apart from the fluttering of a flag the silence was very well resp[ected at the JJB/DW/WHATEVER last night
proof again that RL supporters are the dogs!

well done to all

I know what you mean. I'm trying to think where I've heard the applause and it probably is someone like Trevor Foster. As you say, the death of someone in old age.

i dont like minute's applause's

leave that for the disrespcectful football lot i say

Think we got both last night to be honest, after the very touching video of Leon's parents on the big screen there was a great applause around the stadium, then followed by a very quiet 5 mins or so til the players came out.

Don't think an away team will ever come out to the reception Saints came out to from the home fans either, but the team and their fans fully played their part on the night.

Then the 'proper' minute's silence was very touching and emotional and meant 10 times more than the previous applause for me personally. I'm not ashamed to admit I had tears in my eyes for the first time since my mum passed about 4 years ago, I didn't know Leon from Adam, but still felt the pain and hurt suffered by the whole rugby league family and felt immensely proud to be a fan of Wakefield and rugby league last night.

They had one for Vinty Karalius and Frank Tobin Snr at Widnes too. Nothing disrespectful about celebrating their lives and achievements like that.

A one minute applause is for fans that are incapable of showing respect.

I think for RL fans a one minute silence is more than acheivable.

Definately not. Its merely a different way of showing respect. As mentioned above it happens all the time in affirming and celebrating the long life of an old-timer.

I accept in the context of Leon's tragic death that silence was the appropriate way to manifest our collective loss and sadness.

Agreed. The applause thing doesn't feel right to me.

Its second rate, chavvy, common and lame.

You want to show respect, use a minutes silence, anything else is nothing short of abuse.

I can understand why you make such reasoned, calm and reflective posts but it wouldn't harm to break that robotic stance and emote once in a while.

Surely this is true?

In my opinion, a minute's silence is a far more fitting and touching tribute to someone than applause.

People at a sporting event will spend the next 80+ minutes applauding and making noise. So to me there is nothing special, celebratory, or respectful about doing it for one minute more. It just lacks any emotion for me.

But a large group of people remaining silent, though, is out of the ordinary and has much more of a resonance.

I find it a shame that some people seem to think silence cannot also be a way of celebrating someone.

Michael.

Actually I think this thread has two camps.

1. Those who think silence and applause are both methods of celebrating a life depending on the context; and

2. Those who think ONLY silence is appropriate.

I'm very firmly in No1.

Well I was not referring to this thread or anyone on it, it was a general observation directed towards a particular attitude that often comes up on this debate, usually used alongside George Best's name.

As for your two camps though, they are not mutually exclusive. You can think applause is a way of celebrating someone life but never find it appropriate at a sporting event.

In something like a church you could very easily use the exact opposite argument to the one I made where applause would be out of the ordinary and carry far more emotion.

Michael.

Sometimes families request it, and at the end of the day there opinion is the only one which should count.

i'd never heard of a minutes applause as a mark of respect until west ham fans spontaneously applauded when goerge best appeared on the big screen after his death.since then it seems to have become the latest fashion

i also feel uncomfortable applauding someone's passing i dont know about anyone else

It's very common on the continent, that's where the FA got the idea from. It was probably taken up by the FA to cover disrespectful football fans, but that was not it's original purpose, it's just from a different culture.

I don't see the problem with it myself, it's a mark of celebrating someones life. As has been said, it's possibly more in tune with someone who has died in old age rather than suddenly though.

Agreed wholeheartedly.

Yeah that's a tough one I suppose. Being a humanist (as opposed to a chav or an abuser posted above.) I'm just used to the idea of celebration of life being the overriding principle upon someone's death. Its still meant as a mark of respect just the same.

Personally I don't think a minutes applause would have had the same impact yesterday, the prolong silence in the ground was very moving and showed the unity of the fans in a way no applause (or any other noise) ever could. Its hard to put into words the surreal experience standing their last night and its certainly one I will never forget, I doubt their were many dry eyes in the ground!

And the fact it was so impeccably observed from the moment the video was shown to the whistle to signify the end of the official silence says a lot about rugby league fans on the whole and how this tragedy has impacted upon us all in a small way.

I have never witnessed anything similar to last night I must admit. We've all seen minutes silences but it was utterly silent long before the ref blew the whistle. Watching on TV was enough to make me hold my head in my hands so I can only imagine what it felt like to be at the ground.

so quiet at leeds it was eerie. the wire from the flag banging against the pole was all that could be heard.

As a slight aside I also thought Leon Pryce was highly respectful in the post match interview making every attempt to play down the Saints win and his part in it and reiterate that the overriding importance of the night was commerorating Leon Walkers tragic passing.

Lets hope that at all matches everyone shows full and proper repect for the silence, i would hope that anyone who does not is thrown out immediatley.

A minutes silence every time for me- always well respected by all RL fans.