FAW should be shown the red card over decision to call off all matches this weekend

By taking the easy option of following the crowd and cancelling fixtures at all levels of football in Wales this weekend, the FAW have missed a big opportunity to show some backbone.

Our governing body confirmed earlier today that all games this weekend (September 9-12) are cancelled as a mark of respect following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

It’s a ridiculous decision.

While the loss of such a prestigious figure is very sad, there is no need whatsoever to scrap the soccer schedule.

Simply having one, two or even five minutes of silence at each fixture would have been a sufficient mark of respect.

As it is, everyone who enjoys weekend sport, whether it be participating, watching or officiating, can now do any other activity – shopping, go to the pub, walking up mountains – except be involved in football or other postponed sporting events.

The Welsh FA, who have shown a lot initiative and drive under new chief officer Noel Mooney in recent months, could have made a stand and said to the FA ‘we’ll do it our way, our football will go ahead, we’ll show our respects the traditional way’.

All the FAW have done with this ‘play safe’ move is anger an awful lot of people across the country.

The uproar on social media has been immense, at least 90% of the comments I have seen have criticised the FAW’s announcement.

Can clubs afford to lose essential match-day income? No. Will people’s mental health suffer through missing their weekly dose of football? Yes. Will losing a day’s pay hit those who spend their Saturdays reporting on sport? Definitely.

When the pandemic was sweeping the nation causing misery, games were called off on the grounds of public safety.

There is no bonafide reason for cancelling all football because a monarch has died.

If anything, such action denies many of us a chance to pay our respects through observing the traditional minute’s silence at games this weekend.

Big own goal FAW !