King Charles coronation date confirmed with SPFL braced for more fixture postponements

King Charles III’s coronation has been confirmed for Saturday 6 May and it could have implications for the Scottish football fixture card.

The former Prince of Wales will be officially crowned in just under seven months time, along with his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles, who is Queen Consort. The ceremony could cause disruption to football across the country. The first round of post-split fixtures take place that weekend, but after matches were cancelled following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September, governing bodies could be inclined to follow suit for the coronation.

The UK Government is set to hold talks with the English Premier League regarding plans for the weekend. It’s likely that London-based matches could be moved given the extra demands on police resources and road closures in the city. The knock-on effect north of the border is likely to be less impactful but games could still be rescheduled.

The SPFL came in for criticism after it postponed the scheduled matches following the Queen’s death last month. Many other sports went ahead as planned, but all games in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland were called off as a mark of respect.

However, none were moved for the funeral ten days later, prompting many to question whether the decision to cancel the previous week’s matches was made too hastily. There is likely to be widespread opposition to a similar call for the coronation north of the border, especially as the Premiership season enters the business end with titles, European places and relegation all at stake.

The Scottish Championship reaches its conclusion before the playoffs that weekend. However, the final round of matches are scheduled to take place on the Friday evening, so should be