Silence and spontaneous singing: how sport bid its final farewell to the Queen

Sport came together yesterday, in silence and applause, to pay its final respects to the Queen before today’s state funeral.

In dignified, solemn scenes before Brentford’s game at home to Arsenal, the hosts’ manager Thomas Frank and Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta walked onto the pitch with wreaths which they laid in the centre circle.

A minute’s silence was observed before the singing of God Save The King. There was also applause during the 70th minute of Arsenal’s 3-0 victory, to mark the Queen’s 70-year reign.

More tributes followed at Goodison Park at the day’s other Premier League game, Everton’s 1-0 win over West Ham.

There were similar scenes elsewhere, including at matches in the Women’s Super League, which kicked off this weekend, and Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie in Glasgow as sport offered its final farewell to Her Majesty before the nation, and the world, does the same today.

Indeed, from the moment news broke of the death of Queen Elizabeth II sport has reacted in a way which has reflected the mood of the nation.

From initial spontaneous displays of emotion – West Ham fans singing the national anthem at a Europa League tie just hours after the historic announcement – to more formal, choreographed gestures of thanks as the action resumed after a respectful pause, the sporting world has joined the country in paying fitting tribute to the late monarch.

The sense that sport would rise to the enormity of the occasion was confirmed when the Test match between England and South Africa resumed two days after the Queen’s passing.

After the teams walked out at The Oval to be greeted by a silence captain Ben Stokes would later describe as ‘deafening’, players and spectators joined together to sing ‘God Save the King’ – among