The Royal British Legion has defended James McClean's choice not to wear a poppy.
In a statement, the Legion condemned the long-running abuse suffered by the Republic of Ireland footballer and his family.
Much of the abuse in the past has come from McClean's decision not to wear a poppy during matches around Remembrance Sunday.
The RBL sells poppy symbols in the build-up to Armistice Day every year to raise money in support of British veterans.
This week McClean and his wife Erin highlighted the torrent of abuse aimed at the footballer and his family, including threats to burn down their house and to take a gun to a match.
"At the Royal British Legion we believe that discrimination, hatred and abusive behaviour in any form have no place in our society and should not be tolerated,” an RBL statement said.
“The poppy is a universal symbol that represents sacrifices made in the defence of freedom, and so the decision to wear it must be a matter of personal choice.
"To insist that people wear a poppy would be contrary to everything that it stands for. We offer our full support to James for exercising his right to choose not to wear a poppy.”
