The skies of England were awash with grief on Thursday as the news of Queen Elizabeth II's death came as a bombshell, sparking instant mourning across the country. The event had a profound effect on the British sporting world, with the English leagues reacting swiftly by announcing that Friday's Championship fixture between Norwich and Burnley would be postponed, with the Premier League following suit with the same decision.
On the first day of the mourning period, the British government issued guidelines for the mourning period, stressing that it will not force the cancellation of sports activities, including state funerals, and that the continuation of the event will be left to the discretion of individual organizations. The English Premier League held an emergency meeting and announced the postponement of this week's matches, and the specific arrangements after the mourning period will be announced separately. Meanwhile, the British League has also announced the postponement of its Championship fixtures.
Elisabeth II's death coincided with Premier League side Arsenal's Europa League away match against FC Zurich, and before the match restarted in the second half, players from both teams quickly gathered in a circle for a brief moment of silence. Manchester United's home match against Real Sociedad then went ahead as scheduled, and despite the large number of fans who had already arrived at the venue, the game was allowed to continue due to safety concerns.
Discussions between the Premier League and the government over this weekend's fixtures have led to the postponement of Friday's matches between Championship Norwich and Bonny and League Two Canmere and Stourport having been announced. The same changes will be made to all fixtures at all levels of the league, with other sporting events such as golf and cricket also canceling their scheduled matches.
