Why England should ignore FIFA and wear poppies on their shirts with pride
By Ian Winwood
Published 13:00 11/11/11
On Wednesday, the world’s most patronising man – who unfortunately just happens to be this nation’s Prime Minister – stood up in the House of Commons and criticised FIFA for not allowing England players to wear shirts that featured upon them images of a poppy.
This weekend England are playing Spain in a friendly match of no consequence whatsoever.
There have been times in the last century when Englishmen going into battle with other European nations meant something else entirely.
It’s not often that I find myself in agreement with David Cameron.
Let me start that sentence again. There has never before been a time when I’ve found myself in agreement with David Cameron.
But on the basis that even a broken clock is right twice a day, here I find that I do agree with the man.
Politicians the world over send men and women into wars that have been fought for questionable reasons.
But the poppy is for those men and women, not for the politicians.
It doesn’t matter to the people on the frontline whether or not the cause is just. What matters is that they are expected to fight and kill and die in the line of duty just the same.
It is possible – it is right, even – for people who oppose war to support the wearing of a poppy.
Later on the same Wednesday, it was announced that poppies could be worn on the armband of the shirt sleeves.
This, it seems to me, is a messy compromise.
There is of course the question that goes, Well if FIFA permit the wearing of a poppy on the front of a shirt then what’s next?
Will teams want to wear shirts with pictures of Princess Diana on them? Michael Jackson? Fred West?
Can we leave this notion alone please? Can we at least just worry about this issue at hand, rather than what might be in the future?
If the FA feel strongly about this matter – and they should – then they should worry less about what FIFA is refusing to allow them to do and instead do something about it.
What will happen if the FA refuse to bow to FIFA’s ruling and send ‘our boys’ onto the field in shirts that feature poppies on their front?
Will they be taken prisoner? Will they be sent to camps? Will they be shot?
No, they will be fined.
Fine, fine us.
Football is awash with money and the FA can afford any fine levied upon them.
Given this, if this weekend’s match is to mean anything at all then the England players should be free to acknowledge the contribution of people who made a sacrifice the likes of which most of us can only have nightmares.
The poppy stays. On the front of the shirt.
***
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