hello to everybody.
The Premier League issued a statement yesterday that read:
"Football has been postponed due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. It will be a short one today, and I imagine for the following several days."
The Premier League match round for this weekend, including Monday's game, has been postponed out of respect for her outstanding life and contributions to the country.
I am aware that some people find this to be a delicate subject, but I believe they are mistaken. It would be one thing if everything had shut down, but that is not what has happened. Cricket keeps going. Rugby keeps going. The horse races go on. entertainment keeps going. Both life and work go on. Soccer does not.
I find the RFU's assertion to be far more logical:
Rugby Union will continue this weekend as teams and fans unite to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and to show our sadness at her passing.
At its core, rugby is about community and uniting people in happy and sorrowful times.
Why couldn't football have achieved the same thing? silent for some while. bands in black. Perhaps the national anthem could have been performed, but postponing everything altogether seems like a mistake in this peculiar, compressed season.
The FA's decision to even shut down grass roots football, so kids can't even play their matches this weekend, is so absurd it defies any logical justification. Instead of packed stadiums allowing those who wished to show their respect to do so, they will remain empty.
The notion that there was a problem with policing has been disproved; yet, while planning for a state funeral next weekend, it is not what actually transpired. This morning, football stands alone while the other sports continue as there was no order from above; instead, it was up to the authorities in each sport to decide.
The notion that there was a problem with policing has been disproved; yet, while planning for a state funeral next weekend, it is not what actually transpired. This morning, football stands alone while the other sports continue as there was no order from above; instead, it was up to the authorities in each sport to decide.
Why? It's difficult to avoid the conclusion that football is once again viewed differently. When fundraising for the NHS and other charities became popular, do you recall the time when politicians singled out sportsmen and questioned why they weren't doing more to contribute financially?
Aside from the fact that it is the responsibility of the government to adequately fund health services (they should try it sometime), it was simple to criticize high-profile, high-earning football players as being greedy while saying nothing about their friends in business, banking, and finance who also earn a lot of money, not to mention the corporations they allow to avoid paying taxes on their astronomical earnings.
More proof that football fans are despised by people in positions of authority, even those who oversee the sport itself. When football does return, there will be stillness in the stadiums, so this doesn't make much sense.
And what about respecting the fans? those who have paid for travel, lodging, and other expenses in addition to purchasing tickets for games throughout the nation. If they're extremely lucky, they receive partial returns. The Premier League must also take into account the fact that they have developed a global product in their quest for global revenue.
Arsenal supporters who are traveling from all over the world this weekend will miss out on a special opportunity. In my perspective, if you extend that to every other Premier League game and many EFL games as well, a significant number of people have been disrespected.
Then there are the football-related businesses, such as bars, restaurants, and concession stands; the staff who miss a day of work and, since much of it is part-time, probably won't earn the money they have been banking on; the enormous waste of food that will have been ordered and delivered by this point.
There will undoubtedly be a lot that is simply thrown out, even while I am aware that some clubs are making donations to food banks (a wonderful gesture but yet shows the inequity in society that causes these things to even need to exist). And that's not even accounting for the smaller businesses, such as the cafes, restaurants, and burger stalls, whose own orders will have been placed with anticipated crowds in mind.
As I've previously stated, I believe football has made a mistake on this occasion, and in the end, the notion that postponing football games is the proper method to demonstrate respect is misplaced.
Football has a strong sense of community that you can exploit to unite people, create some moving moments, and still play. It doesn't matter if you celebrate a goal, a victory, or the entire 90 minutes; it doesn't take away from the shows of respect, sympathy, pain, and other emotions.
But those in charge of the sport haven't really shown respect for the Queen's passing; instead, they've just highlighted their contempt for football fans. If you want to talk about disrespect, that's it.
0.007 SRY