Game On: FA announces matches to resume beginning today after memorial pause

Football is coming back, beginning today. The FA announced on its website and on social media that after postponing matches this past weekend in memory of the recently passed Queen Elizabeth II, it will resume today with matches as previously scheduled.

Notably, this announcement does NOT include the Premier League, as the top tier in English football does not control those fixtures. The Premier League has not made a statement concerning this upcoming round of match fixtures as of the time of this posting, meaning we are still not sure about the status of matches that were due to be played in London, including Tottenham’s scheduled match at home against Leicester City. There has been talk that matches hosted in London may be postponed as the Metropolitan Police will be stretched thin due to the upcoming royal funeral.

But we might have a clue thanks to Arsenal. The Gunners announced this morning that they have postponed their Europa League match at home against PSV on Thursday after meeting with the Metropolitan Police to discuss options.

If there aren’t enough police to cover a midweek Arsenal fixture, it seems like a strong possibility that the other matches scheduled in the days leading up to the Queen’s funeral on Monday, Sept. 19 may be either postponed or have their venues changed.

For Tottenham Hotspur Women, the FA’s announcement means that they will begin their season away at Leicester City on Sunday, September 18, their scheduled opponent for what is now matchweek 2.

The FA noted that for games under their jurisdiction this week, they are asking for a minute’s silence before kickoff, and that “black armbands should be worn when possible.” In addition, all matches scheduled on Monday, September 19 will be postponed out of respect for the Queen’s funeral.