FIFA HQ currently being picketed by the English Defence League

bobbysands81

2 EDL (or EdL as it now seems to be) members have clambered onto the roof and are holding their own little protest. They want to have the right to wear the poppy on their jerseys in their match against Spain.

Is this once more a case of Britannia waiving the rules?!

theoneeyedman

Luthers!

On a more serious note, fair play to FIFA for taking a stand on this. While I suspect their motives are more commercial than apolitical, IMO its important to keep politics and political symbolism out of sport. The English Premier League has allowed itself to be used by the British establishment to promote their militaristic agenda with the poppy branding of shirts every October and November and promoting of the Heros campaign of the armed forces. Uniforms and sports stadia should be kept apart IMO

Wolfe Tone

Is this once more a case of Britannia waiving the rules?!

Made me lol!

roryc

Idiots.

For once I agree with FIFA. There's 100 better reasons to protest against them.

fullstop

What makes the English think they should be allowed wear these poppies? Should the Ireland team be allowed wear the Easter lily too? :rolleyes:

Paparazzo

The poppy police really annoy me. And finally fifa do something right, this has nothing to do with football and shouldn't be on their shirt.

super_furry

The EDL aren't they just like the Diet BNP?

GLaDOS

I can't help but think the original thinking behind the jersey was to have another product to sell that would get its own advertising and immediate short term sales.

Evil_Clown

The EDL aren't they just like the Diet BNP?

Judge for yourself......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjuNuqIev8M

That_Guy

ScienceNerd wrote: »

I can't help but think the original thinking behind the jersey was to have another product to sell that would get its own advertising and immediate short term sales.

AFAIK they auction them off with a few signings.

GLaDOS

That_Guy wrote: »

AFAIK they auction them off with a few signings.

I meant replica shirts, though I suppose the money would have to go to charity wouldn't it?

That_Guy

ScienceNerd wrote: »

I meant replica shirts, though I suppose the money would have to go to charity wouldn't it?

Was at Newcastle during the week. Not sure if that replica kit with the poppy was on sale. I do know that they got all the players to sign the jersey and then they were to auction it off to raise money for wounded troops.

GLaDOS

That_Guy wrote: »

Was at Newcastle during the week. Not sure if that replica kit with the poppy was on sale. I do know that they got all the players to sign the jersey and then they were to auction it off to raise money for wounded troops.

Well that's good to hear in fairness, I'm just a tad cynical

skregs

I think all this "X for Heroes" crap they've pedalling for the last few years is the most grating. Shooting a load of unarmed Afghani farmers in the back doesn't make you the least bit heroic.

That_Guy

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Well that's good to hear in fairness, I'm just a tad cynical

S'alright. You're forgiven.

tommyhaas

skregs wrote: »

I think all this "X for Heroes" crap they've pedalling for the last few years is the most grating. Shooting a load of unarmed Afghani farmers in the back doesn't make you the least bit heroic.

I don't agree with supporting the British Army personally, however you seem to have a very misguided view of what it is these young Soldiers have to face over there

Paparazzo

Evil_Clown wrote: »

Judge for yourself......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjuNuqIev8M

Jesus, that's worse than Mrs South Carolina

Le King

There are far more worthy causes ahead of this should FIFA insanely divulge into the world of political support.

I hope Blatter gives Cameron a short insulting two word response.

Bodhisopha

A rare +1 for FIFA.

tommyhaas

They're letting them wear it. A bad precedent to set

EDIT: On the armband. SSN didn't mention the armband initially

fullstop

tommyhaas wrote: »

They're letting them wear it. A bad precedent to set

Source?

Bodhisopha

Bodhisopha wrote: »

A rare +1 for FIFA.

-2

The_B_Man

What if they organise a game this time next year against the Germans or Afghanistan, or some other country that the British army was fighting at one stage or another?

They're basically saying they're remembering all the people who killed citizens of the opposing team!

International sport should be kept seperate from politics and war. Isn't this why FIFA and UEFA have banned certain countries from tournaments, because they were at war, or involved in some sort of political turmoil?

Wolfe Tone

They will be allowed to wear armbands with a poppy on them



Source: BBC

tommyhaas

fullstop wrote: »

Source?

SSN, they're chatting about it now. They're wearing it on the armband. Either they didn't say initially or I didn't hear about it being on the armband as oppose to the top

Broxi_Bear_Eire

The_B_Man wrote: »

What if they organise a game this time next year against the Germans or Afghanistan, or some other country that the British army was fighting at one stage or another?

They're basically saying they're remembering all the people who killed citizens of the opposing team!

International sport should be kept seperate from politics and war. Isn't this why FIFA and UEFA have banned certain countries from tournaments, because they were at war, or involved in some sort of political turmoil?

I really don't care about who wears one and who doesn't but I would put money on it that the German FA would have no objections to it

invinciblePRSTV

tommyhaas wrote: »

skregs wrote: »

I think all this "X for Heroes" crap they've pedalling for the last few years is the most grating. Shooting a load of unarmed Afghani farmers in the back doesn't make you the least bit heroic.

I don't agree with supporting the British Army personally, however you seem to have a very misguided view of what it is these young Soldiers have to face over there

What exactly is "misguided" about it? do tell.....

ItsAWindUp

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16106626

Fifa has climbed down over its decision to ban the England football team from
wearing remembrance poppies and will now allow players to display them.

Pressure from the Duke of Cambridge and Prime Minister David Cameron helped persuade football's international governing body to reverse its ruling.
Prince William penned a strongly-worded note privately to Fifa expressing his dismay
at the move.
Mr Cameron also wrote to the organisation, assuring it that there were "no political connotations whatsoever" associated with the poppies.

Less than an hour after the letters were made public, Fifa announced it would allow England's players to wear a poppy on their black armbands during Saturday's friendly match with Spain.
A spokesman for St James' Palace said William, who is president of the Football Association, was "happy" with the decision.
A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Cameron welcomed Fifa's decision, saying: "It's a sensible way forward."
In a statement, the FA also welcomed the decision and thanked Fifa.

A Royal British Legion spokesman said: "The Royal British Legion is delighted that England players will be able to wear their poppy with pride.
"As we said earlier, there are other ways of honouring the poppy than wearing it on your shirt - the armband will do nicely. Now everyone can concentrate on enjoying the game."
Sky News sources said: "Although Prince William wrote in his capacity as president of the FA, he was personally very annoyed.
"That comes off the back of him being a serving member of the Armed Forces and having lost friends who've served in the Armed Forces."

Mr Cameron had earlier described the ban as "outrageous" and called for the sport's ruling body to reverse the "absurd" decision that barred the team from having the symbol embroidered on their shirts at Wembley on Saturday.
Officials originally turned down the special request, made by the FA, claiming it would "open the door to similar initiatives" across the world.

Fifa bosses were reported to be worried about setting a precedent that would mean that in future years, if England were playing Germany at the same time of year, the poppies might cause offence.
However, German football officials have said an England team wearing the remembrance emblem would not upset them.
"I cannot imagine we would have any objection to the idea of England's players having poppies on their shirts. It just wouldn't be a problem," Wolfgang Niersbach, the general secretary of the German Football Federation, said.
This is the first year the England team has made the request to have the poppy included with their kit.
The Royal British Legion explained that the idea had come about from the players themselves.
"The idea really took off last year," a spokeswoman from the charity told Sky News Online.
The charity, which is marking its 90th year this year, says such public gestures create exposure for its cause.

Oh my. We wouldn't want His Majesty to be upset now would we?:rolleyes: No other country in the world would have gotten away with this but England.

Paparazzo

FIFA are saying "ok, you can wear it on your armbands, but you're not hosting a world cup till next century".

What has the british military got to do with the English football team?

theoneeyedman

The_B_Man wrote: »

What if they organise a game this time next year against the Germans or Afghanistan, or some other country that the British army was fighting at one stage or another?

How many members of FIFA have the British Army NOT fighting with at one stage or another???

This heros stuff is less about raising money for looking after older soldiers and more about propaganda and drumming up support the invasions/wars in the middle east, and was drummed up in response to protests against the Iraqi invasion 7 or 8 years ago. Now anyone who questions the wars are harranged as unpatriotic and not supporting young Smith from up the street, who wouldn't support these heros after all? Silly of FIFA if they allow political symbols on Jerseys, opens a can of worms IMO

_blank_

Did they wear it in previous November games?

Blatter

The guy in the picture in the OP looks like a 50 year old Joe Hart.

citytillidie

Des wrote: »

Did they wear it in previous November games?

In 93 years England have played 37 games in November and never worn a poppy on their shirt.

celtictiger32

citytillidie wrote: »

In 93 years England have played 37 games in November and never worn a poppy on their shirt.

i wonder is it purely coincidental that jim boyce is in the mix this time around:rolleyes:

Broxi_Bear_Eire

theoneeyedman wrote: »

The_B_Man wrote: »

What if they organise a game this time next year against the Germans or Afghanistan, or some other country that the British army was fighting at one stage or another?

How many members of FIFA have the British Army NOT fighting with at one stage or another???

This heros stuff is less about raising money for looking after older soldiers and more about propaganda and drumming up support the invasions/wars in the middle east, and was drummed up in response to protests against the Iraqi invasion 7 or 8 years ago. Now anyone who questions the wars are harranged as unpatriotic and not supporting young Smith from up the street, who wouldn't support these heros after all? Silly of FIFA if they allow political symbols on Jerseys, opens a can of worms IMO

What a lot of guff I have sen at first hand the work they do on Scotland and they are trying to drum up any support for invasions The Poppy is about remembering all the war dead now pretty sure you will find at the remberence parade in London there had been people from Germany

TheBuilder

citytillidie wrote: »

In 93 years England have played 37 games in November and never worn a poppy on their shirt.

How many of those games have been on the weekend of remembrance Sunday?



The over reaction against them wearing poppies is just as bad as those who are angry when people don't support them.

It petty tit-for-tat nonsense. If you don't support them, respect those who do, and vice-versa.

Le King

What a disgrace FIFA is.

omniscient_toad

ItsAWindUp wrote: »

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16106626



Oh my. We wouldn't want His Majesty to be upset now would we?:rolleyes: No other country in the world would have gotten away with this but England.

How does that work, as far as I was aware FIFA positively loathe England, what with their media hounding them over corruption and the ill fated Bernstein led debacle where Blatter was re-elected and everyone took turns sniggering at them.

Which reminds me of that bonkers quote from the Argentinian head of FIFA's finance committee:

"But with the English bid I said: Let us be brief. If you give back the Falkland Islands, which belong to us, you will get my vote. They then became sad and left."

I think it's debatable how thoroughly above politics and commercialism football/FIFA is

retalivity

If argentina were playing england next year, and they wanted to put some motif on their shirts to commemorate the soldiers who died in the falklands war, I wonder if the s*n and the daily heil make the point 'its not political, its a respectful rememberance of our fallen brothers'

of course they bloody wouldn't.

fifa shouldnt have backed down. it sets a precedent that opens up a whole new can of worms on politicizing football

Broxi_Bear_Eire

retalivity wrote: »

If argentina were playing england next year, and they wanted to put some motif on their shirts to commemorate the soldiers who died in the falklands war, I wonder if the s*n and the daily heil make the point 'its not political, its a respectful rememberance of our fallen brothers'

of course they bloody wouldn't.

fifa shouldnt have backed down. it sets a precedent that opens up a whole new can of worms on politicizing football

Fifa haven't backed down they can't stop them wearing armbands

omniscient_toad

retalivity wrote: »

If argentina were playing england next year, and they wanted to put some motif on their shirts to commemorate the soldiers who died in the falklands war, I wonder if the s*n and the daily heil make the point 'its not political, its a respectful rememberance of our fallen brothers'

of course they bloody wouldn't.

fifa shouldnt have backed down. it sets a precedent that opens up a whole new can of worms on politicizing football

Not entirely sure what the opinion of the Sun or Daily Mail have to do with anything.. of course they wouldn't but I imagine the Argentinian tabloids would, it's what tabloids do, nationalistic tub thumping.

citytillidie

TheBuilder wrote: »

How many of those games have been on the weekend of remembrance Sunday?



The over reaction against them wearing poppies is just as bad as those who are angry when people don't support them.

It petty tit-for-tat nonsense. If you don't support them, respect those who do, and vice-versa.

They played Argentina in Geneva in Nov 12 2005, there were no mention of poppies then for that fixture.

They would play in around remembrance Sunday every 6 years and before the Argentina game was the Euro playoff between them and Scotland in the 13th of November, yep you got it no poppies then either

Dozen Wicked Words

The Edl lads should, in the spirit of selfless sacrifice the poppy signifies, jump off the roof.

tommyhaas

invinciblePRSTV wrote: »

What exactly is "misguided" about it? do tell.....

There's lads who signed up because there's fook all other work aboutand have families to support, lads who are barely out of school, and others who don't even agree with the war, many of whom are essentially gone over as cannon fodder. To suggest they're facing just a gang of unarmed farmers, is in my mind, quiet misguided, as can be shown by the number of Soldiers killed, and the extent of the injuries some of these others come back with

I don't by any means support the British Army, but my issues would be with those pulling the strings, not the lads on the front line

Degag

This Poppy lark has gone way over the top. As far as i can tell or remember, it's only a recent phenomenon that everybody who appears on tv (Sky TV, anyway) HAS to wear a poppy. It started to get a bit overbearing a few years ago when Dara O'Briain was slated for not wearing one on Mock The Week but it's gone totally over the top now with special kits being made and special requests made to FIFA over it. It's important to remember history and the people who died for ones country but there is a way of doing it more tastefully.

Paparazzo

Degag wrote: »

This Poppy lark has gone way over the top. As far as i can tell or remember, it's only a recent phenomenon that everybody who appears on tv (Sky TV, anyway) HAS to wear a poppy. It started to get a bit overbearing a few years ago when Dara O'Briain was slated for not wearing one on Mock The Week but it's gone totally over the top now with special kits being made and special requests made to FIFA over it. It's important to remember history and the people who died for ones country but there is a way of doing it more tastefully.

But it's for "our boys". If you don't wear one for any reason you're basically a nazi.

theoneeyedman

Degag wrote: »

This Poppy lark has gone way over the top. As far as i can tell or remember, it's only a recent phenomenon that everybody who appears on tv (Sky TV, anyway) HAS to wear a poppy. It started to get a bit overbearing a few years ago when Dara O'Briain was slated for not wearing one on Mock The Week but it's gone totally over the top now with special kits being made and special requests made to FIFA over it. It's important to remember history and the people who died for ones country but there is a way of doing it more tastefully.

Ya, like I said earlier this relatively new fanatism is being drummed up as a morale and even recruitment boost for their armed forces. If. Mr Cameron and Mr Windsor /Mountbatten et al care so much about old soldiers they would direct the proper resources toward them and not have them relying on charities such as the British Legion. Its politics /propaganda and has no place in sport. Would Serbia be allowed to wear armbands with arkans picture on it on Sunday?

Dozen Wicked Words

theoneeyedman wrote: »

Ya, like I said earlier this relatively new fanatism is being drummed up as a morale and even recruitment boost for their armed forces. If. Mr Cameron and Mr Windsor /Mountbatten et al care so much about old soldiers they would direct the proper resources toward them and not have them relying on charities such as the British Legion. Its politics /propaganda and has no place in sport. Would Serbia be allowed to wear armbands with arkans picture on it on Sunday?

Only in flower form.

TheBuilder

Paparazzo wrote: »

But it's for "our boys". If you don't wear one for any reason you're basically a nazi.

And it seems these days if you do then you're a illegal war supporting scumbag or something along those lines.

Its nonsense now and getting beyond a joke, if someone wants to wear it let them, if they dont then that's fine as well.

briany

Would have been a bad precedent.

Where would it end?



"IRISHMEN AND IRISHWIMMIN': In da name of God and of da dead generations from which she receives hur old tradition of [pause] nationhood, Irelant.....Irelant, tru us, summons her childer to hur flag and stroikes for hur freedom."

Dotrel

Evil_Clown wrote: »

Judge for yourself......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjuNuqIev8M

Interesting how the people who usually have the biggest problem with muslamics and other cultures are generally uneducated losers like this fella. What exactly of worth is he trying to retain of his culture? His accent perhaps or maybe his good genes?