Heroes? Not really. A tragic waste of life in a a pointless conflict.

I feel so sorry for their families, these lads should never have been there in the first place

Sadly it's a sentiment I agree with. The sentiment of the minutes silence has been diluted by the fact we're having them all the time.
The Dewsbury Celtic v Shaw Cross game tomorrow will feature several of Corporal Hartley's schoolfriends, so we shall be having one, it being his 21st too. But I can see where you're coming from, in a way, undermining the will to continue by creating public outpouring of grief is kind of what the Taleban are working towards.

R.I.P condolences to all the families.

A terrible tragedy for their families. I feel as sorry for them as I feel angry at the gutless swine that sent them there.

It's a brave thing to come out and say. Many wouldn't, but many would agree I suspect.

Fair enough. On a personal level, I'd rather be outlived by my kids than my dad. But re your point about a one minute silence, I tend to agree. Having said that, I don't really mind respecting it if it genuinely means something to others.

It has nothing to do with ignorant s like you.

It is an opportunity to express some measure of condolence for a horrific incident in which 6 young men lost their lives. Most normal people with a spark of compassion will understand and appreciate that.

Tossers like you can confine themselves to the bar area, whilst the rest of us will stand quietly and be grateful it wasn't our son who has fallen.

But these young lads have paid the ultimate sacrifice for doing a dangerous job on our behalf. Because our presence in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly pointless or that they knew the risks or that we may feel their work was not on our behalf personally does not take away the tragedy of young lives lost. In fact if their lives have been lost on a pointless cause it makes it even more tragic.

All these lads were from Rugby League's heartland another reason why IMO we should show respect to them and if in some small way it brings comfort to their families then it is worth it. Not much to ask really is it?

I agree with BaldRick here it does seem odd. I think we're responding to the fact that this has been headline news. Had 6 soldiers been killed individually in separate incidents we wouldn't have been having a silence for them but as they all died together it has been at the front of the news.

I think silences for fallen soldiers have their time and place and rugby league has done things in conjunction with the military, a lot of RL towns are in communities where soldiers are recruited from so there are people with links and there have been some good military displays of respect at RL matches. I think having more universal silences for fallen soldiers is more appropriate than selecting individuals because it does raise awkward questions like whats the criteria. I don't have a problem respecting a silence when there is one but I think they should be appropriately chosen.

I agree withyou totally.

Regardless of peoples thoughts on the conflict in Afganhistan, the least people can do is shut up and be quiet for 60 seconds, to think about what those lads were doing for the benifit of the rest of us.

Benefit of the rest of us? How so?

Also with most of the lads involved I bet most them wern't old enough to remember when the war started and why we went there in the first place.

Wouldn't argue with the above.





Which was?

disgusting thing to post , what as it got to do with us shouldnt even come into it its about showing respect and condolences to these 6 young men who have lost there lives , 5 of whom came from a yorkshire regiment and leeds being a major yorkshire city and also one of the kids coming from warrington this is a good call from both clubs and the rfl , like one of your fellow fans states if your not happy with this stay in the bar or stay away

With these things you take from it what you want to take from it, nothing less, nothing more. With the Leeds club being a focal point of the local community and Warrington the same in their community it stands to reason that seeing as we are playing against each other that both clubs stand as one to honour our forces.

RIP and condolences to the families of these young lads.Paying respects is not defending the confict in Afganistan."their's was not to reason why"

In many ways I agree with the sentiment of what BaldRick has said. The minutes silence has been so overused in recent years that it loses much of its meaning. This is demojnstrated by the fact that the minutes silence is now often seen as not enough, and 2 and minutes are now common.

I have been involved in many over the years, and remember being at Elland Road for the Billy Bremner one, and the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. These days they are much more common, and often I don't even know who said person is (although partly through my own ignorance).

Our fallen soldiers do deserve our respects, and I have no problems observing the silence.

Hammer...nail...head

I detest those individuals who attempt to use a minutes silence of reflection as a vehicle for their own political views.

If they want to debate Afghanistan then take it over to the Sin Bin where you can debate the rights and wrongs to your heart's content. And for those who are still a bit lacking in understanding what are "the benefits" of denying a safe haven to a terrorists organisation which is dedicated to the destruction of our way of life; ....simply Google 9/11.....Taliban.....Al Quada

Billy, Billy, Billy. There is no terrorist threat from Al-qaeda or the Taleban ( when did they become a terrorist organisation and not a political party?). We all know, that everything about Afghanistan is wrong, and I agree with you, that if you cannot stay quiet for 1 minute, then disappear, but an earlier poster made the point about silences becoming 10-a- penny and losing their relevance, and I too, agree with that.

I will not be attending the game, I will watch it in the pub, where I wil be quiet and pray the Eternal Rest prayer silently for them.

You mean the terrorist that was found in Pakistan? You mean 9/11, than happend 1000s of miles away in America? We're fighting a war that is no closer to being won as it was 10 years ago against an enemy that would die for their 'cause' without hesitation. The Russains couldn't win over there 30 years ago against a less oraganised and worse equipped enemy than we see today.

I just googled those things and it came up that 9/11 was a conspiracy by the americans and that the war is about oil.

Think we're going off the OT here lads. but the quote about people acknowledging a minutes silence and not knowing who for, reminded of a minutes silence at Anfield a few years back. They played Leeds a few days after the Hillsborough anniversary and the death of Harry Secombe. 2 Liverpool fans in the Kop, obviously silent during the Hillsborough rembrance minute, afterwards when the applause had died down, 1 said to the other;
" What was the silence for?" His mate frowned and looked at him.
" Harry Secombe." He replied.
" Why? Was he a Leeds supporter?"

404 'British servicemen' lost in this conflict now. One for every game Sinfield has worn a Leeds 1st grade jersey over a sixteen year career.

While remembering the fallen it's the parents and grand-parents that will be uppermost in my thoughts. No-one expects to outlive their offspring - it's incredibly difficult to come to terms with, I'm not sure you ever do.

Bravo that man.

We can debate the conflict, but the job of the armed forces is to be on hand to put their lives on the line when people in government deem it to be in the national interest. That's their job, I expect them to do it in return for the money, and equally I think they should be able to expect our respect and gratitude that they are prepared to do it. I'll hold my hands up and say that I don't think I'd have the minerals.

The politics of the specific conflict are irrelevant IMO, and if this incident serves to act as a focal point for remembering the commitment that our armed forces make (and the silence is clearly stated to also be a moment to remember all those who have lost their lives) then I see no problem.

Support for our troops and support for the politics they fight for are too often confused. They are separate in my mind, and should remain so.

Much as I don't really agree with the sentiment he expressed, isn't BaldRick exercising the very freedom our soldiers are supposed to be risking their lives to defend?

Fair point.


Time to practice what you initially preached above then rather than finish off with YOUR political views.

Hypocrite.