What is the national mourning guidance in relation to football and sporting events after Queen’s death?

The Premier League and Football League are under “no obligation” to postpone fixtures in the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, according to national mourning guidance.

The monarch passed away at Balmoral on Thursday afternoon at the age of 96, and will be succeeded by her son, who will now become King Charles III.

A statement from Buckingham Palace read: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

The announcement of the Queen’s death ushers in a period of national mourning, with a number of scheduled events now considering the prospect of cancellation.

As such, there has been widespread speculation on whether or not this weekend’s footballing fixture list will go ahead as initially expected.

While no official announcement has been made by the relevant governing bodies at this point, guidance outlined by gov.uk states that there is no obligation for matches to be postponed.

A statement reads: “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 Nation Anthem at the start of events or sporting fixtures, and players may wish to wear black armbands.”

A number of today’s sporting events have already been cancelled, including the second day of England’s Test cricket match against South Africa at the Oval, and a Norwich City’s Championship clash against Burnley.