LONDON: All football matches in Northern Ireland have been postponed this weekend following the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Irish FA said in a statement on Friday.
Whether there will be games in England, Scotland and Wales at the weekend has yet to be decided.
“As a mark of respect following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this weekend’s matches across all affiliated football in Northern Ireland and all other organized football activities at all levels have been postponed,” the Football Association of Ireland said in a statement.
The Queen, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, died peacefully at her home in Scotland at the age of 96.
The British government officially declared the start of a national mourning period for Queen Elizabeth on Friday and published “national mourning guidelines”.
The document, which included instructions on how to raise flags, information on travel and other business and public services, said the mourning would continue until the end of the day of the state funeral.
The government said there is no obligation to cancel or reschedule events and sporting events or close entertainment venues during this time, adding that it is at the discretion of individual organizations.
All sporting events scheduled for Friday have been postponed, including the third cricket test between England and South Africa in London and the BMW PGA Championship golf tournament in Wentworth.
The British Horseracing Authority also suspended all events for two days.