England stars banned from having a poppy on their kit
The Football Association wanted the players to wear the emblem on their shirts when they play the world champions next Saturday, but the world governing body has ruled that no changes can be made to official kit.
On Friday night a string of war heroes and charities condemned the decision as ‘absolutely wrong’ and an insult to those who fought and died in the name of freedom.
The Football Association had asked for special dispensation to allow poppies to be sewn into England shirts for the game – a day before Remembrance Sunday.
But FIFA stuck to its hardline stance, arguing that allowing additional marks to be made to team kit would lead to a string of other countries making requests to commemorate events on their national shirts.
The decision will further discredit FIFA, which has faced numerous corruption allegations in recent years and seen two of its executives depart following a bribery scandal.
President Sepp Blatter has been at odds with the English FA after it raised questions about his running of the organisation.
Campaigners have called on the England players to defy the ruling.
They point out that it is not unusual for national teams to wear black armbands to commemorate influential figures in the game and wider society.
All 20 Premier League clubs will have the Royal British Legion emblem on their shirts in the run-up to the anniversary.
And last autumn, rugby’s governing body, the IRB, did not object when England and Australia paid tribute to the Armed Forces by wearing shirts with poppies during a test match.
National football bodies must abide by FIFA rules or risk being expelled.
Peter Hodge MBE, the former honorary general secretary of the Normandy Veterans Association, said: ‘We should not allow Fifa to dictate to us about our traditions. We fought for freedom, and that includes the right to wear a poppy.
‘It is absolutely crucial that England wear a poppy on Remembrance weekend. These people not only died to give us freedom, but from D-Day onwards they fought and helped restore freedom for millions of people around the world.
‘Fifa are absolutely wrong in their stance, which is very small-minded when you consider that without the sacrifice of our young men, they would not even exist.’ His call was backed by Falklands veteran Simon Weston, who said: ‘Fifa are making the wrong decision yet again. It is not about altering the shirt, it is about recognising the sacrifice of so many for freedom.
‘It is even more atrocious when you think we are playing Spain, where a huge amount of young British men went to fight against fascism, many of whom never returned home.
‘If Fifa are against a poppy on the shirt, then at least let the players wear it on an armband. They make an exception in lots of other cases.’
Patrick Mercer, a Tory MP and former Army officer, said: ‘The England football team are one of our most precious and proudest assets. They should be allowed to wear national symbols whenever they want, and that includes the poppy, and no foreign organisation should tell us otherwise.’
Pat Mallis, the secretary of the Reconnaissance Corps Association, said many of her members who are now in their 80s and 90s would be angered by the ban.
Last year alone, 44million poppies were sold, raising £36.6million for the Royal British Legion.
A spokesman for the charity said: ‘The Royal British Legion is grateful for the widespread support it enjoys from the sporting community.
‘However, we appreciate that showing support is not always possible under some regulations and we would never seek to impose ourselves in these situations.’
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