November 10 – Northern Ireland players will wear plain black armbands during Friday night’s World Cup qualifying match against Azerbaijan to mark Armistice Day – but not the poppy symbol that has caused so much controversy.
The Irish FA said a minute’s silence will also be held immediately before kickoff, with names of players connected with the association who died during First World War shown on a big screen.
England and Scotland look set to defy a FIFA ban on players wearing poppy symbols when the teams clash for a qualifier on Armistice Day the same night but the Irish FA will not follow suit fearing disciplinary proceedings.
“The Irish FA is committed to marking Armistice Day with appropriate acts of remembrance,” said IFA Chief Executive Patrick Nelson. “We asked FIFA if permission could be granted for the Northern Ireland team to wear a poppy on the shirt or on an armband.
“Based on law 4.4 of the laws of the game 2016/17, FIFA advised that they could give no guarantee that there would not be disciplinary proceedings if the Northern Ireland team was to wear a symbol of remembrance on the playing shirt.”
FIFA rules forbid players from wearing anything that can be perceived as a political or religious statement but whether wearing poppies constitutes either of these is fiercely debatable. England and Scotland could be sanctioned if they do not comply but will let their players wear black armbands with poppy emblems and are willing to accept any punishment for honouring the war dead of all conflicts since World War 1 when the tradition first began.
Nelson said the issue will now be placed on the agenda at the next session of the International FA Board, the game’s rule-making body.
“As a member of IFAB, we have placed clarification of law 4.4 on the agenda for the next annual general meeting of the International Football Association Board which will be held in London in March,” said Nelson.
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