National League honour Prince Philip by shifting fixtures around royal funeral
13.04.2021
The Vanarama National League joined a number of sporting institutions in honouring the late Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away at Windsor Castle on Friday. To avoid clashing with Prince Philip’s funeral, the National League moved their afternoon fixtures.
In a social media statement, the League quoted a royal family press release with the following:
“As a mark of respect, Vanarama National League matches scheduled for 3pm on Saturday 17 April will be moved to 12:30pm to avoid a clash with the funeral of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.”
The National League’s statement follows a similar decision from the EFL, issued two days previously.
On a lighter note, the Prince’s sombre funerary arrangements create a dilemma for National League fans, as ten important games kick off simultaneously at the business end of the season. This creates a fully-stocked Saturday lunchtime of National League fixtures, with a full ten games kicking off simultaneously across the country.
Hartlepool defend their newly-found number one spot against newly-promoted Wealdston, and second place Sutton face out-of-form Altrincham. At the other end of the table, Barnett look to avoid extending their losing streak against Aldershot, and 19th-place Woking face an inconsistent yet freshly bolstered and star-powered Wrexham.
Of course, the late Prince Philip was a keen sportsman and patron of competitive athletics. Sporting institutions across the football hierarchy and beyond honored his passing with silences before games, as fans are sure to see before National League games too. These join the flags at half-mast, and fixture shifting to honour the nation’s bereavement.
A keen horse rider in his youth, Prince Philip continued to attend games throughout his life, and was spotted attending the Emirates at the Arsenal stadium’s opening in 2006. He helped support hundreds of sporting clubs and organisations, from the Jockey club to the Modern Pentathlon Association.
The National League’s swift action marks the mutual respect between the late Prince and British sporting culture as a whole.
