Poppy outrage has become football's own first sign of Christmas in recent years, with James McClean's 'stance' being regurgitated as news by numerous UK publications for the past couple of seasons.
Today, however, it's not the Derry man who has instigated nationwide outrage in Britain, but FIFA.
'3 Lions Led By Donkeys', write The Sun, in announcing that football's governing body has banned England and Scotland from wearing poppies during their upcoming World Cup qualifier.
They label FIFA's chiefs as "callous" and "cold-blooded" for deeming the gesture too 'political', before launching their own appeal for the poppy to be allowed on both sides' shirts for the Armistice Day international fixture:
FA chiefs were slammed after failing to stand up to Fifa’s heartless football poppy ban.
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 Sun also describe FIFA as a 'scandal-hit organisation', presumably as glass walls shatter all around them. But it's not just they who are angered by FIFA's decision; in a huge twist, Twitter has been awash with fervent outrage ranging from the 'just leave them do what they want' variety to somehow calling for anti-homophobia football boot laces to be outlawed.
We should refuse to play if corrupt Fifa chiefs ban poppy tributes on players' shirts on Armistice Day Do u agree https://t.co/iyqrsV7Zgu
— Jon Gaunt (@jongaunt) November 1, 2016
Would love FA to stick it to FIFA & put the poppies on England shirts. May cost points, but the fans will be behind England more than ever
— Manie (@ManieHanna96) November 1, 2016
Where does #FIFA get off at at banning poppies .It is called showing respect something football could do with learning .Respect true heroes
— Lilli (@law1505) November 1, 2016
#FIFA If you wanna ban the wearing of #Poppies then you may wanna ban the wearing of rainbow coloured boot laces too! Just saying... #Grrr..
— glen michael stanley (@glenmichaelstan) November 1, 2016
FIFA have banned England and Scotland from wearing poppies on their shirts, claiming the gesture is political. pic.twitter.com/Z2f82EzHdc
— Coral (@Coral) November 1, 2016
People are more than entitled to be annoyed or even offended by FIFA's decision, of course. However, to suggest they have 'banned' poppies from international fixtures is some way wide of the mark; FIFA rules simply state that no political symbols should be worn on shirts, and - rightly or wrongly - consider the poppy itself a political symbol, as it commemorates military personnel who died in war.
The FA are currently in talks with FIFA regarding special dispensation to wear the symbol on the 100th anniversary of World War I. FIFA did permit England to wear black armbands versus Spain back in 2011 after initially threatening to cancel the fixture, but it's currently unclear as to whether they'll loosen their ban on all things politics for England vs Scotland later this month.
