Arthur's Column

I don’t often get too excited about the meanderings of football’s “governing” body.  I’ve watched the corruption allegations get swept as much as can be under convenient rocks.  I’ve observed ridiculous, nonsensical decisions to hold football games in 45C desert heat and wondered if its plain stupidity or there are darker forces at play. I’ve watched the guys at the top compete with the top football athletes (who – god knows – are paid more than enough) for rewards from this game.  All the while ignoring the one truth…

Football – which FIFA purports to represent – is the sport of the average English man, Scotsman, Welsh man and Northern Irish lad.  It’s not a rich mans sport (that tag would be more appropriate alongside a rugby game or perhaps F1) – its the bread and butter of the United Kingdom – the popular sport.  These people have made football the iconic sport that it is, with often hard to defend behaviour by fans fuelled by passion.

Fans make a poppy mosaic before the Wales game

The same passion that drove these same people in earlier generations to prevail against European aggression and win two world wars. At significant cost in terms of life.

Once a year we remember.  We wear the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.  It’s not political.  It symbolises our appreciation for our ancestor’s sacrifices in the past.

Overwhelmingly the football world – that same one that made the game great and put the idiots into their FIFA ivory tower in Switzerland – agreed to show respect and remember the sacrifices of the past.  By wearing a poppy.

For FIFA to issue fines against England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland today for showing respect on 11 November, in accordance with the wishes of the vast majority of supporters, is ridiculous and simply once more shows that the time is long past for change at the “top” of this game.