English Premier League and Scottish Premiership matches on the weekends have been called off and postponed. It is being done as a mark of respect after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The following is a brief on the leagues that have cancelled and postponed their weekend matches.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch died on Thursday aged 96.
All the English, Welsh, and Nothern Irish Football matches along with the professional Scottish Football have been postponed for the weekend. This includes 10 Premier League games and 6 Scottish Premiership fixtures. EFL Championship games due on Friday and Saturday and six first Women’s Super League fixtures of the season on Saturday and Sunday are also postponed.
Englands’s National League along with the FA Trophy fixtures are all off. PGA Championship Friday’s play was called off and with it the British Horse Racing. England vs South Africa test match is called off too. The match will resume on Saturday.
The government’s national mourning guidance has said that cancelling the games was not obligatory and the sports are free to take their own decisions. The same is the case for the day of the funeral, however, can be done to avoid clashes with timings.
Manchester United players wore black armbands in their match against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday. There was a moment of silence before the first women’s semifinal match at the US Open.
Statement from the Premier League on Queen Elizabeth II
The statement released by the Premier League said that at a meeting this morning, clubs paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. As a mark of respect, Premier League weekend round matches will be postponed, including the matches due on Monday evening.
Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive, said: “We and our clubs would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s long and unwavering service to our country.
“As our longest-serving monarch, she has been an inspiration and leaves behind an incredible legacy following a life of dedication. “This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation, but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her, and we join together with all those in mourning her passing.”
Further, the statement said that EFL and the FA will follow this approach for all their competitions this weekend. Further updates on Premier League matches in the period of mourning will be provided later on.
