Gary Speed

[Finnegan]

I wish people would stop banging on about how Andy King feels. He played what, 5 times under Speed? I'm sure it was a shock, but it's not like he's lost a lifelong friend like Shay Given and co. That's not to say he's not grieving, but it's no reason to have a minute's silence in and of itself.

I can understand every club in the Football League having a minute's silence because Speed was the Wales manager and a recent and well-respected professional who died in shocking circumstances. I can't understand the argument that Leicester City should have a minute's silence because Andy King might be a bit upset.

Sometimes it's not all about us.

If that's a response to what I've said then I think you're over-reacting somewhat. As I've said elsewhere, you can't compare what some of the junior members of Speed's squad will be feeling about now to the grief of his family and some of his closest friends, players he played with through most of his career.

I don't think there should NEED to be any connection to a club for them to want to pay their respects to Speed, for all of the reasons I've given above.

I'm simply stating, for some of the less emotive of our supporters, who seem to want to know why we'd consider honouring the dearly departed - I think the fact that there will be players and possibly coaches presently who knew him directly should be incentive enough for a simple show of respect.

[Guest ttfn]

If that's a response to what I've said then I think you're over-reacting somewhat.

It's not. I'd have quoted you if it was.

I actually agree we should have a silence, but only if it's enforced throughout the football league.

[Finnegan]

It's not. I'd have quoted you if it was.

I actually agree we should have a silence, but only if it's enforced throughout the football league.

Sorry to come across as touchy then.

Been a long day.

[Guest ttfn]

Sorry to come across as touchy then.

Been a long day.

It's understandable that it's a touchy subject.

It seems like a trivial side effect but it must be horrible to be a Welsh football fan now. So much good work has been tragically undermined.

I'm sorry for your loss.

[Finnegan]

I'm sure a lot of people will be claiming all of a sudden that Gary Speed was their hero but he's always been a big part of my football growing up. He was our captain through our best years when I had tickets for every game. I've never really been hit by a "celebrity" death before but I was genuinely devastated by his death.

The ramifications for the national side haven't really struck me yet, to be honest. Listening to the likes of Bale, Earnshaw and Ramsey over the last fourty eight hours it's really obvious how much of an impact he'd made already - he'd instilled the same sort of rare confidence that we hadn't really had since Sparky gave the same new vigour to Speed and co' in the early noughties.

[Rusko187]

Geez why are we arguing, what's the problem with respecting others and giving ONE minute of your busy lives to show some respect to an individual which has accomplished so much in his life! Remember not all Leicester fans are English and we have a player who is presumably going to have felt this more so than others.

[Corky]

That's the thing, it's one minute that you just need to keep quiet.

It's not too much to ask.

[Captain...]

That's the thing, it's one minute that you just need to keep quiet.

It's not too much to ask.

Nobody has said they won't respect it, if the club decides to hold a minutes then it will be respected, some people are just questioning why we would hold a minutes silence for a player that has never played for us and has no association with the city or even England (where most of us are from).

[Finnegan]

Nobody has said they won't respect it, if the club decides to hold a minutes then it will be respected, some people are just questioning why we would hold a minutes silence for a player that has never played for us and has no association with the city or even England (where most of us are from).

Nearly seven hundred games in English football?

FIFA lowered their own flags at their headquarters as a mark of respect to his passing. The entire world of football is acknowledging Speed's passing.

The question isn't why we should hold a minute's silence it's more about why we should be, I'm guessing, the only English club that doesn't?

[volpeazzurro]

Gary Speed was a player who I admired greatly. He opitimised the player most supporters love i.e. worked hard every game for the good of his team without being a Billy Big Bollocks. Whilst I never particularly ever liked Leeds, I could never dislike Gary Speed at the time when he played for them ,such was the over-riding honesty of his game and his ability to never wind up opposition supporters apart from for the most part, performing very well against you. I'm admittedly one of those individuals that whilst England are obviously my first national team, I quite like the other home nations to do well as well. I was worried when Speed took over Wales strangely as I didn't want him to tarnish his reputation with what appeared to be a poisoned chalice, how wrong I was, he was just turning them round before his untimely death. RIP Gary, you were one of the games great ambassadors!!

[John Matrix]

Geez why are we arguing, what's the problem with respecting others and giving ONE minute of your busy lives to show some respect to an individual which has accomplished so much in his life! Remember not all Leicester fans are English and we have a player who is presumably going to have felt this more so than others.

bloody foreigners. that's not my Britain.

[Guest Col city fan]

For fooks sake... Some of what gets posted on here verges on the ridiculous.

No one yet has any idea, none whatsoever as to what happened to Gary Speed and why...

I for one will be happy to remember the contribution he made to the game of football. I don't give a fook if he was a city player or not. I'll applaud if asked to, or be silent if asked to.

What I won't do is to start preaching about 'whether he was selfish to take his own life'or anything else...I'll leave his family to grieve and wait until the truth as to this tragic event becomes apparent.

People always have their own motives for doing what they do and to make assumptions is pointless.

[Babylon]

Im confused with who we should and shouldn't pay our respects to. Are you under 45, were you fairly high profile... congratulations you get a minutes silence. Did you die in your sleep after a good innings, or did you ply your trade outside the premier league... Ooops sorry no minutes silence for you.

As I've said not got a problem with the club holding one as I'm sure they will, and I'll pay my respects. Just think if you are going to pay respects to one you should pay respects to all. Or you draw a line and stick to those with club links.

Thank goodness he did, but if John Hartson had lost his battle would people be wanting to give him a minutes silence?

And finners it was not about my relative is more depressed than yours. It was an example to Mack that not every case is the same and some people can slip so badly they lose all control. I'd rather you didn't trivialise it as a willy waving contest.

[Babylon]

Nearly seven hundred games in English football?

FIFA lowered their own flags at their headquarters as a mark of respect to his passing. The entire world of football is acknowledging Speed's passing.

The question isn't why we should hold a minute's silence it's more about why we should be, I'm guessing, the only English club that doesn't?

We will do as every other club will do because it has become the norm now for clubs to do it.

Perhaps I just don't remember them previously but we seem to do them more than we ever used to.

Anyway this is turning more into a general gripe again about how often they are done and for whom which I've held long before Garys death.

I won't go on about it any more because a tragic event has started these threads. And I don't want this debate to detract from it.

[iancognito]

Why the hell is it even a debate? The guy has took his own life - for whatever the reason - it is a tragic event that affects the football world. If this was an ex City legend or manager, we'd expect others to do the same (and this is the bottom line) show some respect.

The word respect is banded around by people enough let's see if everyone is capable of showing it

[Larry_LCFC]

Most people are silent for 90 minutes anyway so I dont see a problem with making it 91. Some people need to climb down off their high horses and learn some respect.

[Dylan]

Definitely hope there is a minutes APPLAUSE for Gary Speed tomorrow; rather than the silence.

A great gentlemen of the game; very well respected; and will be remembered for a long time. Would rather have a minute's applause to CELEBRATE his achievements and life.

[flowwolf]

Further to my previous post I meant no disrespect to Gary speed whatsoever. My point was and still is where do we draw the line or do we have a minutes silence every match to respect every descent person who has died not just celebrities? Lots of very good people die every week many of them over a season have been die hard Leicester fans , these people have led excellent hard working respectable lives , and I respect them as much as I do Speed. Tell me this if it was Elsie Fc and 80 year old Leicester fan all her life who had just passed away would she get a minutes silence ? just because speed was successful does not make his life worth more than anyone else.

[Captain...]

Nearly seven hundred games in English football?

FIFA lowered their own flags at their headquarters as a mark of respect to his passing. The entire world of football is acknowledging Speed's passing.

The question isn't why we should hold a minute's silence it's more about why we should be, I'm guessing, the only English club that doesn't?

I wasn't actually expressing an opinion on the matter, just getting a bit fed up of reading "OMG you can't even give up 60 seconds of your time!!!!" When no one has said that they wouldn't respect a minutes silence. The point being debated is should we and every other club in England and where is the line drawn? Yes he did play in England including five or six games at Filbert street against us, I even saw him play a few times. Great player. A sad loss, and I was quite upset on Sunday hearing the news.

Would I respect the minutes silence? Yes as would everyone in the ground with a shred of decency.

Would I see it as a mark of disrespect if we didn't hold one? No

[Guesty]

I would hope it's a minutes applause.

I understand the argument for where do you draw the line on who get's an applause/silence. i think the fact he was a home countries manager and there will probably be welsh players and fans there is enough to applaud for one min and celebrate his career/life.

[Oh tommy wright]

Most people are silent for 90 minutes anyway so I dont see a problem with making it 91. Some people need to climb down off their high horses and learn some respect.

[/quote

Too right for most fans it might be a challenge too remain silent for a player who has no ties to their club. But for us we are used too silence. The kop seems to have been doing a sponsored silence for the last 4 or 5 seasons.

God bless Gary Speed a bloody good footballer, a fans player, a 100% er and by all accounts a bloody good bloke.

[flowwolf]

Judging by your posts, you have to be one of the most insensitive and uncaring posters i have come accross. Not just based on this post either... I hope to God you dont get married or are not already married because i can only imagine what your attitude would be to your spouse and kids...

Sorry you feel the need to put your disagreement with my post in such an aggressive way but I will put that down to you not fully understanding the point i was making, a point that quite a few on here understood and agree with.

I am most certainly not insensitive or uncaring it is just that I refuse to get caught up in the sort of mass hysteria that now takes place in this country when ever someone dies.

I have the up most respect for Gary Speed and feel deeply for his family it is just that I do not feel the need to do public homage to someone I did not know . Of course I shall respect the minutes silence or clapping but that does not mean I agree with it and i will not be shamed into thing I should.

[marbelladave]

Further to my previous post I meant no disrespect to Gary speed whatsoever. My point was and still is where do we draw the line or do we have a minutes silence every match to respect every descent person who has died not just celebrities? Lots of very good people die every week many of them over a season have been die hard Leicester fans , these people have led excellent hard working respectable lives , and I respect them as much as I do Speed. Tell me this if it was Elsie Fc and 80 year old Leicester fan all her life who had just passed away would she get a minutes silence ? just because speed was successful does not make his life worth more than anyone else.

Absolutely on the money......

Some folk on here may be genuinely more affected by his death than others, if that is the case then my condolences to you.

But most of us never met him, had absolutely nothing to do with him and this apparent obsession for showing 'respect', simply because he was (semi) famous is ludicrous.

Sadly I see this as a rather unpleasant part of modern life, people routinely treating others appallingly in their everyday lives, then falling over themselves in a pathetic attempt to show how much they care for people they have never even met.

[marbelladave]

One further point....

The idea that a tradegy such as the (apparant) suicide of Garry Speed should be commemorated by a minutes applause is, to me, quite disgraceful.

This is a habit that has crept into our culture in recent times and is just simply wrong. At the time of a persons death the only appropriate response is a dignified silence, sadly something that football fans routinely fail to observe.

At a later event commemorating a persons life, a minutes applause might sometimes be appropriate depending on the circumstances.

[cc_star]

Can't think of anything worse than a minute's applause, it's not a celebration for one too die so young with so much still to achieve.

I've had nothing to do with Speed, but I love football & Speed has been a top class pro in the sport I love for a very long time. I felt genuinely saddened that we have lost a stalwart of the top flight, one who played the game generally honestly & gave it his all to entertain us.

I do get the point about him having no club ties, but FFS, he's a football person at the top level in our country, he's been there & done it for a long time, we're football people. It's a no-brained IMO

Just, please, please don't turn it into a minute's applause just too look big in front of your mates, I'm not a fan of them but id they are to happen it should be for people who died after a good innings & not in tragic circumstances.

It's never even a minute anyway, it's usually at half that