England to appeal against FIFA poppy fine

The Football Association (FA) has confirmed it will appeal against the fine imposed by FIFA for displaying poppies before and during England’s World Cup qualifier with Scotland.

Players from both England and Scotland wore black armbands featuring poppies, while wreaths were laid before kick-off at Wembley in a match that fell on November 11, Armistice Day in the United Kingdom.

The FA was fined 45,000 Swiss francs (£35,000) by FIFA for the “display of a political symbol and several cases of spectator misconduct” in the “framework” of the fixture.

Spectators in the crowd wearing poppies also made up part of the charges for both countries.

“We note the decision by the FIFA disciplinary committee, which we intend to appeal,” the FA posted on Twitter.

(1/2) We note the decision by the FIFA disciplinary committee, which we intend to appeal. https://t.co/hIWbVDcobr

— The FA (@FA) December 19, 2016

“As a first step, we have written to FIFA requesting the grounds for the decision.”

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) was fined CHF 20,000 (£15,700).

The Irish Football Association (IFA) and Football Association of Wales (FAW) were also fined for Armistice Day commemorations.

Northern Ireland players wore black armbands against Azerbaijan, which incurred a CHF 15,000 (£11,800) fine, while the FAW was fined CHF 20,000 (£15,700) after Wales fans wore poppies and raised a poppy-themed card mosaic before their match against Serbia.

Both the SFA and IFA said they were “disappointed” by the decision made by FIFA, but confirmed an intention to await written reasons before deciding whether to appeal or not. The FAW is yet to comment on its sanction.