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Fans forced to cover up town emblem amid flag row

Lewis Watts A string of England flags attached to the side of a rail by the stands at the Boston stadium where England played against Ghana. The flags all feature the names of different towns and local clubs. It includes one with the words Barrow AFC across the horizontal line of the red cross. In the top left corner it has the Barrow AFC badge, the top right has a red rose, the bottom left has the phrase "you fill up my senses" and the remaining quarter is blank.Lewis Watts
Barrow AFC fans used white tape to mask the image of a submarine

Eagle-eyed spectators watching England's World Cup match against Ghana might have noticed a lack of symmetry in one of the fan flags because of a row which involved a motion in Parliament.

A group of Barrow AFC fans were forced to tape over their town's emblem from a St George's flag, meaning one quarter of it was left unusually blank.

This was because it featured the team's badge with an additional silhouette of a submarine, which is synonymous with the Cumbrian town.

But tournament organiser Fifa, which has been approached for comment, told them the vessel would have to be hidden, as military or weapons imagery were not allowed on flags.

Fans John Little and Lewis Watts said ahead of the match they felt the decision had been harsh, though they would try and comply with the guidelines.

"It's just basically representing the town, we take pride from where we're from," Watts said.

"For me [the submarine] it's not offensive."

Supplied Three men hold up a large England flag with the words Barrow AFC across the horizontal line of the red cross. In the top left corner it has the Barrow AFC badge, the top right has a red rose, the bottom left has the phrase "you fill up my senses" and the remaining quarter has the outline of a black submarine. The three men are all wearing sunglasses and are standing in front of a sign for the theme park Six Flags Over Texas. There is a pavilion and a rollercoaster in the background.Supplied
Barrow fans were told they could not display their flag inside the World Cup stadiums

The area's MP Michelle Scrogham even raised the issue in the UK Parliament ahead of the match with an early day motion, calling for the fans to be able to show off the symbol.

The Labour MP said: "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."

The town is renowned for its submarine and shipbuilding history, which employs 14,000 people.

Scrogham said Fifa's decision showed it had misunderstood the true meaning of the emblem.

In the response sent to Watts, which the BBC has seen, Fifa said: "The application was rejected because the item includes imagery of weapons or military (submarine).

"These are not permitted under FIFA policy. We would be happy to approve, if you were willing and able to submit again with the imagery covered up."

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