Scottish and English football associations to defy poppy ban

The Football Associations (FAs) of Scotland and England say they will defy a ban on players wearing poppies when the teams meet on Armistice Day.

The Scottish and English football associations are set to defy Fifa's poppy ban

The FAs will let players wear black armbands with poppy emblems and are willing to accept any punishment.

Fifa, world football’s governing body, prohibits political, religious or commercial messages on shirts.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has called the rule “outrageous”.

And yesterday, Damian Collins, the chairman of the Commons Sports Committee, branded the ban “insulting”.

However, Fifa general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura has said “any kind of sanction” could follow if it is flouted.

He said: “Britain is not the only country that has been suffering from the result of war. Syria is an example.

“My own continent has been torn by war for years. And the only question is why are we doing exceptions for just one country and not the rest of the world?”