To stop hijacking threads with no relevance to the subject.

FIFA has imposed a ban on British teams wearing the poppy as a "political" statement. To my mind it isn't political at all. The right to wear a poppy is an individual choice and should be respected. FIFA, that ever so uncorrupt organisation, tried this before but never got away with it. To try and impose it again seems a ridiculous thing to do. 

(Perhaps the Mods could move the other comments on other threads across to here, after all, there's enough body swerving and off topic on the Brexit thread already without adding another layer).

Would there be a relevance to the thread if UEFA had invoked the ban? 

It would then be European I spose Destry.  Its a really british symbol, so is it a nationalistic symbol?  

Anyway. FIFA have gone foolish again, I would love the nations in the FIFA club to leave them and start again with a transparent organisation.  They think nothing of insulting (us!) people for no good reason.

Fifa ban on England's poppy kit condemned by war veterans

Fifa stands by England shirt poppy ban but allows remembrance silence

Fifa will not allow England players to wear poppies against Spain, despite Government plea

Fifa allows England, Scotland and Wales to wear poppy

All those headlines from November 2011. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose ...

Oh, and some Americans wear the poppy on Remembrance Day, as do most Commonwealth countries like Australia and Canada.

mariedav - It isn't ridiculous. FIFA has 200 affiliated countries. Eng v Scot might be civilised around a Remebrance Day event, but what about Serbia v Croatia, or Russia v Ukraine, Japan v China, Israel v Iran ( all possible footballing fixtures) with one or both sides wanting to wear some sort of emblem to mark Army of National  Day or something to mark those nationals lost fighting for "freedom" as those countries see it. Where do you draw the line?

Simple scollins

you draw the line at a political emblem.  

If an advertisement is around that says no to racism, to tackle the racism often displayed in football grounds it is acceptable.   If a slogan was put forward that said yes to racism, it would be banned.   It's common sense.  

The poppy was around before FIFA and almost before football itself, certainly before lots of very well known international clubs.   

There is no line, only common sense and decency.   

Did I hear  FIFA has said players making the sign of the cross as they start play has also been banned ? 

And that tattoos depicting religious, pagan, political, hetro  and bi sexual symbols  ( I love Mary or  Fred etc) and roses, anchors, horse shoes, and the like must be covered up too ?

For the last twenty-five years of my working life I drove a lorry for a government department. About five years before I retired, a directive was issued from HQ that, in order not to offend 'other faiths' we frequently encountered, we were not to wear poppies or display any poppy-related emblems on our lorries.

I went out and bought the biggest lorry poppy I could find for my radiator grille, and the biggest poppy I could comfortably wear on my shirt. Soon, others followed suit - we were the only ten drivers employed by this particular department - and in the following years no-one was ever offended and management quietly 'forgot' about the directive!

Steve

The poppy was originally in remembrace from WW1 

For me it has become the symbol to remember ALL who lost their life in conflicts no matter what nationality or who they fought for 

War should never be celebrated and FIFA should shut up and get A grip