FIFA is facing calls from Parliament to revise its World Cup regulations after a group of fans were refused entry to Dallas Stadium with an England football team flag. Barrow supporter John Little was left stunned when officials told him he could not bring a St George’s Cross into the Three Lions’ opener against Croatia, owing to the presence of a submarine on his local club’s crest.
A blanket FIFA ruling prohibits flags featuring weapons from being displayed at grounds during this summer’s tournament, regardless of the circumstances. As a submarine is deemed a military vessel, Mr Little and his companions were denied the opportunity to display their Barrow-adorned England flag at the home of the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month. Now, Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham has taken the matter to Parliament, pressing for the ban to be lifted in Little’s case.
She said: “Barrow AFC’s crest is a proud symbol of our town’s identity, history, and achievements. The submarine is not a political statement, it reflects the generations of skilled workers who have built a world-class industry here in Barrow-in-Furness.”
Mrs Scrogham has also tabled a motion in the House of Commons, co-signed by Labour MPs Paul Foster and Cat Smith. Mrs Scrogham added: “FIFA’s decision to ban supporters from displaying this emblem at the World Cup is deeply disappointing and misunderstands its true meaning.
“I am urging FIFA to reconsider, engage with the club and its fans, and adopt a more proportionate approach that respects the cultural and historical significance of community symbols while ensuring football remains welcoming to all.”
It comes after Barrow took radical steps of their own last week to guarantee that Mr Little can still honour his club at the World Cup – by temporarily blurring the submarine featured on their crest. The National League outfit posted on X: “In order to make sure our supporter John Little can represent the Bluebirds over in Boston properly, we’d like to unveil our new *temporary club badge for the duration of the World Cup.”
In another cheeky dig, the club also tagged FIFA’s official social media accounts and questioned whether the arrow on their badge must also be removed, given it technically qualifies as a weapon. Meanwhile, England secured an impressive 4-2 victory over Croatia in their World Cup curtain-raiser, propelling Thomas Tuchel’s side to the summit of Group L.
A double from Harry Kane alongside further strikes from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford cancelled out Martin Baturina and Petar Musa’s first-half efforts to secure all three points for the Three Lions. England’s next fixture sees them face Ghana at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts at 9pm on Tuesday, 23rd June.
The African side also arrive in good form after claiming a 1-0 victory over Panama in their tournament opener.