No rights or wrongs, but unfair to suggest football can’t be trusted at times like these

To not have a live game to watch on Friday night was disappointing but, as Kathy described beautifully yesterday, it was probably the right call by the EFL.

Whether it was right to call off the whole Premier League and EFL programme yesterday was rather more contentious but was, I guess, one of those damned if you do and damned if you don’t calls.

For me, a weekend of live games, Match of the Day, EFL highlights and, as a result, talking points aplenty would have been a much welcome diversion from the blanket coverage and analysis of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III.

I also get that for some it would have been too much too soon as they still come to terms with the events of Thursday. It didn’t feel like the time to lambast those whose views differ from your own.

In the unchartered territory (for most) of the death of a monarch, there were few rights and wrongs, and we should remember that those making the big decisions are doing so for the first time in this circumstance.

Operation London Bridge may have been there to cover all of the constitutional logistics, and I assume it all worked (or is working) as planned, but clearly didn’t extend to whether or not sport should take place on D+2 to D+4.

Now, I love a good moan as much as the next person but on this occasion I had neither the strength nor will to get overly uppity as long as things start to return to normal on Tuesday.

My personal view – that it would have been okay for folk to feel sad *and* watch football – is shared by some and not others, and that’s fine.

That the ECB chose to crack on with day three of the Test Match vs South Africa was also fine, particularly as the occasion was marked in such a dignified way before the first ball had been bowled at the Oval.

But this underlying sense that football would have been unable to match that level of respect feels off the mark.

I agree that a cricket crowd at 10:30am is a very different beast to a football crowd at 2:55pm (or a cricket crowd at 5:00pm come to that), but how many of us have stood in a football crowd when there’s been a ‘you could hear a pin drop’ minute silence?

Football may be the sport of the working classes but the suggestion that it’s not to be trusted, in the same way that rugby union and cricket can be, feels unfair.

And I’m not sure the theory that one particular set of fans would have ruined it for the rest holds water.

Regardless of anyone’s views on the monarchy, she was a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother, and to use that minute to make clear your views on royalty and the establishment would surely have been counterproductive.

I personally believe that, given the chance, football would have got it right.

Either way, the ECB did nail it (on this occasion) and delivered a tribute of which the Windsors would have approved had they not been otherwise engaged at St James’ Palace.

(Let’s just hope that going forward, King Charles’ pledge of ‘loyalty, respect, and love’ is genuine and extends to his aides, even when they’re a millisecond slow in removing random items from his desk.)

So, sad but also momentous times.

As Kathy wrote yesterday, we’re living through a moment in history and even before it happens, I suspect none of us are going to forget the minutes before kick-off on Wednesday night when Bristol City are our visitors.

Then, once Carrow Road has paid its respects, I hope the roar goes up and we can return to some form of normality.

Life has to go on.