Premier League, EFL, WSL fixtures all postponed following death of Queen Elizabeth II

Football matches across England this weekend have been postponed in light of the death of British Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.

Britain’s longest reigning monarch, the 96 year old died peacefully at Balmoral yesterday afternoon. Her death begins an official period of national mourning in the country as well as in the 14 other nations she was the sovereign ruler of.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) met with leaders from across sport on Friday to outline the next steps, The Premier League, English Football League (EFL) and the English Football Association (FA) and FA Women’s Soccer League (WSL) announced that football matches scheduled for this weekend and Monday night will now not take place as a mark of respect to the monarch.

That includes games below the professional level with the FA confirming that all grassroots football in England will be postponed. A statement from the governing body said: “Her Majesty the Queen was a long-standing patron of the Football Association and has left a lasting and indelible legacy on our national game. As a mark of respect, following the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, English football has united to postpone all football fixtures between 9-11 September.

“All flags at Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park will continue to fly at half-mast over the weekend. Our thoughts remain with our president, HRH the Duke of Cambridge, and the whole of the Royal Family during this time.”

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.”

Six Premier League matches had been due to take place on Saturday with a full fixture calendar in English football’s lower tiers as well as in Scotland. The EFL had already announced on Thursday night that two games due to take place on Friday — Burnley vs. Norwich in the Championship and Tranmere Rovers vs. Stockport County in League Two — would be postponed. That has now been followed by the full footballing fixture calendar for this week.

Fixtures in Scotland and Northern Ireland will also not take place this weekend. The WSL had been due to begin its new season with packed stadia expected to celebrate the heroes of England’s European Championships win this summer. Title holders Chelsea had been due to host West Ham United at Stamford Bridge, it is so far unclear when these games will be rescheduled for and whether clubs will be able to use the grounds of their men’s teams. 

Other sporting events scheduled for this weekend are, however, going ahead with some modifications. The Queen was known for being a great horse racing enthusiast and the St Leger Stakes, the oldest of Britain’s five Classics, has been pushed back from Saturday to Sunday. It has also been reported that England’s cricket Test match against South Africa at The Oval, London, and the PGA Championship at Wentworth will resume on Saturday having had their day’s play postponed on Sunday.

The status of next weekend’s fixtures is also in doubt until arrangements are confirmed for the state funeral of Elizabeth II. The Cabinet Office did not issue any requirements over fixture postponement but it did suggest that organisers should consider cancelling or postponing any events that fell on that date. There is also the matter of policing to consider, particularly in London, with thousands expected to travel to the capital to pay their respects to the Queen.

The government’s guidance said: “There is no obligation to cancel or postpone events and sporting fixtures, or close entertainment venues during the national mourning period. This is at the discretion of individual organisations. As a mark of respect, organisations might wish to consider cancelling or postponing events or closing venues on the day of the state funeral. They are under no obligation to do so and this is entirely at the discretion of individual organisations.

“If sporting fixtures or events are planned for the day of the state funeral, organisations may want to adjust the event timings so they do not clash with the timings of the funeral service and associated processions. As a mark of respect, and in keeping with the tone of National Mourning, organisers may wish to hold a period of silence and/or play the national anthem at the start of events or sporting fixtures, and players may wish to wear black armbands.’