Three Premier League games postponed ahead of Queen’s funeral
The Premier League have confirmed two more matches have been postponed due to insufficient policing during the 10 days of mourning for Queen Elizabeth.
League chiefs held a meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss their next steps over scheduling games after last weekend’s fixtures were postponed.
It was determined that Chelsea versus Liverpool and Manchester United versus Leeds had to be postponed due to a strain on policing.
With the funeral of the Queen to be hold on Monday – and a number of lead-up events at the weekend as part of the 10 days of mourning – it has been determined that police cannot provide enough cover to allow the high-profile to go ahead.
Brighton against Crystal Palace had already been postponed due to rail strikes – which are now not going ahead – but there has been no reneging on the decision to push that match back.
On the postponement of Manchester United’s match at Old Trafford against bitter rivals Leeds United, the last time they played there was 900 police on duty and Greater Manchester Police has already seen many of their members temporarily redeployed to Scotland or London following the death of the Queen.
Tottenham’s Saturday evening game against Leicester City and Brentford’s London derby with Arsenal on Sunday are among the games given the green light.
Nottingham Forest against Fulham on Friday is also among the games going ahead.
Forest are due to face Fulham on Friday at the City Ground with an 8pm kick off and police have not raised any objections to the game going ahead while stewards have also cleared the way.
In a statement, the Premier League said: ‘Following extensive consultation with clubs, police, local Safety Advisory Groups and other relevant authorities, there was no other option but to postpone the three fixtures.
‘The Premier League would like to thank the UK Football Policing Unit and other police forces across the country, as well as our broadcast partners, for their support during this process, and will continue to liaise with them ahead of the weekend.
‘For the matches being played during the period of National Mourning, tributes will be paid to The Queen at Premier League stadiums.
‘New dates for the postponed matches will be announced in due course.’
Police officers from forces across the country will be drafted in to support the Metropolitan Police with hundreds of thousands of people set to descend on London for the historic events.
All football matches in the United Kingdom were postponed over the weekend just passed as a mark of respect following the 96-year-old monarch’s passing on Thursday.
But the EFL announced its full programme of games set for Tuesday and Wednesday this week will go ahead as planned.
Postponing matches is a cause for concern for managers and players as when they will be able to fulfil them remains unclear.
The calendar had been packed in order to play as many games as possible prior to November’s World Cup in Qatar.
All six group matches in the three European competitions are being squeezed into two months ahead of the start of the tournament.
There are no free midweek or weekend slots to rearrange the games already postponed for the rest of the year.
Scottish leagues, however, will resume. The Scottish FA said: ‘Fixtures will go ahead, subject to Police Scotland resourcing, with the caveat that any fixtures under the professional banner be rescheduled if they fall on Monday September 19, the day of Her Majesty’s funeral.’
In the EFL, a minute’s silence will be held before matches, with black armbands to be worn, flags flown at half-mast and the national anthem to be played in stadiums.
