Cancelling football isn’t ‘respectful’ to the Queen – it just deprives her subjects

Did you go to work on Friday?

If so, there’s a good chance your deadlines probably weren’t pushed back, and the pressure on you to meet them was no less intense.

People deserve not only a release valve, but a collective way to mark the occasion and show respect. For some, that might involve activities such as opera or theatre, but for many in Britain it’s football. 

Not this weekend, though. 

On Friday morning, the EnglishFootball Association released a statement reading: ‘As a mark of respect, following the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, English football has united to postpone all football fixtures between 9-11 September.’

This was followed minutes later by a statement from the Scottish Football Association, which confirmed that professional football north of the border would be cancelled too.

They insisted ‘it is appropriate that professional football marks this event with all possible solemnity.’ 

It felt like authorities were saying: ‘by all means, continue to make other people money by showing up to work, but don’t be so disrespectful as to think you can enjoy your recreation time.’

Meanwhile, other sports like cricket and rugby are going ahead.

Danny Denholm, who plays for East Fife, neatly summed up the absurdity of deciding what activities do and do not constitute respectful, tweeting: ‘Game is off so we can mourn. I will do this by training and kicking a football instead of playing a game and kicking a football.’

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The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport left the decision up to individual sporting associations. It wasn’t requested by the Royal Family. 

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