England and Scotland fined for wearing poppies in football qualifier

FIFA has fined England and Scotland for wearing poppies on their shirts during the football qualifier at Wembley Stadium last month.

England has been fined £35,000 for "several incidents" during the match, including displaying a "political symbol and several cases of spectator misconduct", according to a FIFA statement.

Scotland, who lost the game on 11 November 3-0, was also fined around £15,000 for wearing the poppy during the game.

Wales was fined £15,000 and Northern Ireland nearly £12,000 for similar offences during their games against Serbia and Azerbaijan respectively.

FIFA fined the Republic of Ireland nearly £4,000.

The football body bans "political" symbols on shirts during official games, but the home nations and the Republic of Ireland had denied they had breached the ban.

Claudio Suser, chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, said: "With these decisions, 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."

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