Statement from Millwall about their next 2 home games
As it stands, there is currently no obligation for a similar postponement of fixtures next week, during which Millwall are set to play at The Den on Wednesday 14th and Saturday 17th.
The club has every intention and desire to fulfill these fixtures as scheduled and believes that its supporters would like the opportunity to pay an emotional and memorable tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll.
There are, however, considerable demands on police resources at this unprecedented time - particularly in London - and such pressures are extending into the stewarding industry. The club is conscious of the impact of these factors but is working tirelessly to overcome such hurdles in order to meet the necessary safety regulations required to host the two matches as planned.
Whilst I really wish I was back in Blighty at the moment I am eternally grateful to be a goat farmer at the moment. As trying to organise policing a football match, whilst most of those who you use week in week out to do so are being used to police THE most important moment in our recent history, would be an absolute nightmare.
Let’s be honest, the cricket probably only went ahead because the ECB and Surrey would have lost all the revenue if they’d cancelled it. Unlike the football it couldn’t be rearranged.
Once the Test was on they could hardly stop recreational and other cricket. I doubt if the ECB was worried about ticket holders.
This may well be true, @Airman Brown, but it's also worth putting into the mix one other aspect, which is that the Oval is part of the Duchy of Cornwall. While Surrey CCC are the leaseholders, the ultimate beneficiary of revenues generated at the ground is William, Prince of Wales, who plays the Roland role.
Let’s be honest, the cricket probably only went ahead because the ECB and Surrey would have lost all the revenue if they’d cancelled it. Unlike the football it couldn’t be rearranged.
Once the Test was on they could hardly stop recreational and other cricket. I doubt if the ECB was worried about ticket holders.
This may well be true, @Airman Brown, but it's also worth putting into the mix one other aspect, which is that the Oval is part of the Duchy of Cornwall. While Surrey CCC are the leaseholders, the ultimate beneficiary of revenues generated at the ground is William, Prince of Wales, who plays the Roland role.
That’s not really true unless the Duchy gets rent proportionate to revenue. Roland doesn’t get a payment for every ticket or other sale at The Valley, just a flat rate. He only gets more if the team reaches the PL. I doubt if the Duchy stood to gain from the match being played or not.
Let’s be honest, the cricket probably only went ahead because the ECB and Surrey would have lost all the revenue if they’d cancelled it. Unlike the football it couldn’t be rearranged.
Once the Test was on they could hardly stop recreational and other cricket. I doubt if the ECB was worried about ticket holders.
This may well be true, @Airman Brown, but it's also worth putting into the mix one other aspect, which is that the Oval is part of the Duchy of Cornwall. While Surrey CCC are the leaseholders, the ultimate beneficiary of revenues generated at the ground is William, Prince of Wales, who plays the Roland role.
Surrey/ECB were not covered by their insurance if the game was called off in these circumstances
I Do find the responses on here surprising tbh, it’s a game of football I went out yesterday evening had beers with friends and had a catch up we just didn’t see a match no harm done
I Do find the responses on here surprising tbh, it’s a game of football I went out yesterday evening had beers with friends and had a catch up we just didn’t see a match no harm done
I think this thread is probably fairly reflective of the general feeling in the country.
No decison was ever going to please everyone when you have staunch royalists, staunch anti royalists and everything else in between.
I Do find the responses on here surprising tbh, it’s a game of football I went out yesterday evening had beers with friends and had a catch up we just didn’t see a match no harm done
I did the same.
I get the impression the frustration is hugely linked to the fact that the ball was dropped to allow football fans to show their respects in the way only they know how. And I’m 100% in that camp.
Have to say it felt an honour to have been at The Oval yesterday. We’d been asked to be in seats by 10.30 but we’re we’re in at 9.45. Normally that would be accompanied with a Guinness to start the proceedings but no alcohol was sold until after play started at 11 (personally I think that should always be the case).
Ground was almost full by 10.45. There was some movement on the pitch in front of the main pavilion and with no prompting the whole ground fell into silence. Not another word was spoken for about 10 minutes. In that time, the players and umpires came out their dressing rooms, down the pavilion steps and onto the pitch in complete silence. Will love to read their accounts after, must have felt so unique for them.
Then after the unofficial silence was the official silence. Again, all you could hear was construction work in the distance. The South Africa anthem was also then observed in silence and it was only when God Save the King started were people once again vocal. The whole ground seemed to be singing, and it felt far more natural singing King instead of Queen than I thought it would.
Following the anthem there was a spontaneous applause that lasted 2-3 minutes. No one wanted it to end and it don’t think it would have had play not started.
I know an Oval crowd for England cricket is not representative of the cultural tapestry of our society, but the whole ground was united, it was a beautiful, historic and surreal experience and I felt honoured and proud to be there.
God Save the Queen Long Live the King
The one other notable thing was just how little mobile phone taking photos / videoing going on during the 10 mins of remembrance.
Not sure whether it was a case of people feeling it was inappropriate or they simply got wrapped up in the moment, but I looked around the block I was in at one point and remember being surprised just how few phones were out there were.
@Airman Brown do you think Tuesday's game will go ahead? You are very knowledgeable about how this stuff would work and prehaps what level of security is required for this type of fixture.
@Airman Brown do you think Tuesday's game will go ahead? You are very knowledgeable about how this stuff would work and prehaps what level of security is required for this type of fixture.
If ALL football fans could have been relied upon to act impeccably, like we saw at The Oval today, then there would have been no need to cancel today's football fixtures.
However, they couldn't be replied upon.
You can't then start choosing fixtures that can go ahead and those that can't. It's as simple as that for me.
However, I do acknowledge the contradiction that there will now quite likely be two sets of fixtures that go ahead before the funeral on Monday 19th.
CE, dear chap, do you expect that there will be no minutes silence and no tribute at the next home game each club plays? I think you and I would both find that wrong, no?
Addicks Addict already wrote that disruption can take place whenever the next games are played earlier in the thread. If disruption is the only issue that you have with it, then it does not matter when the next game is played. To quote your good self, it's as simple as that for me.
I acknowledge your acknowledgement, and hope that we can agree to disagree as I respect your view and opinons.
That was me, not Addicks Addict. Confusing, I know.
Personally, I think all football should definitely resume from Tuesday onwards. Work places, restaurants and bars haven’t shut down. There’s plenty of opportunities for people to wander up to Buckingham Palace over the coming week to pay their respects individually if you live in an around London, even come in from a bit further if she meant more to you.
Dont worry about the football that will always be there. Stick the television on and watch history in the making. I doubt hardly any of us will get to see another Queen.
I havent read this thread so apologies if it has already been mentioned.
But I have seen alot of talk over the last few days on why Football was cancelled but other sports were not and everyone seems to be avoiding what to me is the obvious.
Police?
Football use alot more police than rugby or cricket and with different events accross the country paying respects to the queen over the last 48 hours maybe the policing would have been to stretched to cover football as well
I havent read this thread so apologies if it has already been mentioned.
But I have seen alot of talk over the last few days on why Football was cancelled but other sports were not and everyone seems to be avoiding what to me is the obvious.
Police?
Football use alot more police than rugby or cricket and with different events accross the country paying respects to the queen over the last 48 hours maybe the policing would have been to stretched to cover football as well
may be a reasonable explanation for massive Premier League games with 60,000 people attending not going ahead. But unless things have changed since I was a kid I don’t think children’s games require a police presence!
From 3,500 miles away, I think this is a tricky one, but I think the football authorities have been inconsistent in their approach.
The main thing for me would be what is the appropriate length on time to suspend games after the monarch’s death. Certainly day of and day following would seem appropriate. I’m less sure about day three, I can see both sides to it. And if they said for 48 hours after, then Saturday would have been off.
King George died on a Wednesday, at 7:30am, so the timing was quite different.
Personally, playing Thursday’s European games was a bigger mistake. They should have been called off immediately out of respect.
I think on balance, Saturday games should have been played where possible, but it’s quite likely some London games may have been called off by the police.
@Airman Brown do you think Tuesday's game will go ahead? You are very knowledgeable about how this stuff would work and prehaps what level of security is required for this type of fixture.
I’d expect it to go ahead. Hard to imagine a Charlton fixture that needs less policing than a midweek game with FGR, if it was about that.
I havent read this thread so apologies if it has already been mentioned.
But I have seen alot of talk over the last few days on why Football was cancelled but other sports were not and everyone seems to be avoiding what to me is the obvious.
Police?
Football use alot more police than rugby or cricket and with different events accross the country paying respects to the queen over the last 48 hours maybe the policing would have been to stretched to cover football as well
may be a reasonable explanation for massive Premier League games with 60,000 people attending not going ahead. But unless things have changed since I was a kid I don’t think children’s games require a police presence!
Surely no one apart from the idiots in the FA think stopping kids football was the right thing to do.
Comments
Thought we would've heard this morning to be honest
No decison was ever going to please everyone when you have staunch royalists, staunch anti royalists and everything else in between.
I get the impression the frustration is hugely linked to the fact that the ball was dropped to allow football fans to show their respects in the way only they know how. And I’m 100% in that camp.
Stick the television on and watch history in the making.
I doubt hardly any of us will get to see another Queen.
But I have seen alot of talk over the last few days on why Football was cancelled but other sports were not and everyone seems to be avoiding what to me is the obvious.
Police?
Football use alot more police than rugby or cricket and with different events accross the country paying respects to the queen over the last 48 hours maybe the policing would have been to stretched to cover football as well