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

[Kymmy]

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

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

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.

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.

Originally Posted by Kymmy

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

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.

[danielf]

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.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

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.

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.

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by denphone

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.

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

Perhaps last saturday the premiership players should be wearing these

Originally Posted by danielf

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.

Who is bullying anyone?

[danielf]

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.

Originally Posted by Maggy J

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.

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

Originally Posted by Kymmy

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..

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

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

[devilincarnate]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

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

Legend has it that on Christmas Day 1915, soldiers from both sides of the trenches in World War One met up in No-Man’s-Land for a game of football. Nothing official was kept of this brief meeting on Christmas Day between the enemy, so our knowledge of what took place has always been somewhat patchy. However, the death in 2001 of one of the men who took part in this match resurrected memories of the occasion.

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.

[danielf]

Fifa has been targeted by members of the English Defence League following its decision to prevent England players wearing embroidered poppies on their team shirts for Saturday's friendly against Spain.

Two members of the EDL climbed on to the roof of Fifa's headquarters in Zurich with a banner protesting against the ban. A Fifa spokesman confirmed the protest is ongoing and that Swiss police are in attendance.

The two protesters displayed a banner with two poppies which read: "English Defence League. How dare Fifa disrespect our war dead and wounded. Support our troops."

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

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

[MovedGoalPosts]

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.

Originally Posted by devilincarnate

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.

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

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

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.

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.