Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Queen’s funeral date confirmed: What does it mean for sport?

-

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will be held on Monday September 19 at Westminster Abbey at 11am, it has been announced.

It means that all horse racing, which is the only major sport in the UK due to take place on that date, has been postponed.

Government advice to sporting bodies states that “as a mark of respect, organisations might wish to consider cancelling or postponing events or closing venues on the day of the State Funeral”.

However, there is no requirement at present for sporting events on the weekend prior to the funeral (September 17-18) to be called off.

The Premier League has declined to comment on whether all fixtures on the weekend preceding the funeral will go ahead as planned.

But it is understood EFL fixtures are set to recommence from Tuesday September 13.

Resourcing issues, particularly in respect of policing, are associated with some fixtures that will need to be discussed and resolved on a fixture-by-fixture basis over the period ahead.

Consideration to individual fixture circumstances will be made on a case-by-case basis, in line with usual protocols.

The British Horseracing Authority has confirmed that racing will resume on Sunday September 11 and will continue up to the day of the Queen’s funeral, when meetings at Hamilton Park, Warwick, Wolverhampton and Leicester will be postponed.

All English and Scottish football was postponed this weekend following The Queen’s death on Thursday, with sporting bodies making their own decisions over whether events should take place.

The British Boxing Board of Control also postponed Saturday’s fight between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall.

However, some sports including cricket, rugby league and rugby union went ahead from Saturday morning.

Here are next weekend’s football fixtures:

Premier League

Friday September 16

Aston Villa vs SouthamptonNottingham Forest vs Fulham

Saturday September 17

Wolves vs Man CityBrighton vs Crystal Palace (postponed due to train strikes that have now been called off)Newcastle vs Bournemouth Tottenham vs Leicester

Sunday September 18

Brentford vs Arsenal Manchester United vs LeedsEverton vs West HamChelsea vs Liverpool

Sky Bet Championship

Saturday September 17

Swansea vs Hull CityNorwich vs West BromQPR vs StokeLuton vs Blackburn RoversPreston North End vs Sheffield UnitedWigan Athletic vs ReadingWatford vs SunderlandBirmingham vs CoventryBurnley vs Bristol CityMillwall vs BlackpoolHuddersfield vs Cardiff CityMiddlesbrough vs Rotherham

Sky Bet League One

Saturday September 17

Bolton vs PeterboroughOxford United vs MK DonsDerby County vs WycombePortsmouth vs Plymouth ArgyleExeter City vs BurtonFleetwood vs CharltonPort Vale ShrewsburySheffield Wednesday vs Ipswich TownBristol Rovers vs Lincoln CityAccrington Stanley vs Cheltenham

Sky Bet League Two

Saturday September 17

Leyton Orient vs WalsallNewport County vs Barrow Northampton Town vs RochdaleSutton United vs HartlepoolGillingham vs Mansfield TownStockport vs Harrogate TownBradford City vs StevenageCarlisle vs AFC WimbledonCrewe Alexandra vs Crawley TownColchester vs Grimsby TownSalford City vs TranmereDoncaster vs Swindon Town

Women’s Super League

Friday September 16

Arsenal vs Brighton

Saturday September 17

Man Utd vs Reading

Sunday September 18

Aston Villa vs Man City West Ham vs EvertonLeicester City vs TottenhamLiverpool vs Chelsea

Women’s Championship

Sunday September 18

Durham vs Blackburn RoversCrystal Palace vs SouthamptonLewes vs London CitySheffield United vs Coventry UnitedCharlton vs Birmingham CityBristol City vs Sunderland

National League

Saturday September 17

Bromley vs Maidstone UnitedDorking Wanderers vs Notts CountySolihull Moors vs BarnetGateshead vs Boreham WoodDagenham & Redbridge vs Altrincham Scunthorpe vs York CitySouthend United vs WrexhamMaidenhead United vs WokingYeovil Town vs Chesterfield Wealdstone vs Torquay UnitedOldham Athletic vs EastleighAldershot Town vs Halifax Town

Scottish Premiership

Saturday September 17

St Johnstone vs Ross CountyRangers vs Dundee UnitedHibernian vs AberdeenLivingston vs Kilmarnock

Sunday September 18

St Mirren vs CelticKilmarnock vs Hearts

Scottish Championship

Saturday September 17

Partick Thistle vs Cove RangersRaith Rovers vs AyrGreenock Morton vs Arbroath Hamilton vs Queen’s ParkDundee vs Inverness

Scottish League One

Saturday September 17

Dunfermline Athletic vs FalkirkPeterhead vs Kelty HeartsQueen of the South vs FC EdinburghAirdrieonians vs ClydeAlloa Athletic vs Montrose

Scottish League Two

Saturday September 17

Stirling Albion vs StranraerStenhousemuir vs Elgin CityAlbion Rovers vs ForfarAnnan Athletic vs East FifeDumbarton vs Bonnyrigg Rose