@YannTear Yann Tear Decision over whether #qpr v #bolton goes ahead now won't be taken until Friday, PL say
"Terrible message" if games cancelled - Bernie Ecclestone Page last updated at 12:43 GMT, Wednesday, 10 August 2011 13:43 UK E-mail this to a friendPrintable version By Dan Roan BBC Sports News Correspondent The police have focused their attention and resources on the UK riots QPR owner Bernie Ecclestone has told BBC Sport that cancelling Premier League games in the wake of this week's rioting would send "a terrible message to the rest of the world". A decision will be made on Thursday as to whether any of the three opening-round matches in London this weekend are to be postponed. QPR play Bolton at Loftus Road on Saturday, their first Premier League fixture in 15 years, with Ecclestone confident the match will go ahead. But several football fixtures have already been affected by the disturbances, including England's friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley, a cancellation Ecclestone described as "a disaster". On Tuesday the Premier League and Football League issued a joint statement saying, "there is no reason to think any matches outside of London will be affected". However, trouble then continued to spread from London last night, and with police resources stretched across the UK, doubt has been cast on whether safety certificates will be issued for games. There are nine league matches in the capital this weekend. As well as the QPR match, Spurs host Everton and Aston Villa travel to Fulham. Football League games at risk are Crystal Palace v Burnley, Millwall v Nottingham Forest, Watford v Derby, Leyton Orient v Tranmere, Barnet v Port Vale, and Dagenham and Redbridge v AFC Wimbledon. When asked if he feared the game at Loftus Road may fall victim to the rioting, Ecclestone told BBC Sport: "I've been told no. I don't think there'll be a threat to QPR. I've spoken to people at the club who seemed quite confident it will go ahead. "The police seem to have managed to contain the things that have been going on. But there's not much stuff that people can loot at a match so it won't attract the kind of people that have been active in the last few days." Continue reading the main story You imagine if this happened when the Olympics started. It would be terrible Bernie Ecclestone Premier League matches tend to require police officers inside the ground - paid for by the clubs - and at railway stations and locations where fans are liable to meet - funded by local forces. With thousands of additional officers brought into the capital in the wake of Monday night's rioting, it may be that clubs will not receive a safety certificate from their local authority, and be forced to postpone. Ecclestone had to contend with the cancellation of the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix earlier this year following political unrest in the Arab state. But the billionaire said that the cancellation of Premier League matches would send a "terrible message to the world." "Would we want to take a risk? It's a difficult decision to make" he said. "The PL is watched everywhere I travel. I always see Manchester United on the TV wherever I am. So it's a very bad message for England, and we're going to have the Olympics soon. "You imagine if this happened when the Games started. It would be terrible." Ghana's friendly with Nigeria at Watford's Vicarage Road, and the Carling Cup tie between Bristol Rovers and Watford was also postponed at the request of the police, following the cancellation of Tuesday's ties at Charlton, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Bristol City. The England v Netherlands game was cancelled by the Football Association after meetings with the Met and Brent Council because the safety of players and fans could not be guaranteed. Ecclestone added: "They probably did the right thing. If there was trouble and the police were at Wembley people would have complained. But it's a disaster obviously."
From BBC blog on Cameron's speech: 1316: Labour's Gerry Sutcliffe, a former sports minister, asks if it is right to postpone football matches in London, as has happened with Tottenham's game with Everton on Saturday. Mr Cameron says other contests should go ahead, but perhaps starting earlier in the day than previously planned to help police deal with potential unrest at night more easily.
Thinking about it, it's very late to be changing the time, I'll bet plenty of arrangements will be FkD.
It's not confirmed yet that the match is either still on or kicking off at an earlier time. Seems like we're waiting on Richard Scudamore's "clearer picture" at 1800. My train to Paddington arriving at 12:14 is not looking so rosy now though.......
@LoftforWords LoftforWords #qpr game is fine to proceed at 3pm on Saturday "subject to any further unrest" the Met has said. Statement out later this afternoon.
@skysports_bryan Bryan Swanson Premier League games will go ahead as scheduled. Tottenham v Everton the only fixture postponed. ==================================== Early KO , not ruled out yet.
