Its the fashion accessory that is sweeping the football world. Premier stars such as Carlos Tevez of Man City and Arsenal's Samir Nasri have been sporting it all through the winter.
Its the snood - and it may be getting banned.
A FIFA spokesman has announced that the world football organising committee is to undertake an immediate and comprehensive review of the accessory as there have been major health and safety fears expressed in some quarters.
The spokesman commented that "some officials have concerns that a snood wearing player could be grabbed by the neck and suffer whiplash or a more severe injury.
Moreover, DC Thomsons, the publishers of the Dandy and the Beano annuals, have applied to the High Court for an injunction to prevent the wearing of snoods on the grounds of breach of copyright. They claim that the idea was stolen from the Bash Street Kids character Plug.
Another legal challenge has been mounted by lawyers representing the Ndebele tribe in South Africa. The Ndebele lawyer claims that " the wearing of neck coverings has been practiced by our tribesmen for centuries. It is a vital part of our culture as it is an indication of wealth and social status. The adoption of this custom by anyone outside our tribal group is grossly offensive ".
The discussion has highlighted other potential issues such as the wearing of black gloves. The Commission of Racial Equality has lodged a complaint with FIFA on the grounds that, as with the now disbanded Black and White Minstrels, this practice denigrates people of Afro Caribbean descent and engenders racial tensions ".
