CELEBRITY
Following frightening ill-health; what happens to sport if the Queen dies including Premier League plan
Queen Elizabeth II is under medical supervision at Balmoral after doctors raised concern about her health.
Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement on Her Majesty The Queen’s health status this afternoon after her doctors had raised concern.
The Queen is in currently comfortable at Balmoral and under medical supervision.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have travelled to Balmoral, while the Duke of Cambridge is also on his way.
A Palace spokesperson said: “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen‘s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.
The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”
Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for over 70 years, outlasting 12 Prime Ministers and 14 Presidents.
The Queen, 96, celebrated her Platinum Jubilee this year but there have been longstanding concerns over her health and mobility. Her Majesty missed the Royal Ascot for the first time in 70 years this year.
What happens to sport in the UK if the Queen dies?
The planning around the Queen’s death is known as Operation London Bridge and it is a hugely detailed plan that is put in place from the moment she passes away.
And there are implications to UK sporting events.
The Premier League will be led by the DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) guidance if the Queen dies but footballing fixtures during the weekend of her tragic passing are almost certain to be scrapped.
This includes the English top-flight, EFL, SPL, and Irish and Welsh league games with fixtures postponed – this is expected to be replicated to semi-pro and amateur sporting events.
There also also confirmed protocols in place around horse racing and cricket. If the Queen during Royal Ascot, the meet will be scrapped.
The Marylebone Cricket Club is said to hold insurance for a similar outcome if she passes away during an England Test match at Lord’s.
After the death of George VI in 1952, rugby and hockey fixtures were called off, while football matches went ahead. Fans sang Abide With Me and the national anthem before kick off at matches.
The National Theatre will close if the news breaks before 4pm, and stay open if not. All games, including golf, will be banned in the Royal Parks.
Following Princess Diana’s death on Sunday August 31 in 1997, the Liverpool vs Newcastle United Premier League match scheduled to kick off later that day was postponed.
Football League fixtures the following weekend were moved to avoid clashing with Diana’s funeral. The Premier League was on an international break.
Prince Charles would become King in the event she passes and he will address the nation in a televised broadcast, usually on the day after a passing.
The Prime Minister, Liz Truss, will hold an audience with Charles, while the Ministry of Defence will organise gun salutes and a minute of silence will be held across the country.
Her death would trigger an official 12-day period of national mourning with all Union flags flown at half mast.
–MEN
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Gara-Gombe Hosts Team Nigeria to Dinner in Tunis, Boosts Morale at ITTF-Africa Championships
Troost-Ekong: Super Eagles Ready to Give 2026 World Cup Play-Off Their All
Flamingos Edge Paraguay 3–2 to End World Cup Preparations on a High
- U20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Flying Eagles Bank on ‘Magic of October 8’ to overcome Argentina
- World Cup5 days ago
CAF Rule Change May Boost Nigeria’s World Cup Qualification Hopes
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria, Argentina Renew Rivalry as Flying Eagles Target Quarter-Final Spot in Chile
- World Cup21 hours ago
Victor Osimhen qualifies South Africa for World Cup as Super Eagles go for Play-Off
- World Cup5 days ago
BREAKING! Lookman Suspended for Crucial Benin Clash
- World Cup4 days ago
Judgment Day Beckons in Group C: Only One Ticket, Three Contenders, Infinite Drama
- World Cup4 days ago
Super Eagles Stranded in Angola After Aircraft Suffers Cracked Windscreen
- World Cup1 week ago
Logistics reduce Super Eagles 23-man squad