By Dave Langton
There is absolutely no reason for us to have sat in our front rooms this weekend with no football to watch.
We could have seen West Ham go up against Newcastle in what was one of the more intriguing match-ups of the weekend; the Magpies have been quietly impressive at the start of the season and the Irons were beginning to play their way back into form.
We know exactly why the game’s were suspended – some, apparent, show of respect for Queen Elizabeth II.
It was a performative gesture from the Premier League, who took the decision to suspend the games this weekend. The government handed the decision over to them, so there was no need for the clubs to make the call.
We saw on Thursday how football can unite in times of national grief. The London Stadium crowd came together in one of the most rousing renditions of the national anthem in recent years, and respect was paid to the late monarch before kick-off.
It was poignant and it was reverential.
This weekend, we haven’t been able to watch football, but you can turn on Sky Sports or BT Sport and watch cricket, F1, rugby union, rugby league, golf, cycling and athletics.
Football is the odd one out and it doesn’t make a single lick of sense.
The European games this week will go ahead, and games outside of London in the Premier League are likely to be played next weekend, too, despite it being the Queen’s funeral.
The Premier League rushed into a decision because they wanted to be seen to do the ‘right thing’.
The ‘right thing’ was to play on, and pay our respects in a way only football can.
Instead, we’ve lost a weekend of football, for absolutely no reason.
Agreed. Why only football and gee gees? The latter is understandable but footie??? Maybe because it’s the most popular? In another post next w/e’s games in London could be called off too because of a lack of the boys in blue who’ll be needed in force (no pun intended) for Monday’s funeral. What about Liverpool where WH will be heading to play the Toffees?
Nothing wrong with having an opinion on PL decision to cancel, but like most folks, they made an early decision based upon the info they had at the time. It looks to me that there is a real need for policing of the funeral and associated events which may include using up the Merseyside force’s overtime budget for all I know.
I’m not being disrespectful but how many people get to the ripe old age of 96? We should be celebrating the fact that she got to the age that she did, as no one lives forever.
I do not understand this pause on society and I feel like a naughty schoolboy who has been told to stand in the corner until told to do otherwise.
Spot on. Well said mate.Same…
The decision is typical of British over reaction – best we stop and deny the majority, lest we upset a minority of sensitive Purple Hearts…
My U13 boys were denied their first game of the season as a ‘mark of respect’ that our league decided to bestow upon us. So instead of allowing us to mark her passing with a heartfelt minute’s silence – something the boys would’ve remembered – they built up resentment about it.
This country’s passive approach to everything and total lack of measured common sense is frustrating, and why we risk falling behind in the world.
I’m certain HMQE2 would have cringed at such a decision and would’ve wanted life to go on, as she always did right up to the very end.
The official line was that it was up to the discretion of the individual organisations. Prince William is associated with FA and he’s a big football fan so I wonder if it was out of respect to him. If he’d been consulted though I’m sure he would have wanted the football to go ahead. On the other hand he’s an Aston Villa fan so might have asked for football to be cancelled because he couldn’t bear watching Villa any longer. Unfortunately he chose the wrong team in claret and blue.
We can survive without football during an international break. The players will be grateful they have a week or two without games. I’m expecting more exciting transfer gossip to keep keep advertisers happy and paying while we wait for the next fixture
There are two reasons for cancelling the matches. The first is the traditional period of mourning, which many people in this country expect to see (including some West Ham supporters I guess) and secondly the impact on policing.
The PL had to go early on their decision and to question it is divisive and pointless. This is one day of fixtures cancelled in a reign of 70 years, if King Charles lives to 96, and the fixtures are cancelled for one day, that will be one day in 25 years!
Undoubtedly, we now know the fixtures didn’t need to be cancelled, on the other hand it is churlish to complain that they were. The Queen passing is a unique event in most people’s lifetime.