English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish FAs could unite against Fifa over poppy dispute

The four home nations may unite to challenge FIFA over their fines for last month's poppy row after it emerged the Irish Football Association cannot appeal against its sanction on its own.

FIFA announced on Monday that the associations of Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales had been punished to varying degrees for their Remembrance Day tributes.

The Football Association was fined £35,308 and the Scottish Football Association £15,692 (respectively, 45,000 and 20,000 Swiss francs) after their players wore black armbands bearing a poppy, which FIFA considers a political symbol, during the November 11 World Cup qualifier at Wembley.

The Football Association of Wales and the IFA, whose teams wore plain black armbands, earned respective punishments of £15,692 and £11,769 for displaying poppies around their stadiums.

The FA immediately announced it would lodge an appeal, while both the SFA and FAW are understood to be waiting for FIFA's written reasons before deciding what to do.

But the IFA cannot follow the FA's suit and take the matter to a FIFA appeal panel because its fine is exactly 15,000 Swiss Francs and, under FIFA's disciplinary code, it must be more than that to be contested.

It is understood the IFA is holding a board meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the matter further. One avenue it may consider is joining the other associations to fight FIFA's decision, with the hope being that one voice may carry more weight.

An IFA statement on Monday read: "The Irish FA is disappointed the FIFA disciplinary committee has reprimanded the association and issued a fine in relation to acts of remembrance at the Northern Ireland v Azerbaijan match on 11th November.

"The Irish FA will examine the full written submission when it is released and will take further legal advice before deciding on a future course of action."

FIFA warned the four countries before November's internationals that the display of political symbols could result in punishments - a warning that was even debated in the House of Commons.

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With this in mind, both Northern Ireland and Wales did not wear poppies on armbands for their qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Serbia but they were still charged because of giant poppy mosaics displayed in the crowd and the laying of wreaths, which FIFA considers to be a violation of the ban on political, religious or commercial messages.

Announcing the sanctions, FIFA disciplinary committee chairman Claudio Sulser said: "It is not our intention to judge or question specific commemorations, as we fully respect the significance of such moments in the respective countries, each one of them with its own history and background.

"However, keeping in mind that the rules need to be applied in a neutral and fair manner across FIFA's 211 member associations, the display, among others, of any political or religious symbol is strictly prohibited. In the stadium and on the pitch, there is only room for sport, nothing else."