Reading FC organise royal tribute before Sunderland game

Published by

Sam Pither

Reading FC v Stoke City

Fans of Reading FC and Sunderland held a minute’s silence and sang the national anthem before their fixture last night (14 September).

The team, known as the Royals, organised the tribute to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth and welcome the new King, Charles III.

As part of the tribute, the club did not play music before the game in an attempt to create an appropriate atmosphere for the occasion. A similar scaling-back was also applied to the half-time activities.

Fans were also asked to submit messages to featured on the Select Car Leasing stadium’s big screen.

A statement from the club read:

"We would like to invite both home and away supporters on Wednesday night to join with us in observing a minute's silence in memory of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

"The one minute's silence will then be followed by the National Anthem, 'God Save The King'.

"Players and coaching staff from both sides will wear black armbands when we take on Sunderland at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Wednesday evening and flags will fly at half mast."

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Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.