<P> As an example of the V sign (palm inward) as an insult, on November 1, 1990, The Sun, a British tabloid, ran an article on its front page with the headline "Up Yours, Delors" next to a large hand making a V sign protruding from a Union Jack cuff . The Sun urged its readers to stick two fingers up at then President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, who had advocated an EU central government . The article attracted a number of complaints about its alleged racism, but the now defunct Press Council rejected the complaints after the editor of The Sun stated that the paper reserved the right to use vulgar abuse in the interests of Britain . </P> <P> On April 3, 2009, Scottish football players Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor were permanently banned from the Scottish national squad for showing the V sign while sitting on the bench during the game against Iceland . Both players were in their hotel bar drinking alcohol after the Scottish defeat to The Netherlands until around 11 am the next morning, meaning that both of the players breached the SFA discipline code before the incident as well, but the attitude shown by the V sign was considered to be so rude that the SFA decided never to include these players in the national line - up again . Ferguson also lost the captaincy of Rangers as a result of the controversy . McGregor's ban was lifted by then SFA manager Craig Levein and he returned to Scotland national squad in 2010 . </P> <P> Steve McQueen gives the sign in the closing scene of the 1971 motorsport movie, Le Mans . A still picture of the gesture was recorded by photographer Nigel Snowdon and has become an icon of both McQueen and the film itself . The gesture was also flashed by Spike (played by James Marsters) in "Hush", a Season 4 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer . The scene was also featured in the series' opening credits for all of Season 5 . It was censored by BBC Two only in its early - evening showings of the program . </P> <P> For a time in the UK, "a Harvey (Smith)" became a way of describing the insulting version of the V sign, much as "the word of Cambronne" is used in France, or "the Trudeau salute" is used to describe the one - fingered salute in Canada . This happened because, in 1971, show - jumper Harvey Smith was disqualified for making a televised V sign to the judges after winning the British Show Jumping Derby at Hickstead . His win was reinstated two days later . Harvey Smith pleaded that he was using a Victory sign, a defence also used by other figures in the public eye . </P>

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