Those Poppies Again.

As you can see from the mosaic, the people have spoken. This time loud and clear about the "can or cannot" of wearing poppies. 
The players in the recent international soccer game between England and Scotland wore black arm bands with red poppies attached. Then, on a mega scale in a game between Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan, the fans got in on the act.
Several thousand had placards painted in white, red and black and showed their defiance and disdain towards FIFA by making a monster poppy that filled one of the stands.
How dare they!
Now the righteous mongers from soccer's ruling body are set to fine the English and Scottish teams and, wait for it, also fine the Northern Irish fans for their impudence.
I can just imagine a delegation from the FIFA police arriving in Belfast to ask for the money!
Meantime we must bear in mind that it is less than a year since the chairman of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, resigned in disgrace after embezzeling money from the organization and several other of his cronies are facing jail terms for similar malfeance.
All of this coinciding with the centenary of the battle of the Somme where a million men from England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Wales and Germany lost their lives in bloody conflict so that member nations could play soccer instead of making war.

LEST WE FORGET.

Jubilate.

Ian (Immemorial for Oliver Wilson. Durham Light Infantry. The Battle of the Somme. 1916- 17)