Minute's Applause For Gary Speed

[Mack]

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[Wherethefoxhat?]

I kind of agree with you here, yes he was the first player to 500 Premier league appearances, played for his country, was turning his national side around etc.

But he is being made out as a saint, that he isn't as anyone who decides to take their own life is selfish and a coward.

He was only thinking of himself on Sunday morning and wanting a quick route out of whatever has occured or was troubling him.

Now he has done it, he leaves behind a wife, two very young children, parents and close family and friends that everyday have to try and get through this horrible ordeal.

Anyone that does something like this in my view isn't a hero. How are his two boys going to get through the upcoming Christmas with their mum knowing their dad decided upon himself he wasn't happy with his life.

There is a solution to most problems in life be it financial, marrital, professional. Whatever happened must be more than we know but it still doesn't deem the right thing to do is kill yourself and let others close to you pick up the pieces and carry on with their lifes.

If he had died through illness or a tragic accident I would agree with the applause but by taking his own life and troubling those left behind i won't be clapping him.

If you agree with it, that's your decision and you're intitled to it but also people who don't agree are intitled to theirs without being called a **** or a **** etc.

Spot on !

[Captain...]

It may be wrong to you but maybe there might be people who want to pay respect?

There are other ways, probably better ways to show your respect, than clapping for a minute when the ref tells you to.

If you feel affected by this then maybe take some time for some personal refelection remember how lucky you are that even though you may not be as wealthy or successful as Speed you have a loving supportive family, or take the time to talk to them and let them know that whatever it is they have done or will do you will always love them and support them. Or maybe you could make a pilgrimage and visit Elland road where a very touching tribute has been created by fans of clubs he played for and others that were affected by it. Maybe make a donation to a charitable cause which will surely spring up helping people deal with what ever it was that caused Speed to take his own life, or if their isn't a Gary Speed foundation then the Samaritans they always welcome donations.

Or just clap for a minute at a football match you were going to anyway and feel good about yourself.

I mean for fvcks sake clapping, who heard the news on Sunday and clapped? Ridiculous. It's a tragic, tragic loss, a young talented man kills himself and leaves a wife and 2 young children

We don't really know the circumstances though. If he'd accidentally killed himself in a Michael Hutchence way I'm not sure people would be so quick to say we should.

Anyway, we already have a thread on this!

If I he died in an accident, whatever the circumstances of the accident, then I would find it much easier to understand, as much as the people calling him selfish and cowardly are insensitive cvnts there is also an element of truth in that and it feels very weird celebrating the life of someone who's final act was to leave 2 children without their father.

[EnderbyFox]

There are other ways, probably better ways to show your respect, than clapping for a minute when the ref tells you to.

If you feel affected by this then maybe take some time for some personal refelection remember how lucky you are that even though you may not be as wealthy or successful as Speed you have a loving supportive family, or take the time to talk to them and let them know that whatever it is they have done or will do you will always love them and support them. Or maybe you could make a pilgrimage and visit Elland road where a very touching tribute has been created by fans of clubs he played for and others that were affected by it. Maybe make a donation to a charitable cause which will surely spring up helping people deal with what ever it was that caused Speed to take his own life, or if their isn't a Gary Speed foundation then the Samaritans they always welcome donations.

Or just clap for a minute at a football match you were going to anyway and feel good about yourself.

I mean for fvcks sake clapping, who heard the news on Sunday and clapped? Ridiculous. It's a tragic, tragic loss, a young talented man kills himself and leaves a wife and 2 young children

If I he died in an accident, whatever the circumstances of the accident, then I would find it much easier to understand, as much as the people calling him selfish and cowardly are insensitive cvnts there is also an element of truth in that and it feels very weird celebrating the life of someone who's final act was to leave 2 children without their father.

It's not a clap directed at the fact he's dead, it's a clap for the things he achieved with his life.

[Trav Le Bleu]

No problem there at all, just the way that the club (and many of the fans) are jumping on the media bandwagon and tuning a tragic event for the Speed family into some sort of circus.

If you are genuinely affected by the event then find a way to express your feelings, a mass outpouring of largely fake 'respect' is, to my way of thinking, disrespectful in itself.

And whoever came up with the idea that a minutes applause is remotely appropriate at a time like this needs to have a serious word with himself.....

I understand what you mean. Given there will be 20,000+ people there tonight, doubtless someone there will have lost someone near and dear to them recently - did we observe anything for them? Is fame the only worth? It seems that to many people it is.

What would happen if Dennis Wise died tragically?

[Babylon]

But he is being made out as a saint, that he isn't as anyone who decides to take their own life is selfish and a coward.

Here we go again, you are tarring all with the same brush. Take a look in to mental ILLNESS.

[Larry_LCFC]

Cant believe how obnoxious some of you are. As said previously he was a footballing great, a true gentleman of the game and has achieved more in his life than the likes of Rooney and Torres ever will. He was young and had a promising future in football managment and the way he died is tragic and heartbreaking. Show some god damn respect whether you agree with it or you dont because ulitmately someone has died and we'll be honouring him with a minutes applause whether you like it or not!

[Corky]

He was only thinking of himself on Sunday morning and wanting a quick route out of whatever has occured or was troubling him.

You have absolutely no idea that this was the case.

[Babylon]

Cant believe how obnoxious some of you are. As said previously he was a footballing great, a true gentleman of the game and has achieved more in his life than the likes of Rooney and Torres ever will. He was young and had a promising future in football managment and the way he died is tragic and heartbreaking. Show some god damn respect whether you agree with it or you dont because ulitmately someone has died and we'll be honouring him with a minutes applause whether you like it or not!

I think you are completely misunderstanding what people are saying.

Footballing great, really? Achieve more than Torres and Rooney, really?

[ozleicester]

No one has addressed my second question... what does the silence/appalause do.. what is its purpose?

[marbelladave]

Cant believe how obnoxious some of you are. As said previously he was a footballing great, a true gentleman of the game and has achieved more in his life than the likes of Rooney and Torres ever will. He was young and had a promising future in football managment and the way he died is tragic and heartbreaking. Show some god damn respect whether you agree with it or you dont because ulitmately someone has died and we'll be honouring him with a minutes applause whether you like it or not!

So the death of Garry Speed is worthy of respect, but that of Wayne Rooney or Fernando Torres is not, is that what you are saying.......

I pay my respects to anyone who has died when I find myself in a situation where it is appropriate, if there is a minutes applause this evening I shall not take part.

This is not out of disrespect to the Speed family, just the opposite in fact. I find this communal outpouring of largely faked grief from people who did not know him, have not met him and had no part in the mans life to be nauseating.

[EnderbyFox]

No one has addressed my second question... what does the silence/appalause do.. what is its purpose?

A mark of respect.

[ozleicester]

A mark of respect.

To whom?

[EnderbyFox]

To whom?

To the accomplishments of Gary Speed.

If i had lost someone close to me, as his family have- i'd take great comfort in knowing that my loss is respected by everyone in the footballing word

His family even stated that they are overwhelmed with the tributes and positive messages regarding Gary Speed, and said it was easing their pain.

[marbelladave]

No one has addressed my second question... what does the silence/appalause do.. what is its purpose?

A minutes silence, largely impossible in football stadia these days, should serve as a moments reflection on the life of the person being honoured and to my mind is only really applicable to those who knew or were involved with him. If you did not know him then a few moments general thought on the realities of life and death should not go amiss.

A minutes applause is a travesty in such tragic circumstances, proves that once again this is a media event that people with absolutely no class or decency somehow want to be a part of.

If the death of Gary Spead really means something to you then there are far better ways to express your feelings than in indulging in this overwrought media circus.

[Pub breath]

Not sure why this has people so animated. It's one minute of your life and you can choose not to partake in it if you wish. it isn't going to inconvenience you one iota but it's nice that it's there as an option for people who have been moved by his passing and would like to show the man a bit of respect.

It should bother nobody.

[Gold Coast Fox]

Andy king played under Garry for wales so im sure he would appreciate the gesture.

[Larry_LCFC]

So the death of Garry Speed is worthy of respect, but that of Wayne Rooney or Fernando Torres is not, is that what you are saying.......

I pay my respects to anyone who has died when I find myself in a situation where it is appropriate, if there is a minutes applause this evening I shall not take part.

This is not out of disrespect to the Speed family, just the opposite in fact. I find this communal outpouring of largely faked grief from people who did not know him, have not met him and had no part in the mans life to be nauseating.

Yes thats exactly what im saying Or not.

The point im making is that he did alot more for football than most people ever will and that he deserves to be recognised for it. The way you lot are going on, you would think we hold a minutes silence/ applause for any old tom dick and harry. In reality this is extremely rare and its definately worthy. I dont see why your still whinging. Its happening, get over it.

[Joe.]

There's nothing wrong with a minute's applause to recognise Speed's achievements in the game, is there? Quite why anybody would get themselves in a twist about it is beyond me.

[Captain...]

It's not a clap directed at the fact he's dead, it's a clap for the things he achieved with his life.

The last thing I feel like doing when thinking about the tragic cutting short of a life is clapping, minutes silences are a much more dignified way to respect the passing of someone. We don't have a minutes applause on 11/11 even though the people that died in the wars were responsible for one of the greatest achievements in modern history.

Do you clap at funerals?

I have never liked the minutes applause and I think it is wholly inappropriate in situations like this, I could understand when Bobby Robson died he had had a long and successful life full of achievements and he passed away at a decent age. But there is nothing to clap at in this case. I remember reading somewhere that a minutes applause was brought in because they wanted to show respect for someone who had died but were worried the away fans would spoil it so decided that a minutes applause would show respect and drown out the away fans. I may be wrong, or I may be getting confused with when the Munich anniversary fell on Manchester Derby day and they considered a minutes applause but in the end they held an impeccably observed minutes silence with the away fans.

I'm not going to change my mind that in this case it is inappropriate.

[MPH]

Yet it happens every week.......

Ex footballers and others from the football community, many with much closer ties to our club, die all the time but because they are less famous does that make them less deserving of your respect?

This is exactly what I find so difficult, the famous deserve respect, the not so famous pass un-noticed, wierd....

You tit.

its not about who deserves respect... more people know Gary speed than my grandma... so more people are going to WANT to show some sort of respect.

If you have a disdain for famous people in general then why dont you just say so. what is it? jealousy at their money? annoyance at your own lack of it? Either way, dont take it out on someone who made a great contribution to British football and was a role model for so many young footballers today.

[AdamN]

Alright, I understand people complaining about goal music, complaining about Sven, complaining about 4-3-3... but complaining about a minute's applause/silence for a well respected footballer who's tragically passed away?

FoxesTalk has hit a new low.

[Fox92]

Yet it happens every week.......

Ex footballers and others from the football community, many with much closer ties to our club, die all the time but because they are less famous does that make them less deserving of your respect?

This is exactly what I find so difficult, the famous deserve respect, the not so famous pass un-noticed, wierd....

All I said was Gary Speed was the ultimate professional and a top player, so I'll be joining in to show respect.

If you don't want to join in, then don't.

[Babylon]

Alright, I understand people complaining about goal music, complaining about Sven, complaining about 4-3-3... but complaining about a minute's applause/silence for a well respected footballer who's tragically passed away?

FoxesTalk has hit a new low.

Seriously, is it so hard to understand the point people are making? Other than Dave nobody has said they would not join in with whatever the club chose to do.

[TallRider]

This whole Gary Speed circus really gets my goat. I agree with those on here who are miffed as to why this is happening tonight. The guy killed himself for goodness sake. Ended his own life. Yes it's sad (more so for his family) but whoever found him will have to live with what they saw for the rest of their life. Gary doesn't have to.

The media circus gathered around Gary's death is quite frankly disgusting, everyone jumping on the band wagon, fake 'plastic' support for his family you've never met, or would never double take in the street. Everyone reporting how tragic his death is, a tragic death is where you have no say in the outcome, Dumblane massacres, killed in action in Afghanistan, shot at 50 times by some angsty student with a machine gun who's mad at the world, 9/11. But taking your own life... this doesn't earn a minutes applause.

Everyone here is speculating on why he killed himself, depression, affair, gay affair, gambling debts, criminal activity. Whatever it is, nothing will give his two kids their Dad back and that's what's sad.

I'll be mentally applauding Gary Speed's wife and kids every day of their life, as they have to deal with the tragedy that Gary (and only Gary) has dealt them. I'll applaud their bravery for dealing with their problems and for managing through the difficult times ahead. But I won't be applauding Gary.