No favours: FIFAs Jerome Valcke (right), is refusing to let England wear poppies

The emailed letter came from Valcke, who is currently in Brazil on World Cup 2014 business, rather than  President Sepp
Blatter, who spoke at the International Football Arena conference in Zurich on Monday. Afterwards he told reporters that the poppy issue was nothing to do with him and was being dealt with by the administrative side of FIFA.

However, FIFA's new ExCo member Boyce was prepared to speak out and called for common sense to prevail.

He said: 'I think there has to be a bit of common sense used when requests like this come in. Armistice Day is a very important day in the FA calendar, as it is with other associations, and I don't think it would offend anybody to have a poppy on the shirts.

'As this is a special request from a member of FIFA and is not of a political nature I believe that common sense should prevail and it should be looked at in a different light.'

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