FA ANNOUCEMENT ON THE RETURN OF FOOTBALL MATCHES
Last weekend, English football united together to honour and remember Her Majesty the Queen.
We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to everyone across our game for their support and understanding as we paid respect to our long-standing Patron of The Football Association, Queen Elizabeth II.
After a period of pause and reflection for our national game, we can confirm that fixtures will resume as scheduled, including matches from the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship, the Emirates FA Cup Second Round Qualifying, Vitality Women’s FA Cup, the National League System [NLS], Steps 1-6, including the Vanarama National Leagues, the Women’s Football Pyramid [WFP], Tiers 3-7, and all matches across grassroots football in England. Isuzu FA Trophy and FA Youth Cup matches will return this evening.
All matches held at stadiums are subject to leagues and clubs working with the relevant authorities to stage these fixtures, as usual practice.
We will be recommending to clubs, leagues and competitions across the country that a minute’s silence is observed before matches are played, and that black armbands should be worn where possible. All flags at Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park will continue to fly at half-mast this week and over the weekend.
The FA can also confirm that all scheduled football matches will be postponed on the day of Her Majesty the Queen’s funeral on Monday 19 September.
Our thoughts at this time remain with His Majesty King Charles III, our president, HRH The Prince of Wales, and the whole of the Royal Family.
Due to the exceptional circumstances of Queen Elizabeth II passing, we have made the decision to adjust the schedule for our Manchester FA County Cups.
We can confirm the Saturday Challenge County Cup is to go ahead this weekend, on 17th September 2022. However, given the vast fixtures for U12, U13 and U14 Manchester FA County Cups we have re-arranged fixtures to take place on 25th September 2022, in line with our U15, U16 and U18 Boys Youth County Cups fixtures.
We can also confirm should all parties agree to playing their re-arranged fixture mid-week (starting from Thursday 15th September 2022) we will allow the fixture to take place during the week (subject to both parties agreeing and availability of referees). We ask that all teams contact us with their agreed fixture date (should this differ from 25th September 2022) and kick off time.
The schedule for this weekend (17th & 18th Sept) and next weekend (25th Sept) will be as follows:
Saturday & Sunday 17th and 18th September
- Saturday Challenge Prelim Round
- Saturday Amateur Prelim Round
- Sunday Amateur Prelim Round
- Women’s County Cup Prelim Round
- Women’s FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying
Sunday 25th September 2022
- All Boy’s Preliminary Round
We thank you for your co-operation during this time.