FA ban Aston Villa fans from taking banner to Wembley for FA Cup final

The Football Association has reportedly banned a giant flag from being unfurled by Aston Villa supporters during this Saturday's FA Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley.

The banner features the message 'Never mind the Arsenal, here's the Aston Villa', which is a play on the Sex Pistols' 1977 album 'Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols', and it has been deemed inappropriate by the FA.

More than 200 supporters are believed to have raised £3,000 to have the banner produced, but the FA are preventing them from displaying it at Wembley.

An online petition has been created with the hope of overturning the FA's decision, and the Football Supporters' Federation believes that the governing body are wrong.

"It isn't offensive, isn't discriminatory nor is it inflammatory," the Daily Mail quotes a spokesman as saying. "This banner should be allowed into Wembley."

Fan group My Old Man Said created the design.