I'm with the majority on here - a one off show of respect. Think that continuing it for every game of the season devalues it. Everyone will have lost a loved one who supports their team and will remember them and pay tribute to them in their own way It will be the same for these 2 lads.
Lots of sensible and respectful comments on this thread The tribute is going to be at every game for the whole season I believe. It was originally suggested as that simply to remember the fact that these two fans would have been at every game home and away. The families of the two fans have both come out and said they support the idea of them being remembered at every game for a season. I think its the fact that they were both so fanatical in attending so many games over such a long period of time (especially John Alder simply due to his age) that has touched so many fans of so many clubs, including many who have expressed that on here. I don't think any fans of any club would have any issue with joining in, and I hope that over the season no ill feeling arises because of this. I too share the worries of what happens when fans forget or are distracted. The games will go on as normal and at some point in the season there will be controversy in the 17th minute - a penalty, bad tackle, sending off - and it will be easy for a group of fans to forget. That is not disrespectful and I hope none of our fans suggest it is. It is a hard subject on so many levels. They were 2 of 298 people who died. No more or less important than any of the others. However, that doesn't make it wrong to remember the 2 you have a connection with in a special way. I also appreciate that lots of people and lots of football fans die in many different ways. Each one is a cause for sadness and grieving. Most deaths get no publicity and no public acknowledgement outside of the immediate circle of family and friends. These two lads' deaths got a lot of publicity, but I hope that the ongoing publicity can at least have some good and keep in the public's minds what happened to MH-17 and what is still happening in Eastern Ukraine.
And there's my objection to the idea ...... if Newcastle score against Sunderland in the 17th minute the applause will be forgotten. In fact I disagree with all of this 'competitive' displays of respect. Bolton, Villa, Newcastle etc have these minutes applause and they lose their dignity after a while imo
My prediction is that if it does go through out the season the papers will get bored of it and if it does get mentioned ad-infinitum the comments on the pages will be filled with disagreeable comments and I'm not just talking about Sunderland fans. The only other match it should have been done at is the Derby. Where a show of respect from us would have been apt and meant something. I have been impressed with how few jokey comments have been made by my fellow Mackem's in the real world. Dragging it out over a season, imho will lead to more disrespect than respect in the long run.
I think the Sunderland fans have been brilliant about this (and to be honest I wouldn't have expected anything else). I completely understand your concerns. There is a real danger that will happen, tho I hope not.
As tragic and upsetting as it was, I don't think this us either warranted or expected. As fans and as human beings we both sympathized and grieved with the families of the two lads but I'm uncomfortable with this recent fascination and obsession with over doing the grief towards others we neither knew or met but who then demand and expect everyone else to join in with. We all have friends and family who have passed away but we don't ask the world to grieve every week. It started with Diana Spencer and continues today. I love the respect and dignified way football fans from both clubs have responded and dealt with this tragedy but the two lads should now be left to their families. Let them rest in peace and move on. If others wish to applaud then do so but don't expect everyone to follow. One thing I would add though is that it would be a good thing to do in the derby matches as a way of perhaps ending this violent hatred between the two clubs fans. I love the banter and piss take but think the level of hatred and animosity over recent years is not healthy. There is a mutual dislike but a shared history which should be better than it is. I for one would welcome this approach.
100% spot on post imo. I really feel uncomfortable with every pile of soggy teddy bears & badly spelled messages at every crash site, football gates or doorway. You're right about Diana, some of the scenes were sickening.
100% agree with that bit. Some of the 'banter' on both sides has become toxic and I don't see how that can be anything other than unhealthy. I love banter and I love taking the piss out of Sunderland fans (expecting the same back) but it has reached the point where I stop myself because of some of the other cringe-worthy comments I see others making and not wanting to appear to be putting the boot in on the back of something that is not banter and not funny. If excellent response of the Sunderland fans this summer helps to end that toxicity then it will be a positive to come from it. On the issue of the fans clapping, in defence of the fans who started this, they do know the guys personally and some of the publicity has made it bigger than it is - rather than anything they intended. From what I can tell the original idea was simply for the away group to clap their missing friends, with no expectation for anyone else to join in - even at SJP.
TBH mate ..... if a 'benefit scrounger' was on the piss with her knock-off driving around town at 100 mph, while her kids were being looked after by who knows who and died in a crash people would just shrug and think she had it coming.
Me neither, I've donated and I don't believe in all that whatever minute applause. Petrov had to plead with the villa fans to pack it in it became that tedious. Besides fella, we can't see the scoreboard so won't know when to
