h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I found something interesting regarding the coverage of FIFA turning down england's request to wear poppies on the kit against Spain for rememberance day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15643295.stm

It's a quote from Jack Wilshere that intrigued me. He said ""England team should wear poppies on Saturday. It's the nation's tradition and it would be disrespectful not to."

Now, Until a Couple of years ago, football teams didn't wear poppies on their shirts. they would observe a minutes silence, possibly wear black armbands, the managers would wear poppies, and players would wear them when being interviewed after the match.

Some clubs then started wearing special kits for the occasion, and this is only 2-3 years ago. The Daily Mail then started a campaign last year to persecute any club which did not wear one on its kit, basically emotionally blackmailing clubs.

So this is now a "tradition" according to the coverage we have seen in the last few days.

I must say I have been feeling fiantly uncomfortable about all of this as well. I wear a poppy because I think it is the right thing to do. But I really don't like the idea of anything like this being so obligatory. In fact it kinda seems at odds with the whole purpose.

FB

Some Internet research shows that 2007-08 seems to have been the first season poppies were worn on shirts. So we managed 89 years from armistice day without them, and I doubt people attended football matches in november grumbling "I can't believe the players aren't wearing poppies during the match".

So why is it now seen as compulsory for premier league clubs ( to the extent of the mail "naming and shaming" man Utd and Liverpool for not applying for the right to wear them one year when, as a Man Utd spokesman pointed out, a poppy is the same colour as the shirt, so you wouldn't be able to see it)

I found an interesting article from 2009 by the Belfast Telegraph's Laurence White. I think this bit sums up my own opinions on this matter:

"The poppy is the symbol of remembrance of those who died in the service of their country. It is a valuable fund-raising tool for the British Legion which provides many old servicemen and women with home comforts in their declining years.

"But it should be treated with reverence. The proper place for putting the poppy is in wreaths at the cenotaphs throughout the country where the names of the fallen are recorded. It is them that we should be remembering.

Putting poppies on football tops, to my mind, is not a symbol of reverence. It is just a cheap publicity shot."



Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/columnists/laurence-white/putting-poppies-on-football-tops-is-cheap-publicity-14556653.html#ixzz1d8rdTPBX