Cancellation of football fixtures means a chance for solidarity was missed

Like most people, I was deeply saddened by the news about Queen Elizabeth. Events over the past few days have demonstrated how important the royal family is to our sense of identity as a nation. Even the most committed republican can share the sense of loss of such a symbol of humility and grace at the centre of our nation, someone who, as the BBC has repeatedly and correctly said, represented stability in an age of ceaseless change.

Three days after the death of King George VI on 6 February 1952, Grimsby Town beat Carlisle 4-1 in front of 16,000 fans. Before the game kicked off out then manager, Bill Shankly, stood solemnly and resolutely with his players, facing the opposition in respectful silence on frozen ground.

Looking at the image, displayed online by Mariners Archive, I was struck not only by the vast swathes of history and social change that Queen Elizabeth lived through, but also by how it underlined why many people were disappointed by the decision by football’s governing bodies to cancel the games this weekend. The decision struck me as odd because it felt like this was exactly the time and place people needed to be together, to express their solidarity and support amid a nation’s collective grief.

Like the Football Supporters’ Association, I think this was not only “a missed opportunity to pay tribute” to the Queen but also a time to demonstrate our civic unity. There is nothing more powerful than a moment of shared silence – individual silent contemplation, reflection or prayer followed by the coming together of voices.

Football games, particularly home games, can be a time for us to gather with people we love, an opportunity to check in on those relative strangers who sit around us for more than 90