By Andrew Warshaw
November 10 – The dispute between FIFA and The Football Association over the wearing of Armistice Day poppies took on a new twist today when it emerged that a qualified referee and member of Parliament was instrumental in bringing about FIFA’s change of heart.
After three days of sensitive debate, world football’s governing body – which bans political, religious or commercial messages on shirts – partially relented on Wednesday and agreed a compromise allowing England players to wear the poppies on black armbands during Saturday’s prestige friendly against Spain. The same agreement applies to the Welsh and Scottish teams for their respective matches.
According to the BBC, Chris Heaton-Harris, acting in conjunction with a senior FIFA adviser, called the FIFA secretary general, Jerome Valcke, on Wednesday afternoon and proposed his idea for the England team to wear black armbands with the poppy emblem.
“Valcke instantly warmed to the idea despite the fact there was a protestor from the English Defence League (EDL) on FIFA’s roof at the time,” said Heaton-Harris.
Heaton-Harris then contacted the managing director of Club England, Adrian Bevington, who faxed an official request to FIFA asking for permission for England to wear the amended armbands in their game against Spain, which takes place 24 hours before Remembrance Sunday.
It has been widely reported that both the Prime Minister, David Cameron and Prince William, honorary President of the FA, contacted FIFA separately to state their objection to FIFA’s original stance rejecting poppies being worn on the actual shirts.
Cameron had described the decision as “outrageous” while Prince William, in a private letter, is understood to have demanded that FIFA make “an exception in this special circumstance”. A statement from Clarence House confirmed the Duke of Cambridge had intervened.
But it has now emerged that the compromise deal had already been discussed by then.
“FIFA and the FA have to have a better relationship and I could see this situation was a recipe for disaster,” Heaton-Harris said.
“It would have been easy for FIFA to say, given the presence of the EDL, ‘you’re wrong and we’re right’ but they weren’t intractable and thankfully they also wanted to find a solution.”
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