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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Andy Dunn

Premier League got postponement call wrong and missed perfect chance to honour the Queen

It was Manchester City versus Spurs for me on Saturday but that is no longer happening so I will try and find some other sport to watch.

Seeing as though ALL football is cancelled and many other sports have followed suit, that might prove hard, so maybe it will be off to the golf course.

I might have a pint, go for a bite to eat with the family.

As much as I respect her and lament her death, I will not be mourning Her Majesty at 5.30pm on Saturday.

Had I been at Manchester City versus Spurs, though, I would have joined the tens of thousands in paying wonderful tribute to Queen Elizabeth, I would have reflected on her life during a poignant period of silence.

For that period of silence, everyone in the arena - and at packed grounds the length and breadth of the country - would have mourned her passing.

Now, they will all go about other business, trying to fill the gap left in their weekend plans. A few will have to set about trying to recoup travel, accommodation and ticket costs - they will not have the inclination to mourn.

Look, there is no limit to the amount of respect that can be paid to Her Majesty after her death. And anyone making a gesture of respect - as the Premier League has done - cannot be vilified.

Tottenham's trip to Manchester City was due to be the highlight of the Premier League weekend (Action Images via Reuters)

But the fact it took so long to come to the decision to cancel this weekend’s games shows you that it was the wrong one.

The Government would not make the decision themselves but clearly put pressure on the Premier League, who found themselves in an invidious position.

Would the fans have wanted the games to go ahead? Would the players? Would the managers? Yes, yes and yes.

Would they have all made sure that honouring our greatest-ever monarch would have been front and centre of proceedings?

For sure they would have.

Would the Queen have been delighted that a nine-race card - including the oldest Classic, the St Leger - is going ahead at Doncaster on Sunday? My guess is yes, she would have been delighted.

So you can go to Doncaster racecourse, have a drink and a bet and watch some high-class racing this weekend but you can’t go and watch football?

And to think one of the Queen’s mantras was centred around stoically getting on with things.

The Premier League made the move to cancel games knowing that others would follow (PA)

In adversity, she cracked on in the ways she knew how.

In this situation, I doubt she would be demanding the FA Trophy First Qualifying Round clash between Stocksbridge Park Steels and Ossett United be called off.

Alas, off it is, along with most other things.

The Premier League probably took a relatively long time to make their decision because they were considering scheduling difficulties that now intensify - especially if next weekend’s fixtures are postponed.

But perhaps they were also considering how all those packed stadiums would have staged a joyful celebration of her life and a moving, poignant, silent tribute to mark her death.

The Premier League - knowing others would follow - had a tough, unenviable decision to make.

Unfortunately, they made the wrong one.

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