James McClean recently came out against wearing the poppy for upcoming games – so what is the history and significance of wearing the red flower?
Having the poppy flower sewn on football jerseys has become a tradition in the Premier League over the past several years, with the symbol a tribute to fallen soldiers from the First World War.
Certain footballers such as James McClean, however, who is Irish, have come out and refused to wear the poppy to mixed reaction – some hostile, and some ambivalent.
What is the meaning behind wearing the poppy, and why does it have so much significance within modern-day Britain?