A group of England supporters have been restricted from flying their national flag during this summer’s World Cup after FIFA deemed certain imagery on the banner to be inappropriate for use inside stadiums.
The fans were informed that the design on their St George’s flag did not comply with tournament regulations and would therefore need to be altered before being permitted into the venue.
They have been instructed to conceal specific portions of the flag before being allowed to take it to England’s matches.
Among those affected are supporters from Barrow, whose customised England flag features the club badge. Barrow fan John Little was told that he must cover the Barrow AFC crest because it contains images associated with “military or weaponry”.
Little described the ruling as “harsh” and said he was shocked when he learned about the decision.
The issue stems from the Barrow crest’s distinctive submarine silhouette, placed at the top of the club’s shield. This element has been flagged by FIFA as objectionable under its policies.
FIFA informed Little that imagery depicting military objects or weaponry is not allowed inside World Cup stadiums. As a result, he must conceal those elements before being permitted to display his flag during matches.
Compounding the matter, Little added an additional submarine silhouette to his specially designed England flag, alongside the one already present on the Barrow badge.
Expressing his disappointment in an interview with the BBC, Little said, “I couldn’t believe it really. It’s a little bit harsh that they’ve done it for something like that. I could understand if it were guns or knives or something similar, but not a submarine.”
According to BBC reports, FIFA reiterated that such imagery is “not permitted under FIFA policy”. However, the organisation added that it would “be happy to approve” the flag if the prohibited imagery was covered.
Under FIFA regulations, any larger banners or flags must be submitted for official approval before being brought into World Cup venues.
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