London: England and Scotland renew the oldest rivalry in international football on Friday in a 2018 World Cup qualifier that has been dogged by a pre-match row about commemorative poppies. The football associations of both countries have pledged to defy a Fifa ban on political, religious or commercial symbols by wearing black armbands with red poppy emblems.
It leaves both teams at risk of sanctions from Fifa, but England and Scotland are determined to observe the custom, by which people in Britain pay respect to the country’s war dead on November 11. Players on both sides have backed the stance taken by their national associations. But the risk of punishment by world governing body Fifa has led Northern Ireland to decide to wear plain black armbands without poppies on for their home game with Azerbaijan on the same day.
On the sporting front, England captain Wayne Rooney will return to the starting line-up against Scotland, interim manager Gareth Southgate announced. Rooney, 31, started on the bench in England’s last game, a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia, after losing his place in Manchester United’s starting XI. But he has started United’s last two games, scoring from range in their 2-1 Europa League defeat at Fenerbahce last week, and will win his 119th cap from the start against Scotland. Friday’s game at Wembley represents Southgate’s penultimate opportunity to show his Football Association bosses he deserves to be awarded the manager’s job full-time.
Southgate was promoted from his role as England Under-21 coach when Sam Allardyce was brought down by a newspaper sting after just one match at the helm. His four-game tenure has been underwhelming so far, with a laboured 2-0 win over Malta followed by a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia in which England were indebted to the reflexes of goalkeeper Joe Hart. But England remain top of Uefa qualifying Group F, two points clear of Lithuania and Slovenia, and the Daily Telegraph has reported the job will be Southgate’s barring a disastrous result against Scotland.
