Sport cancelled LIVE: Cricket and golf resume but Marshall vs Shields off as Premier League postpones fixtures
The Premier League and EFL postponed all professional football in England this weekend as a mark of respect
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.
Follow all the latest updates on sport’s cancellations with our live blog below:
BMW PGA Championship to resume
The DP World Tour has confirmed that the BMW PGA Championship will restart on Saturday morning. Their statement reads:
“The DP World Tour today confirms the BMW PGA Championship will restart on Saturday morning.
“This follows the immediate suspension of play on Thursday evening and the complete cancellation of all day’s play on Friday, both actions taken in memory of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and out of respect for the Royal Family.
“The decision to restart on Saturday has been taken in accordance with Official National Mourning guidance and in consultation with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
“The Wentworth event will give players, caddies, staff, volunteers and spectators the opportunity to come together across the weekend, not only to express their condolences but also to celebrate the extraordinary life of Her Majesty.
“We join other sports in doing this, including the Men’s Test Match between England and South Africa at The Oval and the Women’s IT20 match between England and India in County Durham, Premiership Rugby Union, Rugby League and the Great North Run in the north east of England.
“The second round of the BMW PGA Championship will resume at 6.40am on Saturday morning and all original second round tee times will remain the same. Those players who are yet to complete their first round will do so from 7.30am onwards from the place on the golf course where they stopped on Thursday afternoon.
“The Rolex Series event will now be contested over 54 holes with the intention to finish on Sunday as scheduled. It is not possible to play the full 72 holes and finish on Monday as we cannot guarantee the staff, facilities or security of the venue on Monday due to the on-going plans for the state funeral.
“Across the weekend at Wentworth, black ribbons will be made available for people to wear and flags will continue to fly at half-mast.
“In addition, there will be a two minute silence at 9.50am on Saturday morning across the venue to commemorate the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with the proclamation of King Charles III being shown on the television screens in the Championship Village from 10am.”
Neville wants football to continue
Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester United captain, Gary Neville, agrees with the opinion that football should continue to go ahead this weekend.
The Premier League, English Football League (EFL) and Women’s Super League have postponed their fixtures this weekend following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
Writing in response to Piers Morgan’s claim for sport to continue this weekend, Neville replied on Twitter: “I agree Piers. Sport can demonstrate better than most the respect the Queen deserves.”
F1 remembers The Queen
Practice for the Italian Grand Prix continued on Friday afternoon with Formula 1 paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.
Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall postponed after the Queen’s death
Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall’s middleweight world title fight has been postponed following the death of Her Majesty the Queen.
Organisers of the weekend’s sporting events in Britain are to be left to decide whether to postpone their schedules in the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and Shields vs Marshall was among those scheduled events.
Shields and Marshall were set to headline a fight card at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night (10th September), in one of the biggest women’s boxing matches of all time, but the event’s promoter, Boxxer, said on Friday that it would look to reschedule the card for Saturday 15th October.
Shields vs Marshall postponed after the Queen’s death
Shields and Marshall were set to headline a fight card at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night
Foodbanks, respect and societal cost: Why football should not have been cancelled this weekend
When the Premier League met at 11am on Friday morning, one consideration was paramount, and was why the decision took just 20 minutes.
That was that the late Queen Elizabeth II was a patron of the Football Association with Prince William II, as well as the monarch for over 70 years, so the only possible conclusion was to postpone. It was purely, to quote a few sources, about “respect”.
That was despite other sports playing on, and the fact that there were a lot of serious elements to respectfully consider.
Why football should not have been cancelled this weekend
The game has often led the way in showing respect and solidarity to others and postponing matches will cause economic harm to many
Weekend’s Scottish football postponed following Queen’s death
The weekend’s Scottish football fixture card has been postponed as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen.
Government advice was that sport was under no obligation to stop but the Scottish football authorities made the announcement after leagues in Northern Ireland and England had earlier called off all matches.
A joint statement read: “Following meetings this morning (Friday), the Scottish FA, Scottish Professional Football League, Scottish Women’s Premier League, and Scottish Highland and Lowland Football Leagues have agreed that all professional football matches will be postponed this weekend as a mark of respect following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
Weekend’s Scottish football postponed following Queen’s death
Scottish football authorities made the announcement after leagues in Northern Ireland and England had earlier called off all matches.
Savannah Marshall vs Claressa Shields postponed
Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields’ world title fight at the O2 on Saturday night was postponed on Friday afternoon.
Discussions took place for two hours between the promoters, Boxxer, the governing body, the British Boxing Board of Control and the broadcaster, Sky, on Friday afternoon.
The O2 is free on October 15th and that is the most likely date for the re-scheduled fights.
A statement from the ECB
Cricket will continue to played from Saturday say the ECB who released this statement:
“Cricket will resume on Saturday to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and honour her remarkable life and service.
“Following the cancellation of Friday’s cricket fixtures as a mark of respect on announcement of her death, the England and Wales Cricket Board can confirm that play will resume from Saturday including international, domestic, and recreational fixtures. The decision has been taken in consultation with DCMS and in line with Offical National Mourning guidance.
“This means the Men’s test match between England and South Africa will begin at The Oval and the Women’s IT20 match between England and India will also go ahead at the Riverside in Durham. The scheduled match between England and Sri Lanka Men’s U19 along with recreational cricket fixtures will also take place as planned.
“Before each match, a minute’s silence will be observed followed by the national anthem. All players and coaches will wear black armbands. Branded inventory will be replaced with messaging paying cricket’s respects to The Queen.”
England and South Africa to resume third Test on Saturday, announces ECB
England and South Africa will play out the deciding Test of their three-match series this weekend after play was suspended on Friday following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Cricket to resume on Saturday
Over the last few minutes the ECB has announced that cricket will resume on Saturday across all levels of the sport including the England vs South Africa test match at The Oval.
Premier League and EFL postpone fixtures following Queen’s death
The Premier League, EFL and Women’s Super League have postponed their fixtures this weekend following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
The footballing bodies held an emergency meeting with the Government on Friday morning to decide whether to postpone the weekend’s fixtures and have opted to cancel all games as a show of respect to the monarch after her 70-year reign, as the UK enters a period of national mourning.
A statement from the Premier League confirmed: “At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“To honour her extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed, including Monday evening’s game.”
Premier League and EFL postpone fixtures following Queen’s death
With a period of national mourning beginning, all this weekend’s professional and grassroots football games in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been postponed
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