UKC

Well. I think the FA should make a stand on this.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/37832115

So what if the the penalty is a 3 point deduction (or more); that's worth it and would earn a lot of respect both here and elsewhere in Europe.

In reply to Greenbanks:




Would we ? for a good while no-one in Eire would have thanked you for wearing a poppy. In some places it is still associated with the British and Commonwealth military. For once I think I'm with FIFA here.

In reply to Greenbanks:

I bet Afghan immigrants to the UK are confused as all hell on their first November the 11th here.

In reply to Greenbanks:

Here we fecking go. Is this the start of the official poppy outrage season already?!

In reply to Greenbanks:

I thought poppies had been worn before.

As I said on the other thread; just need to bung someone a fat brown envelope and I'm sure the objection will be forgotten...

In reply to captain paranoia:

I thought Blatter had cleared off?

In reply to Greenbanks:

And your point is, caller...?

They're likes sharks' teeth; remove one and another one moves up to take its place...

In reply to Greenbanks:

Not worth making a big deal of. Have a minute's silence before the kick off and use a poppy cannon or some such visible symbol. Have a military prescence too. The dead have then been honoured and a proper mark of respect has been made.

In reply to Greenbanks:

England & Scotland could wear 'We're one of the two best football teams in the world' armbands.
No one would give a f*ck, because anyone with any sense doesn't watch them.

In reply to Greenbanks:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/37853386

Good on them.

In reply to Removed User:


Quite. Not wearing a poppy has become more of a statement than wearing one.

In reply to Greenbanks:

I think it's outrageous that people should be allowed to play football on Armistice Day. They should be sat at home, reading The Sun, watching repeats of Dad's Army, periodically screaming into a loudspeaker 'Hail the Victorious Dead!'.

In reply to Greenbanks:


I seriously doubt anyone else in Europe gives a shit. Here in Belgium Armistice Day is a national holiday, and they don't need to wear little pieces of red paper to remind them of their history.

In reply to Shani:


And therefore it is politiscised. Maybe not so in middle England, but FIFA is more than just about middle England. By defying FIFA it is being further politiscised. There must be hundreds of symbols and emblems which don't carry any particular conotations within particular communities but which do outside those communities - FIFA were right not to allow exceptions.

Another thing - who exactly is showing respect to the fallen here ? the FA is an organisation, it can't show respect. Individual members and players are free to show respect by wearing their poppy as normal. So what is this whole exercise about really other than PR ?

In reply to Greenbanks:

Unfortunately we have football fans singing about winning 2 world wars and one world cup and a xenophobic media that gets upset if someone is deemed not to bowed far enough at the ceremony, so is it any wonder that FIFA thinks it's political. We call it it Rememberance day, in others countries it might be called Martyrs day.

Are we commemorating the ceasefire that ended WW1, or celebrating a victory ?

Now I know it's the former, and indeed remembering all victims of war, on all sides, and always buy a poppy. But there is a risk that it is being hi-jacked.

In reply to planetmarshall:


Yeah, these Belgians, they are SOOO over it:

http://www.lastpost.be/en/home

In reply to Greenbanks:

I just get all this fuss. Why do football teams have to have poppies on their shirts? Football has got nothing to do with Remembrance. They are completely separate entities. People have been wearing poppies at this time of year for almost a century but it's only in the past 10 years or so that poppies have appeared on football strips. When England and Scotland played each other in November 1999 neither team had any poppies on their shirts and nobody complained, there wasn't even any suggestion of it happening. I just can't see any need for them to have poppies on their shirts now, not out of any disrespect for our war dead but simply because British football teams managed perfectly well without poppies on their shirts at this time of year for 80 -90 years.

In reply to Rylstone_Cowboy:

Another bug bear for me is that Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

Who looks after the families of the war dead? Who looks after veterans? The truth is that the NHS is responsible for delivering healthcare for the families of those serving and veterans. The NHS helps these people when sick. The NHS gets most of its staff from the state education system. The society the war dead died to protect, the society in which the families of the war dead live, the society in which veterans live - police, firemen, emergency services - it is all paid for from tax.

Veterans are often homeless, poor and the most vulnerable in society. These are the very people austerity affects most.

By paying taxes you ARE helping the families of war dead and veterans.

When looking at the images from the Cenotaph or when reading the braying nationalism in the Sun and Mail, ask yourself, how many of these people are engaged in cuts that affect veterans and their families? Ask yourself, how many of these people are engaged in aggressive tax avoidance practices that undermine the support network that so many veterans and their families rely upon.

In reply to Greenbanks: This is a ridiculous situation. Footballers being required to wear poppies is not remembrance, it's something else entirely. It's a political statement of some sort and I think FIFA were correct.

In reply to Shani:



who are the aggressive tax avoiders at the Cenotaph ceremony?

In reply to Shani:

I agree.

I contribute to numerous charities and dont ever wish to take their little sticker of self congratulation, such as the stickers you get from the RSPCA or the poppies from the legion.

I walk around town, attend business meetings, travel on the tube and feel like I have the pox for the two weeks leading up to armistice day if I don't wear this Chinese made tat. I would much rather have my own solitary moment of reflection, on my terms and without being judged by others.

Whats more, I would rather have that percentage of costs given to the manufacturers of this stuff placed in trust in the UK to be used by the people who actually need it rather than it going offshore whilst leaving yet another needless amount of paper and plastic either thrown into landfill or incinerated.

On the subject of whether any team should wear the armbands or not I am surprised it got this level of attention. I neither care if they do or dont and quite frankly would rather have the hollow sentiment removed from the footballers arms. I am of the opinion that one should only show respect if one actually means it and, sorry for being a little controversial, I don't really think any of the players on the pitch give it more than a moments thought. Do they really care if they wear a poppy or not and for who's benefit is it.

The second part of this nonsense is two fold; firstly, the poppy isnt political, its a simple yet effective way (if sincerely meant - see above) of showing the country's armed forces that you value what they do, which is to put themselves in real harms way day in day out, and not prance around a football pitch for 90 minutes feigning injury to get an ill deserved advantage in the opponents penalty area. Its a non issues for me whether these players wear it or not. Seems only the Mail and Sun have got their knickers in a twist.

Secondly, FIFA are completely misinterpreting the poppy. Given their recent few years of scandal after corruption after shame I think they really should be worrying about more important internal matters before they stick their noses into the non political national football teams' non issues.

Is this a low news week or something?

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Chinese made tat? The English poppies maybe, I can't speak for them. I do however regularly pass the place that makes the Scottish poppies en route to and from my girlfriend's flat.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppy_Factory

In reply to Oceanrower:

OK, then I take that back as I didn't know that and I am delighted about the recruitment practices too.

Still my view on the matters are unchanged, apart from the factory.

In reply to Jim Hamilton:

Here's one:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/george-osborne-receives-divid...

Here's another:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/8378172/Did-Prince-An...

In reply to Oceanrower:


Bingo, my kids have toured the poppy factory and could have told you this.

In reply to Jimbocz:

My mate once toured with The Poppy Factory.

They might have come from Bradford, but they were shit.

HTH