sport news CRAIG HOPE: Football has missed an opportunity to pay tribute to the Queen by ... trends now
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The decision to postpone this weekend’s football fixtures is, sadly, an opportunity missed.
An opportunity for rival supporters to unite, for our country to show the best of itself and create some of the most powerful, memorable tributes to Queen Elizabeth II. I have no doubt the scenes inside and outside stadiums across the country would have been truly remarkable and uplifting.
What do we do when people die? We gather, for a funeral. Remember the frustration and upset when Covid-19 prevented that? Collective mourning is part of the grieving process, yes. But, often, it is more so a celebration, a lasting show of respect.
West Ham fans belted out a rousing rendition of 'God save the Queen' during Thursday's Europa League game following the announcement of her death
The Queen will have a state funeral, of course, but that will be something the majority of us watch on television. This weekend, at football matches and sporting events, it was a chance to feel something, to pay your own respects, be that with a dignified silence or by belting out the national anthem en mass, opposition fans and all. It could have been the last time we get to sing those words, ‘God save the Queen’, as part of a crowd.
At a time of social crisis, what a feeling of togetherness that would have engendered. It would also have left
