Fifa opens case over England/Scotland wearing poppies

[aliyid]

Really don't know why we made such a big deal about it.

Pretty sure it wasn't a big deal a couple of years ago but papers and the media are always looking for a reason to be 'outraged' as negative stories sell better than positive ones.

Once it's in the media the FA are too scared to go against the media narrative so they fall in line. Now we get a new round of outrage because FIFA said they'd take action and (wait for it) shock horror.... They're taking action. The fake outrage is like watching an episode of x-factor when the whole family and camera crew are crammed into somebodys house when they get a 'suprise' knock at the door from Simon Cowell

It'll all blow over in time for the FA to release a video of Southgate doing the mannequin challenge while signing a bumper 10 year contract as England manager

 

[Hazardousman]

It's just easier not to have that situation.

This isn't a sjw thing.

We, everyone, can still commemorate our war dead in the same high respect without having some millionaires running around a pitch with a poppy badge on. I don't see why it's that important tbh.

Most of the idiots wearing the shirt don't have a clue what it means anyway.

I understand that and you make a valid point however I still don't understand why it's such a massive issue to the point where it should be banned or punished, it seems ridiculous to me.

 

[UncleBuck]

I find it hilarious that after FIFA said they would take action against the FA &SFA if they wore poppies they had to then take 'retrospective action' against the FIA for their 'Easter Uprising' message on their kit a few months ago....

 

[Hazardousman]

Anyone who asked not to wear a poppy would be vilified by the red tops, remember James McClean last year.
Unfortunately the poppy has been politicised by ultra right wing groups and loyalist paramilitaries.
The RBL has had to go to court to prevent the likes of Britain First using the poppy as a recruiting symbol.

Any group can politicise anything though, I agree that you have newspapers like the sun and the mail trying to make this a political thing and I am sure there are some hard right idiots that will suck it up and start making people feel unpatriotic for not wearing poppies but that's a small percentage of idiots.

The fact is that the red poppy is simply a commemoration of the dead, that's it.

I think to me this is and always should be about choice, I try and buy a poppy every year if I see someone selling them, if someone took that choice away from me (to wear one) then I think that would be a little insulting to the people who lost their lives in war.

Ultimately I don't think something like this should be "controlled" or banned, it should be left to choice, if some footballers wish to wear them then fair enough, if some don't then fair enough, I kind of agree about how it should have been left with armbands then this whole thing could have been avoided, however the fact something needs to be avoided in the first place is what upsets me, worrying about offending others because they believe it's political because small groups of idiots have decided to try and politicise it.

The vast majority know it's commemorating the dead, why do we always have to try and appease the small percentage with everything these days is my point.

I do agree with you that players not wearing the poppy would probably be scalded by the rags but again, this is down to rags like the mail who are always looking to cause a split for political reasons, the same thing the guardian does.

I guess I am fed up in general with the pandering going on throughout western culture right now when it's a double standard everywhere else in the world.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Neither FA should even engage with FIFA over this. Both issue a statement refusing to acknowledge any rule break. If they issue a fine, ignore it. Let them take the FA & SFA to court, let them expel us if necessary - lets see one of them turn up and actually have the balls to argue this out in front of the world. They would be forced to show how the poppy is defined as a political statement and there is no way on earth they can do that. The only agenda it promotes is united grief and the need for peace.

 

[ExpatFan]

...I kind of agree about how it should have been left with armbands then this whole thing could have been avoided...

I completely agree with the rest of your sentiments but not sure about your above words. Some FIFA fuckwit would have been able to point out that - on this specific occasion - the wearing of an armband was still commemorating our war dead. So, even without a poppy emblem on it, the same fuckwit could still complain it was a "political" statement.
The precursor of Remembrance Day (Armistice Day) was first observed in 1919. Poppies were first worn on that day 2 years later. So, by 1921, the UK had begun a tradition of wearing poppies to remember those who'd died in the war.
That's 9 years before the first World Cup and 29 years before England first took part in one.
So FIFA can just fuck right off!

 

[Hazardousman]

I completely agree with the rest of your sentiments but not sure about your above words. Some FIFA fuckwit would have been able to point out that - on this specific occasion - the wearing of an armband was still commemorating our war dead. So, even without a poppy emblem on it, the same fuckwit could still complain it was a "political" statement.
The precursor of Remembrance Day (Armistice Day) was first observed in 1919. Poppies were first worn on that day 2 years later. So, by 1921, the UK had begun a tradition of wearing poppies to remember those who'd died in the war.
That's 9 years before the first World Cup and 29 years before England first took part in one.
So FIFA can just fuck right off!

I agree, didn't think about it like that, you're right, this is just another example of pandering among many these days unfortunately.

 

[worcestersauce]

I completely agree with the rest of your sentiments but not sure about your above words. Some FIFA fuckwit would have been able to point out that - on this specific occasion - the wearing of an armband was still commemorating our war dead. So, even without a poppy emblem on it, the same fuckwit could still complain it was a "political" statement.
The precursor of Remembrance Day (Armistice Day) was first observed in 1919. Poppies were first worn on that day 2 years later. So, by 1921, the UK had begun a tradition of wearing poppies to remember those who'd died in the war.
That's 9 years before the first World Cup and 29 years before England first took part in one.
So FIFA can just fuck right off!

I believe you will find that FIFA aren't trying to stop people in the UK wearing the poppy if they were I would agree that they should fuck right off but they aren't.
If you are trying to quote precedent then maybe it is relevant that the England football team never wore poppies during international matches, not since they played in their first world cup or before so your entire premise is false.

 

[bubble07]

English FA just showing their arrogance

 

[HobbitSpur]

As much as I despise FIFA they have a point.

Where does it end?

What if Serbia wore a symbol to commemorate their war dead when playing Croatia? Iran when playing Iraq.

I get the nuance that there wouldn't be a FIFA if it wasn't for our forefathers sacrifice but having a blanket ban does make sense.

We will get a £100k fine which we won't pay for years and will eventually be commuted to 12k or something.

But the Symbol of the Poppy here in the UK is not Nation Specific. It is in remembrance of all soldiers who have died in combat.

 

[Col_M]

You joke but I bet if we did renounce FIFA and started our own competition with friendly now incorruptible countries such as the yanks, Scandinavians, the Dutch, French, Australia etc.

It would make them think.

Boycott Qatar and Russia would sit well with me.

Haha. Don't believe the hype. The FA has been as corrupt as anyone.

 

[Hoops]

Why shouldn't countries be allowed to commmerate their dead though? I don't see how mourning the lives of the dead is a political statement, poppies aren't political, that's the problem in modern society, whatever offends someone gets banned even when that very thing is being misinterpreted.

We do. Everywhere.

 

[LSUY]

Fifa is now investigating the Welsh and Irish FAs because their fans formed a poppy mosaic.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Fifa is now investigating the Welsh and Irish FAs because their fans formed a poppy mosaic.

That will be interesting - UEFA fall under FIFA's rules as their governing body, right? So if FIFA demand UEFA do something they basically have to do it, amiright?

How many games in Spain, Turkey, Greece, Russia or Italy have banners, sometimes flags the size of my living room, with some sort of political message? Even ignoring the flat out aggressive or threatening ones they are everywhere, and will often lead to violent clashes after or during the match, yet UEFA, so by default FIFA, are fine with all that, while being upset about something the fans have done to commemorate the dead?

Talk about know your enemy

 

[Danners9]

FIFA's reasons are quite ridiculous

None of these things interfere with the match itself or the kits, as such the events should be independent of FIFA - shouldn't they?

 

[ExpatFan]

FIFA's reasons are quite ridiculous

None of these things interfere with the match itself or the kits, as such the events should be independent of FIFA - shouldn't they?

"Some supporters in the stands wearing poppies."
How the fuck dare they?! Obviously these Welsh so-called supporters were not there to watch the game but simply to make a political statement.
And this from the world body whose Executive Committee decided on Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup based - not on footballing reasons - but on the size of the bribe in their bank account.
You really couldn't make it up, could you.

 

[LSUY]

FIFA's reasons are quite ridiculous

None of these things interfere with the match itself or the kits, as such the events should be independent of FIFA - shouldn't they?

Wait, so some supporters in the stands wearing the poppy is wrong but the use of slave labour to build stadiums for the World Cup is fine? I see sod all has changed at Fifa since Blatter left.

 

[Danners9]

Here's Wales' full statement:

http://www.faw.cymru/en/news/fa-wales-statement/

I can understand why they wouldn't want poppies and other things on player shirts, but trying to dictate what fans wear.. er, no.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Just tell them to fuck off.

 

[riggi]

Just tell them to fuck off.

Pretty much.