AT the start of this week, The Northern Echo called for the Fifa ban on England players wearing poppies on their shirts to be overturned.

We were not alone. Support has grown for the ban to be defied throughout the week, with Prince William displaying commendable leadership yesterday by writing to Fifa to demand a change of heart.

Prince William expressed the strong view that the poppy is not a political, religious or commercial badge, but a universal symbol of remembrance. We whole-heartedly share that view.

Having stubbornly resisted the calls for a rethink, Fifa last night shifted its position as far as agreeing that the England team can wear poppies on their black armbands instead.

We accept that it is a compromise that is better than nothing, but it begs the question: if our national team can display poppies on armbands why not on shirts which would raise significant sums of money for the Poppy Appeal? What is the real difference?

Fifa is an organisation which has precious little credibility left and its position on the England poppy ban is now a confused mess.

The England team should cut through that mess, proudly wear poppies on their shirts when they play Spain at the weekend, and let Fifa do their worst.