Sporting Events Postponed As Mark Of Respect Following The Queen's Death

As the UK enters a period of national mourning, the world of sport came together to honour Her Majesty. Decisions on whether to proceed with this weekend’s events and moving forward will be made following consideration of official mourning guidance by the Cabinet Office, though the final decisions will remain with individual organisations, and postponements will not be mandatory, many sporting organisations have taken the decision to postpone the weekend fixtures as a mark of respect for the very sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Amid subdued atmospheres both Manchester United’s home Europa League match with Real Sociedad and Arsenal vs Zurich FC went ahead on Thursday. Following direction from the FA and UEFA, a minute’s silence was held before kick-off, the teams wore black armbands and flags were at half-mast. West Ham and Hearts, both playing at home, also played their Europa Conference League matches with similar marks of respect, although none of the English sides held press conferences after the matches.

A number of sporting events listed for Friday were hastily postponed, with the following statement just released moments ago by The Premier League.

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 updates regarding Premier League fixtures during the 10-day period of mourning will be provided in due course. The EFL and WSL will follow that lead, with many other sporting institutions expected to make the same decision as regards postponing their scheduled fixtures this weekend.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced play would not take place for the men’s third Test between England and South Africa at The Oval, while the English Football League has postponed Burnley v Norwich in the Championship and Tranmere v Stockport in League Two. The sixth stage of the Tour of Britain was initially cancelled, though the organisers subsequently took the decision to cancel the remaining last two stages, using Thursday’s standings as final classification.

The Irish FA has announced that all football in Northern Ireland scheduled for this weekend will not take place in their statement reading: “As a mark of respect following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this weekend's fixtures across all affiliated football in Northern Ireland, and all other organised football activity, at all levels, have been postponed.”

In Rugby Union, Thursday night's Premiership Rugby Cup match between Northampton Saints and Saracens was postponed following the announcement of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, with confirmation that the weekend fixtures will be cancelled as a mark of respect expected shortly. The Scottish Rugby Union announced the suspension of all competitive domestic matches under its jurisdiction this weekend.

Rugby league’s Betfred Championship fixture between Sheffield Eagles and Dewsbury Rams on Friday has been postponed. The Super League Elimination Play-Off, in Perpignan, will go ahead, with a minute's silence before kick-off, and the players of Catalans Dragons and Leeds Rhinos wearing black armbands. The Queen was rugby league's patron until 2016. The Rugby Football League said in their tribute to her: “Our clubs and players at all levels will display their respect to Her Majesty wherever Rugby League is played in the coming days.”

In horse racing, of which Her Majesty was an avid supporter, all racing has been suspended for Friday and Saturday, with scheduled fixtures and racing events returning on Sunday, September 11th. An additional day of racing at Doncaster will also be scheduled for Sunday, to ensure that the St Leger and other important races lost as result of the postponements can take place. However, the fixture scheduled for Scotland's Musselburgh racecourse on Sunday will be cancelled as a mark of respect for the fact that the Queen's body will be lying in rest in Edinburgh. The British Horseracing Authority described Queen Elizabeth II as "one of the greatest and most influential supporters in the history of horseracing".

All boxing scheduled to take place on Friday has been postponed, the British Boxing Board of Control confirmed in a statement. A decision is to be made soon regarding events over the weekend, including Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall at the O2 Arena, with Friday's weigh-in for the fight taking place behind closed doors.

In golf, The European Tour Group suspended play at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday and announced there will be no play at the tournament on Friday. Further updates on when play will resume are to follow.