With the date of the Queen's funeral now set for Monday September 19th, the football authorities will now have to decide when football fixtures will resume and if the resources are there for some clubs during the next week leading to the funeral itself.

On the face of it there is no reason why football fixtures should not be played in the week leading up to the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey, other sporting events have taken place over the weekend and there has been some who have questioned the decision by the football authorities to cancel the games this weekend.

I can see the viewpoint of some as to why these fixtures were cancelled and certainly I like many were left at a loose end this weekend when our game with Brentford was called off.

I can also appreciate that many business's will have suffered financial loss due to the postponements and this coming at a time when many are closing down due to the aftermath of not just Covid, but also the rising costs in the current crisis, from this perspective it will hit some business's very hard.

But overall I don't have an issue with the postponements, whether some like it or not, the Queen was the sovereign of our country for 71 years, so it was perhaps the right thing to do to honour a sad occasion which will be perhaps for many people a once in a lifetime occurrence.

Now though comes the business of re starting the fixtures, the Football League has a full programme as well as the European cup competitions.

So I see no reason as to why the Premier League should not resume next weekend.

But there are some issues that will affect some clubs, mainly in London that could see some postponements.

The capital is on high levels of security alert ahead of the funeral and the Metropolitan Police will be stretched to it's limits with the build up and the day of the funeral and may find it hard to police football matches ahead of the big day itself.

There is also the terrorist threat, and the need for increased security over the next week and if that is not enough there could be stewarding issues for London club's with many using external security firms for stewarding, those firms will also be potentially involved in stewarding of crowds and shops etc both before and on the day of the funeral, so London club's might be able to play a game but not be able to provide adequate police and stewarding.

But I would suggest those issues won't be in play around the rest of the country. so I see no reason why Saints trip to Aston Villa will not take place.

There is one last concern for the football authorities and that is the potential for abuse from the crowd during two minute silences etc, that was the case at the Hearts V Istanbul Basaksehir game on Thursday, the actual abuse was minimal, but it seemed a lot worse due to the majority of the crowd turning on those who had been disrespectful.

I am not so sure that their fears are grounded, but the fact still remains it is a potential problem that has to be assessed.

Photo: Action Images

highfield49 added 10:14 - Sep 11 I think that police officers from several counties will be relocated to London this week to supplement the security needs. So it could be that resources are stretched across the country, particularly those areas where several teams are in close proximity. It could be that sporting fixtures, particularly those in need of significant police attendance, have to be postponed due to lack of resources. I hope not because sport is an important part of the economy but any significant terrorist threat has to take priority.

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ElijahK added 11:37 - Sep 11 I just wonder if when they’re gonna announce their decisions by? As if the FA did actually care for fans then you’d think it should be by Wednesday at the latest (aka at least 48 hours before the first KO) but really why they wouldn’t announce it beforehand and make a decision by Monday would be better for everyone seeing how the police force, fans, players etc could prepare better and get ready if the games were to take place.

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saintmark1976 added 11:52 - Sep 11 The F A and the Premier League have mismanaged the whole situation and it reflects badly upon them. They have confirmed what most fans have known for years which is that they are elite organisations completely out of touch with supporters of teams up and down the country. There was no logical reason to call off this weekend’s fixtures given that there was cricket at The Oval yesterday and horse racing at Doncaster today. Fixtures should have continued thus giving fans that wanted to an opportunity to pay their respects to the Queen, just as was witnessed at the Oval yesterday. Nick, your suggestion that it will be OK to resume next weekend but not to have played yesterday and today is frankly ridiculous.

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saintsfanbrock added 12:17 - Sep 11 SaintMark, I think you are being a bit ridiculous rather than Nick, football needs a lot more policing than cricket and horse racing, that is just a simple fact. Not just at the actual football games but after the matches, whoever heard of vandalism/brawls after Goodwood. A quick google reveals football takes about 65 police just at an average premier league game (let alone needed across the city before and after) , so 650 on premier league for a weekends fixtures when a lot of forces are already having to redeploy to London.

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Block8 added 13:13 - Sep 11 It would have been right to have celebrated a life full lived, this weekend, and mourned her loss to the country on the weekend of her funeral. However you have a valid point Nick, there are unfortunately morons who respect nothing and no one. Let it not be any of us Saints fans!
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saintmark1976 added 14:46 - Sep 11 saintsfanbrock, with respect I suggest you are missing my point entirely. Nick states “ I see no reason as to why the Premiership League should not resume next weekend “. That is the remark I find ridiculous.Taking on board your point concerning Police resources, how he thinks that fixtures should be postponed ten days or so before the Queens funeral, but it’s OK to play literally on the couple of days before the event makes no sense whatsoever to me.

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underweststand added 15:26 - Sep 12 Although the loss of revenue to businesses maybe a blow to their economy, at least one extra postponement shouldn't be a real problem considering the loss of income that such companies suffered and survived during those long Covid lockdowns. The fact that the date(s) concerned coincide with an almost unique situation in our country's history should be respected, as one cancellation for a Royal funeral every 71 years surely isn't too much to bear, especially for the opportunity to honour such a much-loved and well-respected lady.

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