Prince Philip dies: Sport pays respect

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The sports world paid its respects on Friday after the death of Prince Philip, 99 years old.

The England Football Association was among those paying tribute, as there was a two-minute silence at cricket matches in the England County Championship and at the Grand National horse racing meeting.

Buckingham Palace announced the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on Friday.

“We have sent our deepest condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and our President, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, on the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh,” the FA said on Twitter

“As a token of our respect, all flags at @WembleyStadium and St. George’s Park will fly at half mast.”

A later statement confirmed that according to the guidelines of the Royal House and Her Majesty’s Government “all football matches tonight and on weekends [10-11 April] may proceed at the discretion of the contest organizers. The FA has requested the wearing of black armbands and a minute’s silence is observed before games are played.

Multiple football clubs paid tribute as do former and current players, including Liverpool Legend Sir Kenny Dalglish and Tottenham forward Harry Kane

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho also paid tribute at his prematch press conference on Friday.

“I’m sorry because I just read some sad news about Prince Philip,” Mourinho said. “I would like to offer my condolences to the royal family and to be very honest and say that I have a deep, deep, deep and the utmost respect for the royal family. I believe this is not just this country it will share.feelings as i am not english and i know many like myself we have the utmost respect so i am sorry to stop this with your question.

“I feel sad about Prince Philip’s departure on a personal basis because I have nothing but positive feelings for the meaning of the family.

Prince Philip was most associated with cricket, as president of two terms of the Marylebone Cricket Club, who is considered the guardian of the laws of the game.

Philip presented the Lord’s Taverners ECB Trophy to England’s cricket champions for 43 years, until he retired in 2017.

The England and Wales Cricket Board remembered him as “a lifelong cricket fan and talented all-rounder in his playing days”.

“His passion for the game we all love was well known and the trophies awarded to the men’s and women’s national champions are a tribute to his dedication to our sport,” said ECB President Ian Watmore. “We owe him a lot for his support and passion over many decades.”

Philip was an honorary member of the MCC and of the Jockey Club, which owns racecourses in Great Britain.

The silent tribute in horse racing was held before the start of the second day of the Grand National gathering in Aintree.

Flags were lowered to half mast on the racecourse in Liverpool, as in London at Wembley Stadium, the national stadium of English football.

Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, spent more than seven decades supporting his wife in her role.

His life spanned nearly a century of European history, starting with his birth as a member of the Greek royal family and ending as Britain’s longest-serving consort during a turbulent reign in which the thousand-year-old monarchy had to reinvent itself for the 21st century.

He was known for fulfilling more than 20,000 royal assignments to advance British interests at home and abroad. He ran hundreds of charities, founded programs that helped British schoolchildren participate in challenging outdoor adventures, and was instrumental in raising the couple’s four children, including their eldest son, Prince Charles, the heir apparent.

Prince Philip spent a month in hospital earlier this year before being released on March 16 to return to Windsor Castle.

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