UKH

All domestic football has been postponed this weekend.

I understand people want to mourn at this time, but surely the show must go on.

Incidentally horse racing is going ahead on Sunday, racing fans clearly don't need to mourn as much as footie fans.

Why do people watch football? I've never understood it. It's nearly as boring as watching snooker.

What I always wonder though, is why people like you bother posting about something you have zero interest in.

Surely the biggest waste of time.

Obviously people should be free to mourn as they see fit, and I'd offer sympathy and condolences to anyone who felt deeply affected, but I really don't understand the idea that we're all supposed to join in.

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I don’t understand this at all. There was no guidance to stop. I would have thought it more logical to cancel next Sunday’s games, when the funeral is supposed to happen. And if any sport was In line for cancellation I would have thought horse racing would be in the frame, given it was the Queen’s favourite sport. 

And the test match is now 3 days ffs

This from the Met Office seems even weirder:

“As a mark of respect during this time of national mourning we will only be posting daily forecasts and warnings.”

What did the queen have against weather forecasts? Who makes these decisions and what will they do instead?

All day today every news item has said we will be a nation in mourning.

Anyone know what this entails? Should we all wear black? (my work gear is black so I'm okay), an arm band? Forgo laughter? 

Not really. I'm genuinely interested to understand what all the fuss is about. It's something that doesn't drive me, but clearly does the majority. It's intriguing to know what these difference are and why.

Most of them seem to be that anyway, to be fair!

The thing that really annoys me about these postponements and cancellations, is there will be people losing a lot of money through loss of business.

In the case of my original post, cafes and pubs close to the grounds will take a big hit to their takings.

This is not the time to be hampering business.

I'd agree, with the state of the economy, rising bills, losing one to two weeks trade whilst everyone endures forced mourning isn't good at all. 

My local has closed 'out of respect'.... just as I was about to clock off and have my customary pint. Bah humbug. 

Facebook is awash with wailing, gnashing of teeth, beating of breast and an apparent mawkish, syrupy need to 'out grieve' each other.  But that's just facebook.  

The official guidance released as I understand is:

“Government guidance

The Cabinet Office have now published their guidance on the period of National Mourning. 

The guidance states: 
"Mourning is very personal and we anticipate individuals, families, communities and organisations may want to mark Her Majesty’s demise in their own way. 
There is no obligation to cancel or postpone events and sporting fixtures, or close entertainment venues during the National Mourning period. This is at the discretion of individual organisations. As a mark of respect, organisations might wish to consider cancelling or postponing events or closing venues on the day of the State Funeral. They are under no obligation to do so and this is entirely at the discretion of individual organisations. If sporting fixtures or events are planned for the day of the State Funeral, organisations may want to adjust the event timings so they do not clash with the timings of the funeral service and associated processions. As a mark of respect, and in keeping with the tone of National Mourning, organisers may wish to hold a period of silence and/or play the National Anthem at the start of events or sporting fixtures, and players may wish to wear black armbands."”

Tour of Britain has been canned too. Police too busy elsewhere etc. ☹️

I'm right hacked off about that.

What a weird decision. Watching the fans at the West Ham game belting out the National Anthem, you’d have thought it couldn’t have been more obvious than football would have been an opportunity rather than a threat to national marking of this event.

jcm

Tour of Britain a bit tricky. Normally welcomed by cheering crowds and flag waving school children, I can see why this might not be considered appropriate today. 

All grassroots football too.  My daughter’s under 12s game on Sunday has been binned.  Obviously they’ll rearrange it but it seems a bit silly! It’s not like the Bristol u12s league needs a large police presence.

Load of bollocks that, it's like tying up the swings on a Sunday in the western Isles.

I expect that they are worried that many fans from clubs across the country will use the silence / anthem to express their anger at an establishment that does not represent their views or experiences. 

The Premiership Rugby season (top tier Rugby Union competition in England) was due to start this evening with two games.
Both have been postponed, but with one now being played tomorrow and the other one on Sunday. 
All of the other fixtures for the weekend are going ahead as normal.

The evidence seems to suggest otherwise:
https://talksport.com/football/1190619/arsenal-man-utd-west-ham-fans-nation...

It's all a bit woke nonsense to appease the gammon and flag shaggers

Wouldn't they be more likely to be watching some of the sports that haven't been postponed?

It's almost like they're trying to hasten a republic.

The mind boggles, it really does.

My local authority has adopted a monochrome website, which was frustrating me earlier when using a map with a colour-based key.  Perhaps the Met Office could do the same and issue a Grey Weather Warning.  Or, if it's worse, a Grey Weather Warning.

Having watched it go by the other day, half the police motorcade riders in the country must have been running ahead of the cyclists to implement the rolling road block, so I can see why in this case.  Incredible number of police motorbikes - way more than I saw when Blair and Bush came to lunch nearby.  Fewer black helicopters though...

Funnily enough I saw an Ineos team car on the A19 southbound on Wednesday surrounded by flashing blue lights. It had been in a crash. Bikes looked ok as I whizzed past northbound but there was a fair old queue behind them

Maybe it's you who's extremely boring? I don't like cricket, but my life is not so dull that I'd ever bother to waste time commenting on a cricket thread, questioning why other people like it. The world would be a very boring place if we all had the same interests.

It's a broad church

No. Probably just respect that some people want to mourn.

I'm ok with that, but I was really looking forward to going to the football tomorrow only to find that it has been cancelled as some kind of 'mark of respect' for someone I had zero interest in. So mourning is being rather shoved in our faces. 

Blame the FA and only the FA for these cancellations/postponements.
The guidance from UKGOV is quite clear on what should be done and that quite definitely states that cancellations/postponements are entirely up to the individual sporting organisation and that there is no requirement for cancellations/postponements to be automatically used as part of a 'unified' national mourning process.
Most sports have come up with a compromise, football hasn't.

I watch it because - unlike the extremely simple physical and mental challenges offered by climbing - it's a highy complex sport, requiring a wide range of skills and involving constantly evolving tactical challenge at both an individual and team level. By contrast, watching someone punter about at Stanage is the very definition of what a spectator sport isn't. Even when it comes to climbing comps, things can soon feel rather repetitive.

I can't imagine many activities require as complex blend of mental and physical challenges as climbing. 

Nothing against football though.

Yes, I can't see why sporting events shouldn't continue in a respectful way.

Bah!

Im glad to report that Orkney v Shetland under 17, under 15 and under 13 girls inter-county football is going ahead as planned this weekend as it would have been a massive pain and expense for the visiting team to reschedule (2 x 6 hour ferry trips, one overnight) and two nights accommodation, food etc.

I dont get any of this. Queenie was sports mad and didn't like a fuss. She would want everyone to crack on with a glass of champers, surely.

I want my funeral to be one of two things. A complete non event before by cadaver is donated to medical science or a total piss up with chaos. I dont get sombre behaviour in these situations.

The Met Office has not exactly covered itself in glory.

They are postponed, not cancelled. 

Plenty of cancellations,  including the last three stages of The Tour of Britain.

Last night of the Proms cancelled. 

Yes, but the thread is about football. 

This is UKC, the thread started off about football.

I started the thread using football as an example of what is going on.

That's true, but not everybody who earns a living through these kinds of events can afford the unexpected shortfall in income. 

This is a good argument for keeping football games on - a chance for communal solidarity:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2022/sep/11/cancellation-football...

That might not matter to many of us, but it seems like a missed opportunity.