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First Wazzock

Poppies On Shirts

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I hope we are wearing Poppies on our shirts this weekend following all the nonsense from FIFA this week.

FIFA have certainly missed a trick here...

Football was played between the Germans and English in ''no man''s land Christmas Day 1914. I suppose FIFA will fine both countries Football Associations for an unauthorised match. Many football club had huge numbers of players volunteer to go and fight, with many teams losing most of their playing squads.

The Poppy is no ''political statement'' it is just remembering the heroes we lost so we can now go and watch the game being played every Saturday.

Banning our national team from wearing it is an absolute disgrace, just when we though FIFA couldn''t fall any lower. They have once again clearly demonstrated how out of touch they are with the game...

I am not a badge of honour,

I am not a racist smear,

I am not a fashion statement,

To be worn but once a year,

I am not glorification

Of conflict or of war.

I am not a paper ornament,

a token, I am more.

I am a loving memory,

Of a father or a son,

A permanent reminder

Of each and every one.

I''m paper or enamel

I''m old or shining new,

I''m a way of saying thank you,

To every one of you.

I am a simple poppy

A Reminder to you all,

That courage faith and honour,

Will stand where heroes fall.

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I hope they find a way to commemorate those that made the ultimate sacrifice another way. I''m assuming they''d have to get permission for say, poppy armbands but loads of players have personalised or embroidered boots. I''d love it if they managed to get something like that done, show their respect and flick the finger in FIFAs general direction too.

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The FA and SFA should ignore FIFA and wear the poppy on their shirts. If FIFA don''t like it we should tell them we don''t like being dictated to by corrupt organisations and that they can do one.

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[quote user="Crafty Canary"]The FA and SFA should ignore FIFA and wear the poppy on their shirts. If FIFA don''t like it we should tell them we don''t like being dictated to by corrupt organisations and that they can do one.[/quote][Y]

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FIFA is a corrupt organisation and shouldn''t be regarded in any matter basically

F£&@ them and f£&@ their sh£t video game

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Fifa are absolutely deplorable organisation. However, I actually think (for once) Fifa are spot on about this. The guidelines specifically state that no personal or political statements can be worn on shirts.

I actually do think the Poppy is political statement. Whilst not a glorification of war, the poppy is inevitably intertwined with war and conflict. The Royal British Legion is a charity for war veterans. War is invariably a political tool - you only have to look in particular at the causes of WW1 to see that. Ironically, Theresa May (a politician) wading into the debate only strengthens Fifa''s case for it being political.

People also need to realise that just because the poppy isn''t political to you doesn''t mean it won''t be to someone else, particularly those overseas, with family or friends who have died in conflict against British soldiers.

BUT regardless of whether or not you think it''s a political statement there can be no doubt that it definitely is a personal statement. These are also forbidden under the rules. So on either ground the poppies can''t be put on the shirts.

The one mistake Fifa have made in the past is in bowing to previous pressure over armbands and items on shirts. Something I think they''ve realised in their latest stance. This isn''t an anti poppy or anti English stance. It''s just a common sense approach otherwise you open the door to all sorts of statements, which Fifa are now trying to actively prevent.

Unfortunately, this whole episode now appears to be part of a wider British physche where we expect others to bow to all of our special demands and then becoming outraged when they don''t. I find it genuinely arrogant and embarrassing.

For avoidance of doubt, I am massively appreciative of what our armed forces do and my great grandfather served with distinction in the armed forces. I just feel there are more tasteful and dignified ways of remembering them than this.

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What an excellent post Jacko and bravely written. We all know what a shocking organisation FIFA is and their past behaviour has been such as to undermine anything they do or stance they take.

But the principal of no political statements on shirts is the right one, I am not convinced however they the poppy is a political statement. I do take your point about how it may be perceived by others though.

The last thing any of us surely want to see is a proliferation of provocative symbols on football shirts turning our beautiful game into something it should never be.

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There''s always a compromise, I''m not sure as with track tops and training tops it''s the same rule! as I''m sure there''s sponsor on them. So why not have poppies on the train in tops worn at the national anthems and removed for the match.

By the way agreed a superb post Jacko.

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Regardless of other people''s opinions, I shall be wearing in my lapel a poppy with pride today and will wear until the day after Remembrance Sunday........As I have always done, since I was old enough, to understand what it represented.......

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