YOU would have thought that an organisation desperately trying to rebuild its tarnished reputation after years of corruption and scandal would have welcomed an opportunity to generate some good publicity.

You would have imagined that an institution striving to regain credibility after a raft of its officials were charged with bribery, fraud and money laundering would have tried to create some goodwill among a sceptical football public.

Yet, you would, as the unfortunate events of the past week have shown, have been wrong on both counts.

Read more: Celtic treat their league games as if they were facing Europe's best - the Premiership will be won by MarchThe Herald:

FIFA’s stubborn refusal, despite appeals from both the FA and SFA, to allow England and Scotland players to wear poppies on black armbands, never mind on their shirts, in the Russia 2018 qualifier at Wembley this Friday evening has been alarming.

Their intransigence has suggested - despite repeated assurances that, with the election of Gianni Infantino as their president earlier this year, a new era of honesty, integrity and openness had dawned - nothing much has changed.

Of course, the shameful stance taken by world football's governing body over “Poppygate” pales into insignificance in comparison with the events which prompted a worldwide FBI investigation into the alleged illegal activities of many of their senior administrators. Nevertheless, the whole sorry affair still reflects badly on them.

Read more: Celtic treat their league games as if they were facing Europe's best - the Premiership will be won by March

FIFA are quite correct to stipulate that there can be no “political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images” on football strips. Allowing national teams to do so would be a dangerous road for the game to go down.

The problem here is that, as the FA and SFA have both pointed out to no avail, the poppy is a mark of remembrance and respect and not a political emblem.

England, Scotland and Wales players wore poppies on black armbands in friendlies against Spain, Cyprus and Norway on Armistice Day in 2011 without any repercussions after a compromise agreement with FIFA was reached. So what exactly is the problem this time around? Surely a precedent was set at those games five years ago. The inconsistency here is baffling and worrying.

The Republic of Ireland wore special edition jerseys in their friendly against Switzerland in Dublin back in March to mark the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising and not a word of objection was heard from Zurich.

The point has been made as this row has escalated that if no sanction was forthcoming for that flagrant breach of the rules then the FA and SFA would escape punishment if the England and Scotland teams displayed the poppy logo in their meeting this week.

Yet, it suddenly emerged last week, some eight months down the line, that FIFA had opened disciplinary proceedings against the FAI. It smacks of a most selective approach to upholding the laws of the game and a pathetic attempt to justify their latest ruling. In short, they are making it all up as they go along.

It has been suggested that England and Scotland could be deducted World Cup qualifying points for wearing black armbands with poppies on them in the Group F encounter this week. But it is doubtful they will suffer such drastic consequences for breaching law four of the rule book. Fines or even just warnings are far likelier outcomes.

Both the FA and SFA have taken legal advice and are comfortable they aren’t contravening any regulation. They are prepared to defend their actions if they are disciplined. Their belief is that FIFA have simply misinterpreted their own rules.

If that is the case, and it would very much appear to be, it does nothing to instil faith in the rulers of football post-Sepp Blatter.

AND ANOTHER THING . . .

Gordon Strachan will head to London on Thursday with just one specialist right back, Callum Paterson of Hearts, in his Scotland squad after Alan Hutton decided to retire from international football.

Hutton failed to regain his place in the national team from Paterson in the double header against Lithuania and Slovakia last month and has asked Strachan not to be considered for selection in the future.

Read more: Celtic treat their league games as if they were facing Europe's best - the Premiership will be won by March

The Aston Villa defender, who has won 50 caps over a nine year period, has been a fine servant for his country, but, at 31, it is perhaps understandable that he has decided not to stay on and attempt to win his place back.

Paterson has done well since making his debut against Italy in a friendly in Malta in May and should cope admirably with the Russia 2018 qualifier against England at Wembley on Friday. The problem will arise if he gets injured. Who does Strachan turn to then? He will be forced to play a centre half, midfielder or right back out of position.

It is another stark reminder of just how limited the resources that Strachan, who is sure to face renewed calls for his head if another defeat is suffered, has to work with actually are.