Villa fans during the minutes silence at Palace

[Jimbo]

Isn't this why they invented the minute's applause? It seems a much better option at a rowdy event like a football match, so that when we have the minute's applause for the anniversary of the Bradford City fire, the Bolton tragedy, the Ibrox disaster, the Heysel disaster and indeed the Hillsborough disaster, we can all show our respect by making a racket, like football fans are supposed to?

[rjp]

I was in row 9 and came up from the concourse during the minutes silence after queuing for the loo for an age.  Whilst I was quiet, I was also completely unaware that the minute's silence had begun.  You couldn't tell from the concourse area as the PA system is inaudible and I'm sure that 99% of those making noise were in the same boat.  Like all clubs we have our share of idiots (and they were out in force on Saturday) but at least from my vantagepoint I didn't see anyone being intentionally disrespectful.  It was an unfortunate set of circumstances.  On a separate note, my Palace supporting mate was quite near us and said some girl in their section got hit by a bottle during the match, there seemed to be a bit of aggro but I couldn't see what was going on.

[E I Adio]

It's a football match, fans are full of tension and adrenaline. They're just asking for trouble calling for minute silences. I'm getting sick of them.

Yes, it is a bit much expecting fans to be quiet as a sign of respect for 1 minute. After all, they've only got another 1,439 minutes in the day in which to make a noise. 

They're going to a football match not a mass.

I tend to agree that there are generally too many which of course has the effect of devaluing the significance, but my point is that if there is a call for a 1 minute silence, it should not be beyond the capabilities of anyone to observe it.

I've never been to a mass, and suspect I never will, but I'm pretty sure they last longer than 1 minute.

[brian green]

Precisely Jimbo.   Who decided that the only form of respect for the dead is silence?   Last year my brother died.   He was a Villa fan from before WW2.   The club sent a wreath to his funeral, a letter of condolence to his widow and a very moving card signed by the players.   After his funeral we all went to Timperley Cricket Club.   It was a noisy, raucous, beery family gathering filled with laughter and  Villa story telling.   My brother would have hated silence and tears and unhappiness.   It was the way he would have wanted it.   Let us remember the victims of Hillsborough as full of life and love of the beautiful game not as some sort of behavioural science test.

[aev]

I am sure the 96 who lost their lives at Hillsborough would not want their fellow fans to be po faced and miseryarsed.

Being quiet for a minute doesn't have to equate to being po faced and miseryarsed.

I was sat in the Palace bit and it was clear that there was some chanting or singing coming from the Villa bit, though it was muffled and could quite easily have come from the concourse.

In an ideal world I personally think a minutes silence is a moving tribute, but as we have seen as supporters twice this season, perhaps it is unworkable.

[Somniloquism]

But surely you were silent/ respectful in the church / wherever the service was.  Then afterwards the noise was made. Well isn't that the same as Saturday? Minutes silence and then the cheering after.

When a player dies, I prefer a minutes applause for his accomplishments in life, however applauding for a minute because fans of other teams lost their lives just does not sit right, especially as it could have been our fans ( or others in the 80's).

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

I was listening to the commentary of the Arsenal game and the minute's silence eased into a minute's applause because of chanting. People in the concourse there as well I should imagine.

[AVH87]

I was at the game, and as it is often is it was people who were singing on the concourses, continuing to sing as they entered the ground, then getting told to 'shut up', which obviously creates more noise.

So, technically the Palace fan is right as he will have heard singing from the stand, albeit very briefly. Like I say it was as people entered from the concourses, they'd stop once they were told. Unfortunately, there was then the next rowdy group coming in who hadn't cottoned on to the minute's silence either.

It's not great coverage but it happens when people go on boozy away days, I'd had a fair few drinks myself, but was well aware of the minute's silence and was in the ground from around 3pm. Guess it's easy to forget about a silence when you've sunk a few and are at a football match when everyone's singing and shouting for hours before the game.

[villajk]

No there wasn't - as I've said earlier on this thread, and also on the post match thread on Saturday, the noise came from Villa fans who had not yet entered the seating area, and were therefore unaware that the minutes silence had started. The Villa fans got similar - undeserved - stick at West Ham on 2nd November. I'm more than happy for fellow fans to be lambasted if they deserve it but in these two cases they don't.

Agreed.  Exactly how I saw, and heard, it.

[Pete3206]

I find the self righteous indignation of Crystal Palace fans far more nauseating than a few pissed up morons, momentarily forgetting themselves. Especially as it's now widely known, that these 'salts of the earth' had plenty of knuckle scrapers of their own.   

[stuart445]

No there wasn't - as I've said earlier on this thread, and also on the post match thread on Saturday, the noise came from Villa fans who had not yet entered the seating area, and were therefore unaware that the minutes silence had started. The Villa fans got similar - undeserved - stick at West Ham on 2nd November. I'm more than happy for fellow fans to be lambasted if they deserve it but in these two cases they don't.

That doesn't wash with me Saturday was highly advertised about the minute silence, the game kicked off 7 minutes late as advertised,  the not knowing about it is a shit excuse.  Fair enough for most other minutes silence but not one that was as high profile as Saturdays one it was embarrassing

[Villa in Denmark]

I was listening to the commentary of the Arsenal game and the minute's silence eased into a minute's applause because of chanting. People in the concourse there as well I should imagine.

It was very odd seeing the TV coverage.  People stood in silence, head bowed, not 30 cm from someone doing the applause.

The Wigan coaching staff didn't know which way to turn and ended up sort of clapping with bowed heads.

[Mister E]

I find the self righteous indignation of Crystal Palace fans far more nauseating than a few pissed up morons, momentarily forgetting themselves. Especially as it's now widely known, that these 'salts of the earth' had plenty of knuckle scrapers of their own.   

The point is, that for two London clubs we are insensitive and disrespectful louts because - in their experience this season - we dissed two occasions that other clubs 'apparently' did not.

What actually happened and the mitigating circumstances are, in their eyes, irrelevant.

I suggest we all get over it.

[amfy]

There is stuff in the 'Lost football grounds' group on Facebook today about Chelsea & Middlesboro fans failing to respect the silence. So it wasn't just us.

I think away fans possibly struggle more than home fans due to being more likely to be rushing in late, often having had more to drink. Home fans have a routine where any change to it is more easily recognisable.


I think there is a role for turnstile staff & stewards here to remind people as they enter the ground that there is about to be a minutes silence or that there is one in progress.


At the Petrov charity game at Boldmere a few weeks ago there was a minutes silence for the bloke who was due to ref the game but had died. I became aware if it as I was walking up because there had been noise & it had gone quiet. However coming through the turnstiles, it was apparent the the turnstile operators were unaware & were chattering to people on the way in. Someone from inside walked over to tell them & they stopped letting people through but carried on chatting! One of them said  brightly 'I didn't even know there was a minutes silence! To which I responded pretty sharply 'Well you do now!'
That made me think that if the groundstaff aren't properly briefed, then what chance does everyone else have?

[BoldmereVilla]

I was in Row 25 and the little bit of noise came from the concourse, it was made louder by everyone else sshhhing to try and get them quiet. Overall I thought our away support at Palace was tremendous, we were vocal and stayed with the team, despite the shit we were watching.
I forgot what a shithole the Palace ground was though no better than a Division 1 stadium, I spoke with a steward at half time who did say that we were the worst behaved fans for abuse, alcohol and general shit they had welcomed to the ground all season .