TODAY, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year of the century, we bow our heads and fall silent.

It is Armistice Day, and we pause our hurly-burly lives for two minutes to reflect on the sacrifice of those who died in two world wars and other conflicts.

We will readily pay tribute again on Remembrance Sunday.

Please combine your reflections with action – contribute to the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. It helps thousands of ex-services personnel and their families, as well as those still fighting today.

Sadly, members of our Armed Forces are still laying down their lives in the service of their country. One day, we hope, the bloodshed will cease forever.

But even were that dream to come true we would still remember them.

We would in perpetuity keep our two-minute silence and wear our poppies with pride and in gratitude.

Those are two noble qualities that FIFA, football’s out-of-touch governing body, seems to confuse with triumphalism.

Thankfully, it has backed down from its ludicrous attempt to ban the England team from honouring our war heroes in the game against Spain tomorrow.

But not before sullying its already tarnished reputation.