Express & Star

West Brom's Steve Bruce: Postponing matches the correct call

Albion boss Steve Bruce felt the it was the correct decision to postpone matches out of respect for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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It was confirmed last Friday morning that Premier League, EFL and grassroots football in the United Kingdom would not go ahead, alongside the Queen's favourite sport of horse racing, for the forthcoming weekend following Her Majesty's passing the previous day.

Bruce described himself as a 'fierce royalist' from his upbringing where his mum Sheenagh, who was Northern Irish, was a particular supporter of the royal family.

The Baggies boss explained he had not seen wife Janet cry as much as when the news broke last Thursday afternoon and that his son Alex, Albion coach, and grandchildren paid their respects by laying flowers over the weekend.

Albion's trip to Coventry fell as the decision to postpone games was met with mixed reviews, but Bruce said: "I think the right call was made, in my opinion.

"It's given us all a break to dust ourselves down and get ready to go again.

"It was OK. We brought the players in on Saturday and gave them Sunday off like we'd planned.

"All of us probably knew the game would be off. It didn't really change but we trained Saturday."

Bruce met both the late Queen and the new King, Charles III, at separate events, meetings that remain extremely special to the Albion chief.

"It was a long time ago, my meeting with the Queen," he explained. "Myself and Bryan Robson were invited, we went to a Red Cross ball, an event, and the Queen was there.

"It was a very brief meeting, "Good afternoon Steve, I'm very pleased to meet you." Not as pleased as I am to you! I had met her but very, very briefly. I've got a picture of her at home.

"I met Charles in 1995 in the Cup final, I've got the picture. I've got a distinct feeling it was '95 where we lost 1-0 to Everton."

Albion have confirmed tributes for the Queen ahead of tomorrow's home clash with Blues include a minute's silence before the National Anthem. Players will wear black armbands.

Bruce is confident The Hawthorns will be fully respectful. He said: "I've got no doubt ours will pay their respects in their thousands like the rest of the country is.

"You're right, it's about respect. Look, I feel like everybody else, with the way I was brought up the Queen was everything.

"Like everyone else I'm saddened by the whole thing. From everybody at West Brom our condolences to everybody concerned."