Fri Jun 19, 2026 6:12 pm
Ever World Cup:
A flag belonging to Barrow fans was denied entry into England’s World Cup group game against Croatia this week due to the inclusion of a submarine on the club’s official club badge.
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Fri Jun 19, 2026 6:35 pm
Apparently, the Barrow AFC flag was reportedly stopped from entering an England World Cup match because stadium security classified the submarine depicted on the flag as a ‘military symbol’.
The flag features Barrow’s town and club imagery, including a submarine—a reference to Barrow-in-Furness’s long history of building submarines.
The incident happened amid a wider FIFA crackdown on flags and banners at the 2026 World Cup. Stadiums have been enforcing rules that prohibit certain displays for security, branding, and political reasons. Flags can be confiscated if they are deemed political, military-related, oversized, or if they obstruct advertising boards and stadium infrastructure.
According to reports from supporters, the issue wasn’t the Barrow AFC name itself but the submarine image. Fans described the decision as excessive, noting that the submarine is a symbol of the town’s industrial heritage rather than a political statement.
Barrow-in-Furness is home to submarine construction by BAE Systems, which is why submarines feature prominently in local symbols and flags.
So, in short: the flag wasn’t banned because it was a Barrow FC flag—it was apparently banned because FIFA/stadium officials viewed the submarine on it as a prohibited ‘military symbol’.
A spokesman for Barrow FC said, “We were going to replace it with a silhouette of the Beatles, but FIFA said even the US president would make that link, no matter what colour it was!”
Mon Jun 22, 2026 8:45 am
Forever Blue wrote:Ever World Cup:
A flag belonging to Barrow fans was denied entry into England’s World Cup group game against Croatia this week due to the inclusion of a submarine on the club’s official club badge.
When the shipyard’s closed on the Clyde many tradesmen moved their families to Barrow. Only the top tradesmen work on the Subs, they’ve every right to be proud of what their town produces.