Matches are a place of shared experience in an atomised world – they should have gone ahead following the Queen’s death
Like most people, I was deeply saddened by the news about Queen Elizabeth. Events over the past few days have demonstrated how important the royal family is to our sense of identity as a nation. Even the most committed republican can share the sense of loss of such a symbol of humility and grace at the centre of our nation, someone who, as the BBC has repeatedly and correctly said, represented stability in an age of ceaseless change.
Three days after the death of King George VI on 6 February 1952, Grimsby Town beat Carlisle 4-1 in front of 16,000 fans. Before the game kicked off our then manager, Bill Shankly, stood solemnly and resolutely with his players, facing the opposition in respectful silence on frozen ground.
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