Tributes-silent, noisy or not at all?

[thetrees]

This weekend football will embark upon tribute to the late Gary Speed, marked by, the last I heard, a minute’s applause.

The whole farce by how the FA marks such circumstances is a confusion that has been laid at the door of football supporters for several years. This was no more encapsulated by the tribute to Speed paid at Swansea while the news was still raw. The announcer called for a minute’s silence, with half the crowd remaining silent, while the other half applauded and sang the deceased’s name. The Sky TV cameras significantly managed to get a shot of Brendan Rodgers standing in respectful silence, while the immediately following shot was of Alex McLeish applauding (to be fair to Alex he was probably preoccupied with the next stage of his mission to destroy football as a form of televised entertainment!). This episode just summed up how confused football supporters, and football people in general, are.

As a football supporter I have no idea whether to be silent, applaud, or actually why I have to do it in the first place. The applause thing has come from the fact that silences have been disturbed, largely because the FA have imposed tributes upon clubs where neither of the competing teams had any connection whatsoever with the deceased person.

In 1994, prior to an away fixture at Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United supporters chanted throughout a silence for Matt Busby, a thoroughly reprehensible act. Their reasoning for this was that the FA refused to recognise the passing of Don Revie, who had died 5 years earlier. The Leeds supporters were wrong to chant, and were right to make the comparison, but the comparison itself was wrong in the fact that the passing of neither Busby nor Revie should have been marked at any club other than those with which they were connected.

We cut then to the final exit of George Best who was, apparently, an incredible talent. I say apparently, because although I started regularly watching football in 1973, I never saw him play. For most of his adult life it appeared that George was a bit of a waster, and wasn’t a very nice bloke. He was though, a Manchester United and Northern Ireland ‘legend’. So that club, and that nation should mark his passing. But no, the FA decided that we should all mark the passing of someone who was absolutely no one to the majority of us.

So such impositions have led to disturbances of the appropriate and often poignant minute’s silence, thus ensuring that a minute’s applause is the only way around things. It is unlikely that we will ever return to silence, as it appears that the passing of everyone connected with Manchester United will be expected to be marked by every football supporter in the country. Mercifully my more advanced years should ensure that I will not have to endure the ceremonies for the passing of Sir Gary Neville or Lord Beckham of Alderley Edge.

So back to Gary Speed. A decent footballer, reliable and unspectacular, but just the kind of player who most supporters would have thought could ‘do a job’ for their team.

It is wholly appropriate that his passing should be marked at games involving Leeds, Newcastle, Everton, Bolton and Sheffield United, as well as games involving Welsh clubs, but at other games it all smacks as a bit over the top.

As an example Liverpool supporters travelling to Fulham for Monday’s fixture will be on their third minute’s ‘celebration’ for a player who has no association with their club, nor any of the three teams that they have played.

In the modern world, much is talked about people being a ‘victim of celebrity’. Perhaps Gary Speed is the first person to be afflicted by that status posthumously.

[Zatman]

I think the minutes applause around the league is that he was the 3rd highest appearance maker in the league plus he was a current manager of Wales.

As for the tribute i think a minutes applause has to be done as you always get idiots booing or making noise so these idiots are drowned out.

[kurtsimonw]

Think it depends. If it's someone involved in football then generally there will be an applause as a 'thanks' gesture. If it's something unrelated like a death of a fan or a tradgedy elsehwere in the World, then it'll be a silence as a mark of respect.

[markavfc40]

Think it depends. If it's someone involved in football then generally there will be an applause as a 'thanks' gesture. If it's something unrelated like a death of a fan or a tradgedy elsehwere in the World, then it'll be a silence as a mark of respect.

I agree. As for just not bothering at all I would say I personally have no problem with spending a minute paying respect to someone who has passed away regardless of them having anything to do with my club or not.

[Rino8]

In 1994, prior to an away fixture at Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United supporters chanted throughout a silence for Matt Busby, a thoroughly reprehensible act. Their reasoning for this was that the FA refused to recognise the passing of Don Revie, who had died 5 years earlier. The Leeds supporters were wrong to chant, and were right to make the comparison, but the comparison itself was wrong in the fact that the passing of neither Busby nor Revie should have been marked at any club other than those with which they were connected.

Even though he failed, Revie was also England manager.

[thetrees]

In 1994, prior to an away fixture at Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United supporters chanted throughout a silence for Matt Busby, a thoroughly reprehensible act. Their reasoning for this was that the FA refused to recognise the passing of Don Revie, who had died 5 years earlier. The Leeds supporters were wrong to chant, and were right to make the comparison, but the comparison itself was wrong in the fact that the passing of neither Busby nor Revie should have been marked at any club other than those with which they were connected.

Even though he failed, Revie was also England manager.

Indeed he was, but I wouldn't expect blanket tributes to be made for any of the remaining ex England managers, although Revie's situation was more to do with hw he departed the job.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

I wouldn't mind seeing them go altogether.

Let those who knew them grieve.

[maqroll]

There is nothing quite as moving as a well respected minute's silence.

[juanpabloangel18]

There is something hugely inappropriate about applauding a suicide, dont you think?

[CI]

There is something hugely inappropriate about applauding a suicide, dont you think?

Yes especially as the news was shockingly raw at Swansea

If the FA had any sensitivity that game should have been pulled it was wholly inappropriate to carry on

[kurtsimonw]

Pretty sure it would've been called off had it not been so close to KO.

[Genie]

The teams had the option to cancel and decided to go ahead, not the FA's fault.

I agree about a well observed minutes silence but unfortunatly a combination of 40,000 blokes, lots of alcohol, rival supporters etc mean that it'll never be universally respected. Applause seems to be a happy medium.

[CI]

So McLeish & Rodgers decided to play on

Very poor taste

[Genie]

I think it was the players. I can't remember which manager said it but they said that the players wanted to go ahead with the game.

[CI]

Either the minutes applause felt out of place

[Hev]

Thing is though about the game being called off at Swansea, what about those of us who had forked out probably £60 in petrol to go -and others who had gone for the weekend? Would the clubs have refunded that? (I'm not meaning to be insensitive here, just making a point)

[Morpheus]

The black armband for me is enough.

[kurtsimonw]

Thing is though about the game being called off at Swansea, what about those of us who had forked out probably £60 in petrol to go -and others who had gone for the weekend? Would the clubs have refunded that? (I'm not meaning to be insensitive here, just making a point)

I didn't want to bring this up as I didn't want to seem like I was being selfish. But yeah, I don't have much cash, so I'd I probably wouldn't be able to afford to go if it was re-scheduled.

[CI]

Thing is though about the game being called off at Swansea, what about those of us who had forked out probably £60 in petrol to go -and others who had gone for the weekend? Would the clubs have refunded that? (I'm not meaning to be insensitive here, just making a point)

valid point, but did you still feel like watching a game on the back of that news

[dont_do_it_doug.]

Thing is though about the game being called off at Swansea, what about those of us who had forked out probably £60 in petrol to go -and others who had gone for the weekend? Would the clubs have refunded that? (I'm not meaning to be insensitive here, just making a point)

valid point, but did you still feel like watching a game on the back of that news

Exactly. Speed's death, for WHATEVER reason had a clear and strong impact on many people up and down the country, i don't see a minutes silence/applause as being out of place at all.

Besides which, who really cares that much? If you feel nothing personally, just go along with it out of respect for those that do. It's 1 minute out of your life, get over yourself you whinging bastards ( :winkold: )