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Wales to wear poppy in warm-up after Fifa ban for game Fifa backs down after poppy ban on Wales shirts
(about 2 hours later)
Wales will wear poppies only for their warm-up after football chiefs banned them from showing the remembrance day emblem during their game this Saturday. Wales footballers have been given clearance to wear poppies on their black arm bands during the international with Norway on Saturday.
Governing body Fifa has blocked both Wales and England players from wearing poppies for international matches. Governing body Fifa had earlier blocked both Wales and England from wearing poppies over the Remembrance weekend.
So Wales will wear training tops with the poppy before the Cardiff friendly against Norway with the message "Cymru'n Cofio - Wales Remembers". But after intense pressure from the UK government, and the intervention of Prince William as FA president, Fifa has backed down and changed its rules.
Fifa says such messages would endanger football's neutrality. The FA of Wales confirmed the poppies would be worn.
Prime Minister David Cameron said the Fifa ruling was "outrageous" and he will write to the body. The Football Association said England had now been told players could wear a poppy on their black armbands in Saturday's game with Spain.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has confirmed that players will not be able to wear poppies during the match at the Cardiff City Stadium and that the message of remembrance will be confined to their training kit in the warm-up. Fifa has confirmed that its new ruling leaves the way clear for Wales to do the same as England and wear poppies on their armbands at the Norway game in Cardiff.
The FAW said squad players will also attend a remembrance service at 11:00 GMT on Friday. There are already plans for a silence and for the match ball to be presented by a member of the Royal Regiment of Wales.
The English FA, with backing from the FAW, has twice asked Fifa to overturn the ban, but its request was turned down. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) had said Fifa's rules had meant that the Wales team's message of remembrance had to be confined to their training kit in the warm-up.
Fifa's rules prevent anything of a political nature being worn on shirts and although the organisation does not regard poppies as political, it is concerned it would create a precedent for emblems which could be controversial. "The FAW has always had a policy of marking Remembrance Day itself in the correct and proper manner," said a spokesman.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Cameron said: "The idea that wearing a poppy to remember those who have given their lives for our freedom is a political act is absurd. The Wales team had planned to wear training tops with the poppy before the friendly bearing the message "Cymru'n Cofio - Wales Remembers".
'Exceeding itself' Fifa had maintained that such messages would endanger football's neutrality.
"Wearing a poppy is an act of huge respect and national pride." The English FA, with backing from the FAW, had twice asked Fifa to overturn the ban, but its request was turned down.
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister David Cameron said the Fifa ruling was "outrageous" and said he will write to the body.
His comments came as it emerged Prince William, as Duke of Cambridge, had written to Fifa demanding the ban be lifted.
Clarence House said: "The Duke's strong view is the poppy is a universal symbol of remembrance, which has no political, religious or commercial connotations."
Fifa's rules prevent anything of a political nature being worn on shirts and although the organisation does not regard poppies as political, it had been concerned it would create a precedent for emblems which could be controversial.
Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock told BBC Radio there was no justification for stopping Wales and England players from wearing the emblem of remembrance.Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock told BBC Radio there was no justification for stopping Wales and England players from wearing the emblem of remembrance.
"The two British teams who are in contest this weekend want to wear the poppies and there is absolutely no logical justification in the position taken by Fifa, one of the most bumbling, bureaucratic bodies that curses the world," said Lord Kinnock."The two British teams who are in contest this weekend want to wear the poppies and there is absolutely no logical justification in the position taken by Fifa, one of the most bumbling, bureaucratic bodies that curses the world," said Lord Kinnock.
"It's exceeding itself on this occasion beyond anybody's dreams," he added."It's exceeding itself on this occasion beyond anybody's dreams," he added.
Fifa decrees that shirts should not carry political, religious or commercial messages. The FAW said squad players will also attend a remembrance service at 11:00 GMT on Friday.
"Such initiatives would open the door to similar initiatives from all over the world, jeopardising the neutrality of football," it said.
The Conservatives' leader in the Welsh assembly, Andrew RT Davies, has tabled a statement of opinion urging Fifa to reverse its decision.
"This is an issue that should have cross-party support," he said.