Premier League Pays Respects to Queen Elizabeth II
The Premier League and EFL cancelled their fixtures this weekend as professional football in England will be postponed as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
As the UK enters a period of national mourning, other sports are also making a decision as to whether they will postpone their events this weekend. Decisions regarding further postponements in the calendar are set to be determined following consideration of official mourning guidance, set to be issued by the Cabinet Office, but it is understood it will be left to individual sports event organisers to decide how to proceed - with postponements not being mandatory.
On Thursday evening, following the announcement from Buckingham Palace, the BMW PGA Championship golf event at Wentworth was immediately suspended and Friday’s play cancelled, although the tournament will resume on Saturday and be played over 54 holes. Meanwhile, the ECB also called off day two of the England vs South Africa Test match at the Oval, which was scheduled for Friday, before England captain Ben Stokes urged the rest of the match to be played in “the Queen’s memory” and it was announced that it will indeed resume on Saturday.
The boxing world title fight between Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields at the O2 Arena on Saturday evening was postponed, while Friday night’s pair of Gallagher Premiership matches were called off, although the rest of the opening weekend of action in English rugby’s top flight will go ahead. Elsewhere, Friday and Saturday’s horse racing meetings in the UK have been cancelled and cycling’s Tour of Britain has been suspended but the F1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza will go ahead with a minute’s silence in honour of the Queen.
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