RW2
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- Joined
- Jan 12, 2014
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- Eintracht Frankfurt
It's that time of year again as Remembrance Sunday approaches where those who fought and died in the two world wars and other conflicts are remembered.
It is especially poignant this year as 2018 is 100 years since the end of the first world war.
Everyone who wishes to remember and pay their respects usually wears a poppy privately.
Football, though, appears to be the one sport in the UK (primarily England) where this is now normal that players wear poppies on their jerseys. Over the weekend 'The Last Post' was played around grounds.
Whilst I believe it is right that those who died are remembered, I wonder if it is entirely appropriate at football matches and for PL players from countries who might have been invaded by the UK in the past. We've all seen the stick that James McClean gets for expressing his wish not to wear a poppy, of which he is entirely right as the poppy is a symbol which represents oppression from the part of NI where he is from (Derry).
Why is it football that seems to engage, rightly or wrongly, in acts of military remembrance? Why not other sports?
For many years there was never any recognition at matches in England. . . Now, routinely, soldiers present the Premier League title to the champions each May in what I would call the militarisation of football.
Again I'm not saying this is wrong, but England seems to be the only country engaging annually in such remembrance.
Thoughts?
It is especially poignant this year as 2018 is 100 years since the end of the first world war.
Everyone who wishes to remember and pay their respects usually wears a poppy privately.
Football, though, appears to be the one sport in the UK (primarily England) where this is now normal that players wear poppies on their jerseys. Over the weekend 'The Last Post' was played around grounds.
Whilst I believe it is right that those who died are remembered, I wonder if it is entirely appropriate at football matches and for PL players from countries who might have been invaded by the UK in the past. We've all seen the stick that James McClean gets for expressing his wish not to wear a poppy, of which he is entirely right as the poppy is a symbol which represents oppression from the part of NI where he is from (Derry).
Why is it football that seems to engage, rightly or wrongly, in acts of military remembrance? Why not other sports?
For many years there was never any recognition at matches in England. . . Now, routinely, soldiers present the Premier League title to the champions each May in what I would call the militarisation of football.
Again I'm not saying this is wrong, but England seems to be the only country engaging annually in such remembrance.
Thoughts?
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