FA asks youth football team to remove Palestine corner flags after club put them up to ‘enlighten their followers’ about ongoing conflict – leaving Israeli parents uncomfortable

The FA will ask a youth football team to remove Palestinian corner flags, after it made Israeli parents uncomfortable during a match. 

Queens Park Crescents (QPCFC) under-8s match against Wixams Wanderers was cancelled on Sunday after a disagreement over the display of the Palestinian flags, instead of the usual corner flags. 

Although QPCFC maintain that they had the approval to make the switch, a Jewish Israeli parent of a Wixams Wanderers player asked for the flags to be removed ahead of the game as it made them uncomfortable. 

Despite the flags then being taken down by the coaches, another member of staff proceeded to put them back up, leading Wixams to forfeit the match in solidarity with the parent and child.

Queens Park Crescents football club. The club maintains it had the approval to make the switch from Bedfordshire FA

QPCFC officials said they had permission from Bedfordshire FA to display the Palestinian flags.

In a post on Twitter the club remained steadfast in their choice, citing the move as an ‘opportunity to enlighten [their] followers’ about the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

However, their statement has resulted in immense backlash from angry Brits who have called for the club to leave politics out of grassroots football.

In a social media post on Sunday, the team wrote: ‘Today, our U8s coach told us the opposing team forfeited the game over our Palestine corner flags.

‘No issue with displaying them; confirmed with the FA. However, we view this incident as an opportunity to enlighten our followers about the gravity of the situation.’

The post gained 15,000 likes and more than 180 comments from infuriated users – however, the team has since turned the comment section off, preventing any further replies to their post.

One user wrote: ‘Under 8’s… stop bringing politics into a game of football involving children.’

Comments of the social media post from Queens Park Crescents after the match on Sunday was cancelled

Another said: ‘And then turns off comments. No way a team of under-8s decided that. 100% come from adults.’

A third added: ‘If I saw that, I’d turn my team around and go home. It’s kids’ football, don’t bring politics, beliefs or causes into it. Wrong time, wrong place.’

Another commented: ‘Can’t imagine kids from either team understand anywhere near enough to care. All be whatever parents feed [them]. Just kick a ball and have fun at that age.’

A fifth replied: ‘The coaches/manager/club involved need a talking to. Keep politics out of children’s football.’

Another said: ‘Under-8s who all just wanted a game of footy on a Sunday morning and you virtue signalling helmets have ruined it for something they don’t understand.

‘They’re 8, f*** this off.’

The FA said: ‘We want children to be able to play football in a safe and welcoming environment. We have been made aware of the ­incident at the weekend and we will be ­contacting the club to ask them to remove these corner flags for future matches.’