Home Nations to Request Permission From FIFA to Display Poppy Ahead of November Friendlies

The home nations are set to request permission to display poppies on their shirts from football's world governing body FIFA ahead of their November friendlies following the well-documented and highly-scrutinised fallout from last year. 

Around 12 months ago the organisation fined the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FA's as they marked Remembrance Sunday by sporting poppies during the closest international fixtures to November 11. 

The sanction was made after the nations were deemed to have gone against their ruling of displaying ‘political, religious or commercial messages’. 

However, this year it is expected that FIFA will yield their stance on the controversial ban somewhat following a mass public outcry last year. 

"The four football associations of the home nations (The FA, FA Wales, Scottish FA and Irish FA) welcome the new clarification on Law 4, issued on 26 September 2017 by The International Football Association Board (The IFAB), in close cooperation and agreement with FIFA, governing what can and cannot be worn on players’ shirts", a statement from the FA said, as cited by The Sun. 

"It was important that clarity was brought to this issue as it affects many football matches/competitions throughout the world and is particularly helpful in relation to remembrance and poppies.

"In any year when there are international matches in the week leading up to and including Remembrance Sunday, it is the intention of all four home nations to seek permission from the opposition team and FIFA (as the authority responsible for those matches) to display the poppy on armbands."

This means that not only will the English FA seek permission from the governing body, but will also have to request acceptance from their German counterparts - who travel to Wembley Stadium on November 10.

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The precautionary measures come following FIFA threatening to even deduct points from both England and Scotland, who faced one another in the same fixture last year, from their World Cup qualification campaign tally if they did not accept the ruling.

However, no deduction came, but all four FA's received fines, with England forking out £35,308, Scotland and Wales handed a request of £15,692 and Northern Ireland had to pay £11,769 for similar offences.