Sport cancelled LIVE: Cricket and golf resume but Marshall vs Shields off as Premier League postpones fixtures
The Premier League and EFL postponed all professional football in England this weekend as a mark of respect
The Premier League and EFL cancelled their fixtures this weekend as professional football in England will be postponed as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
As the UK enters a period of national mourning, other sports are also making a decision as to whether they will postpone their events this weekend. Decisions regarding further postponements in the calendar are set to be determined following consideration of official mourning guidance, set to be issued by the Cabinet Office, but it is understood it will be left to individual sports event organisers to decide how to proceed - with postponements not being mandatory.
On Thursday evening, following the announcement from Buckingham Palace, the BMW PGA Championship golf event at Wentworth was immediately suspended and Friday’s play cancelled, although the tournament will resume on Saturday and be played over 54 holes. Meanwhile, the ECB also called off day two of the England vs South Africa Test match at the Oval, which was scheduled for Friday, before England captain Ben Stokes urged the rest of the match to be played in “the Queen’s memory” and it was announced that it will indeed resume on Saturday.
The boxing world title fight between Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields at the O2 Arena on Saturday evening was postponed, while Friday night’s pair of Gallagher Premiership matches were called off, although the rest of the opening weekend of action in English rugby’s top flight will go ahead. Elsewhere, Friday and Saturday’s horse racing meetings in the UK have been cancelled and cycling’s Tour of Britain has been suspended but the F1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza will go ahead with a minute’s silence in honour of the Queen.
Follow all the latest updates on sport’s cancellations with our live blog below:
Boxing matches postponed today
The British Boxing Board of Control has announced that Friday’s scheduled matches have been postponed with a decision to be made later today over the weekend’s scheduled events including Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall.
Tour of Britain called off
The Tour of Britain was set to conclude on the Dorset coast and the Isle of Man this weekend but stage six on Friday in Gloucestershire, between Tewkesbury and Gloucester, was cancelled yesterday before the rest of the tour, which was set to finish on the Isle of Wight on Sunday, was called off entirely.
Will horse racing resume this weekend?
Queen Elizabeth II had a close affinity with horse racing and held a well-known love for the sport but following her death there are doubts about whether the St Leger Festival at Doncaster will resume on Saturday after all of Friday’s race meetings across the UK have been cancelled.
The Grand National went ahead in the days after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh last year, but sources close to the event suggested at the time that racing at Aintree would have been delayed in the event of the death of the Queen.
Former jockey Willie Carson, who rode the Queen’s Dumfermline to win the Fillies Triple in 1977 - her Silver Jubilee year – told the Daily Telegraph: “I think her biggest thrill was seeing the development of the racehorse she owned. Her horses were named so well, and she named them so well. Racing has lost a figurehead and she will never be replaced.”
Three-time champion jockey Frankie Dettori added: “I met her so many times and she was such a kind and knowledgeable lady who had such a passion for racing.
“It was an emotional feeling when you rode for her and it gave you an incredible sense of pride when you rode a winner in her colours. I had winners for her at Royal Ascot and over 50 for her in all.”
Horse racing meetings cancelled for Friday
Racing at Southwell and Chelmsford on Thursday evening was abandoned with the British Horseracing Authority also announcing that the meetings scheduled for Friday – including the third day of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster – have also been cancelled.
The is no word yet as to whether horse racing will resume at the weekend.
Monza Grand Prix to go ahead
As it is a sporting event in a foreign country Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza will go ahead as scheduled with a minute’s silence planned before practice on Friday and another expected before the race.
Formula 1 also sent condolences to the Royal Family.
What’s happening with Rugby Union?
Yesterday, Northampton announced the postponement of their Premiership Rugby Cup clash against Saracens scheduled for Thursday evening.
The opening weekend of the Premiership season is scheduled to take place across Friday, Saturday and Sunday with no word yet as to whether the fixutres have been postponed. As of now they are all due to take place.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Rugby Union has postponed all domestic competitive games this weekend as a mark of respect and the women’s summer Test international between Scotland and Spain on Sunday is also off.
Premier League to discuss postponements this morning
Discussions are taking place this morning regarding the postponement of this weekend’s Premier League and EFL fixtures after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport are having an all-sports call at 9.30am where it is believed they will give guidance rather than an order of what to do.
Individual sporting bodies will then decide on a course of action with the Premier League scheduled to have a meeting at 11.00am on their decision.
BMW PGA Championship suspended
The PGA Championship got underway at Wentworth on Thursday but the decision was made to suspend play after news broke for the remainder of Round 1, with all facilities in the Championship Village closing with immediate effect.
Furthermore, the DP World Tour confirmed play would not resume on Friday either with the course and practice facilities to remain closed.
The European Tour said in a statement: “She truly was an inspiration to people the world over. Out of respect for Her Majesty and the Royal Family, play has been suspended at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday and flags at Wentworth Club will be lowered to half-mast.”
However, there are hopes that the tournament will resume at some point over the weekend which could be as early as Saturday morning.
Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall in doubt after the Queen’s death
Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall’s middleweight world title fight is in doubt following the death of Her Majesty the Queen.
Organisers of the weekend’s sporting events in Britain are to be left to decide whether to postpone their schedules in the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and Shields vs Marshall is among those scheduled events.
Shields and Marshall have been set to headline a fight card at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night (10 September), in one of the biggest women’s boxing matches of all time, but the event’s promoter, Boxxer, has now suggested that the card could be cancelled.
“Out of the deepest respect, Friday’s scheduled official weigh-ins for BOXXER – LEGACY: Shields vs Marshall will now take place behind closed doors and will not be open to the media or to members of the public,” read an official statement.
Shields vs Marshall in doubt after the Queen’s death
Shields and Marshall have been set to headline a fight card at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night
DCMS communicating with sporting bodies
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is currently in conversation with sporting bodies around the country about the possibility of cancelling this weekend’s fixtures.
There are concerns over security, policing and, of course, what an ppropriate show of respect would be.
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