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.