On Thursday afternoon, Queen Elizabeth II passed. She was 96.

The longest serving Royal Monarch is a staple of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all the domains in the Commonwealth. She took over as The Queen in February 1952, holding that position for 70 years.

Her impact reached the sports world, too. In fact, she was the one to hand over the Jules Rimet Trophy to England when it won its first, and so far only, World Cup on home soil. She also played a role during London’s hosting of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The Queen’s passing has an effect on the soccer world, particularly in the United Kingdom. Clubs compete in the Europa and Conference League on Thursday before diving back into domestic competition on the weekend. However, the effect on the world of soccer is already clear.

Those Europa League games taking place in England had a somber tone to start as the English reel with the loss of The Queen.

The Queen’s passing and UK soccer

A number of teams under the Commonwealth played their games on the same day as The Queen’s death on Thursday.

Three British clubs had the chance to honor Her Majesty, The Queen. Upon re-entering the field for the second half of Arsenal‘s game against FC Zürich, there was a minute’s silence. Plus, Arsenal players wore black armbands in honor of The Queen.

Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad

Manchester United, one of the most recognizable teams in the world, much less England, held a minute-long moment of silence for The Queen. A capacity crowd at Old Trafford hung their heads to honor Queen Elizabeth II with no interruptions. Players, coaches, referees, fans and other people at Old Trafford all participated in the moment of silence.

Real Sociedad fans also took part. Visitors from the Basque country held up scarves during the moment of silence in solidarity with the mourning Mancunians.

Additionally, both clubs wore black armbands to symbolize their mourning in the same fashion as Arsenal in its earlier game.

West Ham United vs. FCSB

West Ham United’s stadium, the Olympic Stadium, is in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The area is so named for Her Majesty The Queen, built during her time for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

West Ham exhibited the same traditions as Manchester United. Both clubs participated in a moment of silence in honor of The Queen’s passing in the UK.

Sadly, the minute’s silence before the second half of Hearts and İstanbul Başakşehir was disrupted by sections of the crowd.

Impact on Premier League games

The Queen’s passing could still impact UK soccer in terms of domestic competition. While nothing is set in stone, the belief is that all games in England, Scotland and Wales will be suspended for this upcoming weekend. In fact, some hypotheses predict the same could go for the weekend after, plus any domestic games scheduled for the midweek slate.

Typically, a 10-day period of national mourning is observed in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the British government and Royal Family will follow an intricate protocol as a result of Her Majesty’s passing.

There will be more effects on UK soccer as a result in the coming days. On Friday, authorities plan to hold an emergency meeting over the coming sports schedule.

For comparison, the DP World Tour suspended the PGA BMW Championship through Friday. F1 races and cricket matches involving English drivers and the national team were suspended as well.

PHOTO: IMAGO / NurPhoto