my jacket, it's not on display when I take my jacket off, that's not because I don't respect what the Poppy is meant to represent.

I suspect this is more about political posturing, an increasing trend where to be seen wearing the Poppy is more important than the cause. The use of the Poppy as a weapon for the press to manufacture outrages to either sell papers, attack a public figure who isn't wearing one, or as a PR tool for cynical politicians. This was never meant to be what the Poppy appeal was about.

Anyway if the FA really wish to go above and beyond the acts of remembrance already sanctioned then a more constructive gesture would be to donate the profits from the friendly to the Royal British Legion. That would be really nice.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

:clap:

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Maybe Fifa pre-dates the wars and the poppy appeal but the wars dragged in just about every country one way or another even those who were neutral.It wasn't just Europe involved as the wars ranged across the seas as well.Maybe not everyone wears a poppy but I'm damn sure they remember the dead and displaced that were scattered around the world as far as the far east and other non commonwealth countries as well.I don't suppose the US would consider themselves commonwealth or European.

Perhaps a better idea would be to postpone the match until November is over..

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

No, we had had matches in November before without this issue being a problem. Have the silence, play the match. I really cannot see the problem.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Yet only a very small percentage in the US wear a poppy even though they were one of the first adopters of the practice.. The countries where poppies are worn as standard is just UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

As for the rest of the world only 3 million are sent out shared between 120 other countries so that would equate to probably just the ex-pat population..


This is purely a political dummy spitting season, nothing more and nothing less and I applaud Fifa for not giving into political pressure. Lets keep politics out of sport whenever possible.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Who, What, Why: Which countries wear poppies?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15637074

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

The US Do however have a a Veterans Day on the 11 of November(which is also a federal holiday and state holiday)which they remember with parades etc.

It is and has never been a political issue..It's a matter of respect.

However it's not something I want to push down anyone's throat except the hypocritical and possibly corrupt throat of Blatter.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

I'm sure even Germany remember their dead with some form of remembrance day.. but again what has that got to do with sport?

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

But that's got nothing to do with wearing poppies in an international football match...

I don't think anyone is opposed to showing respect. What some people are saying is that FIFA have every right, and are right to not bow down to pressure from one nation to be granted an exception to an otherwise sensible rule.

What I do oppose to is the political affront and holier than thou attitude that some people are taking when an international body refuses to march to a regional band. It's bad enough that people are being pressured into wearing poppies in the UK. Leave the rest of the world out of it please.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Well you will have your way..but the next time a football or a sports event takes place remember the legend that even during one of the bitterest wars of generations the two opposing sides managed to play a game of football on Christmas day..

Sport should rightly transcend politics.As I have stated remembrance of the dead has nothing political about it.It's merely a matter of respect.How anyone can say otherwise beats me.:(

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

You can remember the dead perfectly well without it affecting every aspect of public life and without showing the rest of world you're respecting the dead.

There's no need for bullying.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

This has nothing to do with politics as the poppy is and has always been a symbol of freedom in this country and many other countries.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Yet the one pushing for a U-turn is David Cameron..

If this was purely about sports then the news item would never have been published never mind linked to on here :rolleyes:

Perhaps last saturday the premiership players should be wearing these

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/11/61.jpg

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Who is bullying anyone?:confused:

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

I think the sanctimonious outrage that occurs when a public person does not wear a poppy, or when an international sporting body refuses to bend the rules to allow poppies to be worn in an event that is totally unrelated to the poppy appeal amounts to a form of bullying.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

I have no intention of wearing a poppy ,not out of lack of respect but for purely practical reasons ,it wouldn't last 2 mins in my job and i don't go out anywhere so am i to face your wrath ? ,i have still donated but just didn't to take the poppy

Agree with everything you say Kymmy ,showing respect for the dead in war should not revolve around wearing a poppy once a year .I'm sure that the England players have respect and i'm also sure that a number had great/grandparents involved in the wars and i'm also sure that when the team get off the team bus in their official suits they will all be wearing poppy's ,90mins on a pitch not wearing a poppy won't make a difference to anyone ...big fuss over nothing

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Just another storm in a teacup, lots of people being "outraged" on behalf of others .....

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk...ld-war-one.htm

If the players and everybody is that Outraged they should not play and also Boycott the game.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ppy?intcmp=239

Morons. I suppose it kind of vindicates FIFA's decision though.

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2011/11/59.jpg

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

The Poppy may have been intended as a symbol of remembrance, but certainly in the UK, as widely emphasised by posts in this thread, it is sold as a symbol of donation to a charitable appeal. That appeal not only raises money for the veterans of the two main wars, but also provides supports for thos in more recent conflicts. That has drawn the poppy into a more contentious symbol, and as the BBC article linked to by Danielf above indicates in some sectors of society, it can be seen to represent other authority.

To me, these days, the poppy I wear on my jacket is a symbol that I have donated to the charitable appeal, and thus support those, or their dependants, who have put themselves in harms way in the name of the political will of our country.

To that extent, fifa's view that the poppy could be viewed politically is appropriate.

The act of rememberance is the observation of the silence on the armistice day, or at a rememberance parade. You can't buy remembrance you do need to reflect on what it means.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

I really don't know why that Christmas match has been mentioned twice now,what has it to do with this thread ?all it proves is that during a cease fire at Christmas soldiers who don't realy want to be blowing each others brains out will play football with each other

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

What happens when Serbia play Bosnia and they want an image remembering Arkan and his boys on their shirts. If this was so important why didn't we wear them on shirts for the other hundred odd years.

Just on the radio:

FIFA is allowing the team to play with poppys on the black armbands.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16106626

so once again cameron can look like a super hero :rolleyes:.It reminds of a Yes Minister episode where Jim Hacker is trying to build up his public opinion so takes on a challenge with the Common Market over sausages ,something equally as meaningless

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

It does seem that a Swiss person has to do the Neutral thing:erm:

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Well give me some credit because that's not what I'm saying..The choice is yours and everyone else's not to wear one.My beef is in being told that I can't wear one or that others who want to wear one can't and the excuse given that it's political.It's only political if you make it so.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

So why do you support forcing the England players to wear one if it's a matter of choice?

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

No, I never said you said that, nor did I mean to imply it. It's absolutely fine by if it's on a voluntary basis, but in reality it isn't always. I also think that, to the extent that it's a measure of support for our troops (as said, it means different things to different people), it is a political symbol, and FIFA are right in the ban (until they approved this new mealy-mouthed compromise).

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

To be honest if it was permitted and certain players didn't wear it, that player would be vilified for the rest of his career. Not worth it.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

This is it. It's such a mixed symbol of respect for the fallen and support for troops, that people get villified for not showing the first and end up doing the second when they may have misgivings about it.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

That is true ,but having the poppy embroiderd or transfered onto the shirt is forcing the player to wear a poppy thus removing the freedom a poppy is suppose to represent to some

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

ALL players should wear the famous poppy, my only gripe with the England squad is that when the anthem is playing - how players will be singing it - not very many.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Anyway I reckon that if they got a cut of the Poppy Appeal funds Fifa would fall over backwards to allow the wearing of poppies..

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

The fallen fought for the right to choose, not the right to be made to wear something - get real, Arthur.

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Too right.....

Re: Fifa tells referee to call off England game if players wear poppies
 

Indeed :tu: