Next weekend’s Premier League and EFL fixtures are at risk of being postponed due to a lack of available policing, i can reveal.
The Football Association, alongside the game’s other authorities, made the call to postpone all football this weekend as a mark of respect following the Queen’s death.
But i has been told that the following weekend’s roster could also be moved due to the enormous pressure on the police for the Queen’s funeral. It is thought that the funeral could take place on Monday 19 September.
The last Premier League games were played on Sunday 4 September and if next weekend’s games are also forced to move the next top-flight matches would not be until Saturday 1 October due to the international break — meaning almost a month without top-flight football.
Police and security officials are meeting to discuss the Herculean effort involved in what could be the largest state funeral the United Kingdom has held.
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If it is decided resources are too stretched to police football matches across the country, those games scheduled to take between Friday 16 September and Sunday 18 September could also be moved. Televised games that weekend include Wolves’ hosting Manchester City, Tottenham’s game against Leicester City and the mouth-watering game between Chelsea, who recently appointed Graham Potter as manager, and Liverpool, late afternoon on Sunday.
Other games at risk include the full Championship schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday and the following Saturday. Leagues One and Two also have full fixture lists scheduled for midweek next week and the following Saturday.
Representatives from the Premier League and EFL will liaise with the relevant bodies in the coming days to ascertain if fixtures are able to go ahead before the Queen’s funeral, with the weekend game’s most at risk.
The Premier League was already facing fixture chaos due to the winter World Cup in Qatar set to be played at the end of November and most of December. The League, however, remains confident of getting all postponed games played.
Last season, Uefa allowed the Premier League to schedule matches on midweeks when Champions League games were being played – which is usually forbidden – after a fixture pile-up was caused by Covid’s Omicron variant postponing several matches during the winter.
i can also reveal that policing numbers were not considered a factor in the decision to cancel all football this weekend and that it was made purely as a mark of respect for the Queen as the nation mourns her passing. Other professional sports, including cricket, rugby league and horse racing, will still go ahead.
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.”
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