England and
Scotland will avoid a points deduction for wearing armbands featuring poppies in their World Cup qualifier on Armistice Day but have both been found guilty of breaking
Fifa rules and will be fined and reprimanded,
The Independent understands.
Though the English FA said on Tuesday that it has not been notified of Fifa’s decision, sources close to the process have indicated that the three-man committee which discussed the issue last Friday in Zurich have found both the English and the Scots to be in breach of breaking rule 4.4, which concerns political, religious or commercial messages at football matches.
The decision was reached by a three-man disciplinary committee, made up of former Switzerland international Claudio Sulser, USA representative Mike Edwards and Tunisia delegate Mahmoud Hammami.
You must log in or register to see images
The FA’s 'Poppy War' goes against everything the poppy stands for
There is very little precedent for Fifa to work with when deciding what penalty to hand down but experts familiar with the process said that the fact this was a first offence should be a mitigating factor for England and Scotland. There is no statutory limit to the fine that might be dealt out.
It is understood that Northern Ireland, who were playing a home qualifier against Azerbaijan on the night in question, and Wales, who were playing Serbia in Cardiff, have also been found in breach of the rules. The Irish were shocked to discover they had been charged, when they dispensed with the idea of wearing poppies on their shirts and instead opted for black armbands, a wreath, which was laid by members of the Royal British Legion, and a poppy mosaic displayed by fans in the Windsor Park Kop. It is the mosaic in the Windsor Park main stand which seems to have caused the breach, even though the Irish felt it was a well thought out creation and respectful of all sides in conflict.
Wales did not wear poppies either but they, too, authorised what Fifa described as “several incidents involving the display of poppy symbols.”
You must log in or register to see images
The FA permitted a strong poppy presence at Wembley when England and Scotland met at the stadium on 11 November (Getty)
The fine faced by England and Scotland is thought to be more substantial than the other two home nations, though the sensitivity of the ruling means that the decision will not be made public until next Monday at the earliest. The world football governing body usually releases details of punishments the day after a disciplinary committee sits. But with the wording of the judgement being worked on in fine detail, it will be made public at least ten days after the decision was made.
The
FA had sought the opinion of a QC on the issue and insisted that Fifa was applying "the wrong rules." FA chief executive Martin Glenn insisted before the issue was considered that “this is a law-of-the-game issue, not a Fifa competition issue. I’m very confident that our legal position’s right, our moral position’s certainly right, and – you know what – there are bigger things in the game for Fifa to worry about. Our case is absolutely rock solid.”
The English national team were actually permitted to wear similar armbands featuring poppies for a game ahead of Armistice Day in 2011 against Spain. That precedent could be cited in any appeal by the English FA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
