Liverpool’s match against Wolves has been postponed, as has the full Premier League schedule for the upcoming weekend after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen’s death was confirmed on Thursday, triggering Operation London Bridge which oversees what will now happen across the United Kingdom.
That extends to sport during what is said to be a 10-day period of mourning, with the upcoming Premier League fixtures now postponed, meaning Liverpool will not face Wolves on Saturday.
The decision comes after consultation with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on Friday morning and a final call by the Premier League to postpone games.
As for the midweek Champions League fixtures, the hope will be that they go ahead as scheduled.
For many, this comes as an excessive reaction as respect can still very much be paid while football matches and events go ahead as planned, while also ensuring people don’t lose out on money already spent during a cost of living crisis.
As a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed.
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 9, 2022
The Premier League‘s statement reads:
At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
To honour her extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed, including Monday evening’s game.
Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive, said: “We and our clubs would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s long and unwavering service to our country.
“As our longest-serving monarch, she has been an inspiration and leaves behind an incredible legacy following a life of dedication.
“This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her, and we join together with all those in mourning her passing.”
Further updates regarding Premier League fixtures during the period of mourning will be provided in due course.
It is not the first time the death of a royal has led to events being cancelled or postponed, with Princess Diana’s passing in 1997 seeing Liverpool’s meeting with Newcastle on the same day called off.
Games that were scheduled for the day of the funeral were moved to the day prior or the day after and the same will be expected for the Queen, which may see the Reds’ trip to Chelsea rescheduled.
As for when these Premier League games will be officially rescheduled is anyone’s guess as Liverpool, for one, play every midweek and weekend until the World Cup forces domestic football to come to a halt.
On return, there will not be a free midweek across the top flight until January 17/18, thanks to domestic cups being added to the unforgiving schedule.
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