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03rd Nov 2016

Danny Mills’ bizarre solution to the poppy dispute is absolutely ridiculous

He's taking serious stick for this nonsense...

Robert Redmond

The poppy dispute between England and FIFA continues to rumble on, but Danny Mills has stepped-in with a solution.

The Football Association want England and Scotland players to be allowed wear the Remembrance Sunday poppy for their World Cup qualifier next week at Wembley.

The poppy is worn to commemorate those who died fighting in wars involving the British services, but FIFA have a rule that forbids member nations from wearing anything that can be construed as a political or religious statement.

The rule applies to all member nations of FIFA, but some in Britain – including Prime Minister Theresa May – feel they are been treated unfairly by football’s world governing body.

The FA have said they are going to break the rule for the game against Scotland, but if Mills can get in touch with them, they might be able to reach a compromise with FIFA and a possible points deduction.

The former Leeds United and England full-back has said that if FIFA chose to enforce their rule, then the English players should get temporary tattoos of the poppy symbol.

“If the players are that insistent on wearing poppies, they should get a temporary tattoo, stick it on the back of their hand and, when the national anthems are played, put your hand on your heart and it’s there for everybody to see,” Mills told BBC 5 Live.

“Fifa cannot stop that. It’s no different than having a normal tattoo.”

Congratulations, Danny, even by the standards of a dispute stemming from manufactured outrage, you’ve managed to sound utterly ridiculous.

https://twitter.com/Ashleychittock/status/794178055061327872