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LONDON. – English Premier League football clubs will play the national anthem ahead of kick-off in matches due to be held this weekend to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.

All fixtures across the pyramid were postponed last weekend as a mark of respect following the monarch’s passing last Thursday, with the Football League getting back underway this week.

The English Premier League is due to resume this weekend and The Independent has reported that clubs will play the national anthem before matches.

UEFA had rejected requests from Chelsea, Manchester City and Rangers to play God Save the King before their respective Champions League fixtures this week.

It was expected Rangers will defy the European governing body in their match against Napoli last night.

In addition to God Save the King being played for the first time across English Premier League grounds, managers will also be encouraged to wear suits on the touchline, while a minute’s applause will ring out across the country on the 70th minute to mark all the years of the Queen’s reign, according to The Independent.

It has also been reported that managers will be ask to lead their teams out onto the field. 

England’s top division will get back underway after a weekend’s break this Friday, although three games have been called off.

Liverpool’s trip to Chelsea and Leeds’ visit to Manchester United have been postponed owing to police shortages with the arrangements for the Queen’s funeral, due to be held on Monday, requiring enormous police resources. 

Brighton’s home clash with Crystal Palace had already been postponed owing to rail strikes. 

Many clubs now face a fixture pile up owing to the postponements with the World Cup’s unusual scheduling in November already causing major disruption to the calendar. 

The English Premier League has been criticised in some quarters for its decision to postpone games last weekend while other sports, such as cricket and rugby, pressed on with their events after a day’s break on the Friday. 

Horse racing took a two-day break before resuming at Doncaster, among other venues, on Sunday. 

The Football League and National League resumed earlier this week with a packed programme of fixtures across the country. 

Wrexham, who play in the National League, have drawn criticism after some supporters were heard to be jeering during the minute’s silence at the Racecourse Ground. 

A Preston North End fan has been banned for life for comments he made about the Queen and the Royal Family, which the club said “crossed the boundary of acceptability.”

Liverpool hosted Ajax at Anfield Tuesday night with the moment’s silence passing relatively incident-free, barring a few jeers from supporters who were immediately shushed down by others inside the ground. 

There were also a few shouts from fans during the silence held before Sporting Lisbon’s home Champions League match against Tottenham.

EFL clubs staged a variety of tributes before and during their games on Tuesday night. – Mailonline.