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Two football matches due to be played in London this week have been postponed in light of the ongoing riots that have hit the city over recent days, and the international friendly between England and the Netherlands on Wednesday is in serious doubt as well. In addition to the England game, the match between Reading and Charlton and the first-round Carling Cup tie between West Ham United and Aldershot town have both been cancelled.
On their website, West Ham stated that the police had asked for the match to be postponed so that resources could be focused elsewhere:
West Ham United have been asked by the police to postpone the Carling Cup first-round tie with Aldershot Town tomorrow night. The club were contacted this evening and told that all major public events in London were to be rearranged because of the need to focus police resources elsewhere.
Whilst neither the club or police anticipate any issues around the game itself, the club has to comply with the police request.
Obviously, football is a secondary concern for Londoners right now. Hopefully things will die down soon and life - and sport - can get back to normal.