Queen Elizabeth II’s death: The postponements and changes which will take place to scheduled sport

The Premier League and EFL have announced all games across English football’s top-four tiers will be postponed this weekend as changes are made to scheduled sport following the death of Queen Elizabeth II…

Football

Confirmation came through on Friday morning that the entire weekend’s Premier League and EFL schedule was to be postponed after the Queen’s death on Thursday. The start of the new WSL season has also been postponed, along with all non-league and grassroots fixtures, the FA has confirmed.

The Scottish FA, SPFL, SWPL and Highland & Lowland Leagues have agreed that all professional football matches will be postponed this weekend as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II. The Irish FA, too, announced that all football in Northern Ireland scheduled for this weekend will not take place.

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UEFA decided Thursday evening fixtures involving Manchester United and West Ham United would go ahead. There was a minute’s silence at both Old Trafford and the London Stadium before the kick-offs, with players and staff wearing black armbands.

However, none of the English sides held press conferences after their matches.

Horse racing

All racing is suspended for Friday and Saturday, with scheduled fixtures and racing events returning on Sunday, September 11.

An additional day of racing at Doncaster will also be scheduled for Sunday, to ensure that the St Leger and other important races lost as result of the postponements can take place.

However, the fixture scheduled for Scotland’s Musselburgh racecourse on Sunday will be cancelled as a mark of respect for the fact that the Queen’s body will be lying in rest in Edinburgh.

The British Horseracing Authority described Queen Elizabeth II as “one of the greatest and most influential supporters in the history of horseracing”.

Cricket

The ECB announced Friday’s play between England and South Africa in the Test match at The Oval, along with all scheduled matches in the Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy, will not take place. “For fixtures beyond Friday, updates will be provided in due course,” it added.

Boxing

All boxing scheduled to take place on Friday has been postponed, the British Boxing Board of Control has confirmed in a statement.

A decision is to be made soon regarding events over the weekend, including Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall, with Friday’s weigh-in for the fight taking place behind closed doors.

Golf

The European Tour Group suspended play at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday and announced there will be no play at the tournament on Friday. Further updates on when play will resume are to follow.

Rugby Union

Thursday night’s Premiership Rugby Cup match between Northampton Saints and Saracens was postponed following the announcement of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

The Scottish Rugby Union announced the suspension of all competitive domestic matches under its jurisdiction this weekend.

Rugby League

Super League announced it will “pay its respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II throughout the period of national mourning” but Friday’s first Super League Elimination Play-Off in Perpignan will go ahead as scheduled, with a minute’s silence before kick-off, and the players of Catalans Dragons and Leeds Rhinos wearing black armbands.

A decision on the second Elimination Play-Off between Huddersfield Giants and Salford Red Devils on Saturday will be made on Friday morning.

The Queen was rugby league’s patron until 2016 and in their tribute to her, the Rugby Football League said: “Our clubs and players at all levels will display their respect to Her Majesty wherever Rugby League is played in the coming days.”

The Championship fixture between Sheffield Eagles and Dewsbury Rams on Friday has been postponed.

Tennis

The US Open tennis tournament will pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II with a moment of silence and a photo montage ahead of the first women’s semi-final on Thursday evening.

F1

The Italian Grand Prix is set to go ahead this weekend. Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “Formula 1 sends its deepest condolences to the Royal Family and to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.”

Cycling

The remainder of this week’s Tour of Britain has been cancelled, with Friday’s stage six in Gloucestershire, Saturday’s stage seven in Dorset and Sunday’s stage nine on the Isle of Wight no longer taking place.

Athletics

The Great North Run will go ahead as planned on Sunday, it has been confirmed. The event, which is estimated to raise £25million in charitable donations, will serve as “a fitting tribute to the Queen”, a statement released by the Great Run Company read.

The Great North 5K and the UK Athletics 5K Road Championships, both scheduled to take place on Friday, were both cancelled, while the Junior and Mini Great North Run have also been postponed. (Sky Sports)