FIFA are blocking England and Scotland players from wearing poppies on their shirts for the World Cup qualifier next week.
Fury erupted over the ruling by football’s governing body that the symbol is a political statement and can’t be used for the Armistice Day game.
FA chiefs were slammed after failing to stand up to Fifa’s heartless football poppy ban.
England and Scotland stars have been barred from wearing the symbol on their shirts in next week’s World Cup qualifier after the sport’s governing body ruled it political.
Today The Sun, backed by veterans and the Royal British Legion, calls on the bureaucrats to acknowledge the poppy as a sign of pride in the sacrifice of servicemen and women for more than a century and allow it on shirts.
The crunch match takes place at Wembley on Armistice Day — November 11 — just two days before Remembrance Sunday.
At the last England international to fall close to Remembrance Sunday, a friendly against Spain in 2011, the poppy was relegated off players’ shirts and worn on black armbands instead.
Even that was a compromise after Fifa attempted a total ban.
The scandal-hit organisation, who climbed down only after an approach by Prince William, have let it be known that their position remains unchanged — but have not released an official statement.
Veterans trained their guns on the FA as the body looked poised to cave in to Fifa’s poppy demands, which relate to its ban on commercial, political or religious symbols on players’ shirts.
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Since Fifa organises the World Cup, they set the terms for games. And the bosses of English football were last night said to be unwilling to take the fight to them.
If England flout the ban, the FA would likely face a fine but other sanctions could also be in store.
But the FA were last night urged not to grovel to Fifa’s rules.
Falklands veteran Simon Weston told the body to swallow any potential fine rather than sacrifice the commemoration of British troops for a second time.
He said: “The FAs of both Scotland and England should stand up and be counted.
“Both those countries took part in both World Wars and should take the lead. They should pay any fine Fifa has to give them. This is not a political gesture.
“Who are Fifa? A bunch of people who make a hell of a lot of money and turn round and treat people like cattle. How dare they?”
The Three Lions’ clash with Scotland had been seen as a rare chance to unite in tribute to the war dead at a home international.
The FA is in talks with Fifa over how they can add their own tributes to the day, which will see commemorations across Britain.
They hope to have a rendition of the Last Post ring through the terraces and a two-minute silence.
Before the match England players will visit a war memorial and poppy sellers will be in the stands.
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But the stage was set for a fresh showdown between patriotic England fans and Fifa last night if the organisation failed to back down and allow poppies on shirts.
We are asking patriotic readers to let them know of their anger - by signing our online petition.
Leading The Sun’s campaign, former RAF prisoner of war John Nichol said: “I call on Fifa and the FA to allow the England and Scottish players to wear their poppy with pride on their shirts.
“This symbol of the courage and sacrifice of our heroes cannot and should not be shunned. This is a chance to show how much we as a society care about the work these heroes do — and we cannot let Fifa or the FA diminish that.”
The Royal British Legion said: “We see no reason why the poppy should be banned as it is not a political symbol. We welcome The Sun’s campaign.”
An FA spokesman said: “We are working closely with the Royal British Legion again this year to honour and remember the sacrifices made by those serving in the Armed Forces.”
A Fifa spokesman confirmed the organisation was “in contact with the FA over the issue”.
Meanwhile all Premier League clubs will sport poppies on their shirts — as Ross Barkley did when scoring for Everton last Sunday.
HISTORY OF THE POPPY
POPPIES became a symbol of troops’ sacrifice thanks to a Canadian doctor’s poem about the carnage of World War One.
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields after fighting in 1915’s Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium.
The touching verses detail how poppies continued to grow amid the dead men’s graves.
It ends: ‘If ye break faith with us who die / We shall not sleep, though poppies grow / In Flanders fields.’
It inspired a US academic to make silk poppies, and in 1921 the newly formed British Legion ordered nine million of them to raise money and help veterans get jobs and housing.
They sold out and that first “Poppy Appeal” raised over £106,000 — a considerable amount of money at the time.
The poppy’s power to raise much needed funds has continued ever since.
The Royal British Legion states: “The poppy is not a symbol of death or a sign of support for war, a reflection of politics or religion.”
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