17th minute applause vs Charlton

[RHB]

Contacted via Twitter

"@johnlucasNQE Your article re Southend United fans and the 2 dead lads is mis-leading. Suggested by a friend but not supported by most fans"

mcnasty - a man with clout!!!

 

[MisterStubbs]

Not attending to the game today but if I were I wouldn't be comfortable applauding the life of two young men who by all accounts sort to ruin other peoples lives.

 

[AndyT]

Can someone with clout call the Echo and ask them to remove their website article about Southend United fans supporting the applause, because clearly we don't.

I was actually quite surprised at the way the coverage was handled, in general, involving the circumstances surrounding the incident.

However, to suggest that Southend United would be supportive of a minutes' applause seemed foolhardy, at best and to go to print on this, even moreso.

 

[CaptainKT]

I disagree with them being applauded. Driving underage with no insurance; do you really think a big thing should be made out of this with applause? Should we condone such activity............no!

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

I won't be applauding, for the same reasons as given above. Awful tragedy for the families, who I have deepest sympathies for, but looking at the circumstances I can't bring myself to applaud them i'm afraid.

 

[Blues 'n twos]

As someone who has to deal with the aftermath of incidents, such as these 2 lads were involved in, I have absolute sympathy with the friends and family, but are we going to applaud every death that occurs locally?

All reports suggest that they weren't even fans, it was different recently with the Croydon tram crash and Crystal Palace fans dying, I could understand that, they were going about their business and met with a tragic accident. The incident in Leigh was tragic but should be left to the families and friends to commemorate.

 

[Firestorm]

The poster on the Southend United Facebook page who first suggested this appears not to have known originally whether the boys were even fans, which indicates he was not much of a friend of theirs. It's an odd one
Given today is the annual memorial game, an extra minute of applause is bordering on disrespectful for those being remembered before the game

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

I'm not applauding criminals

 

[Thundersley Blue]

I couldn't agree more with these comments. A tragic waste of two young lives maybe but as said before the circumstances are more than questionable.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I'm not applauding criminals

To be fair, we don't know that they were. Their two friends in the car would definitely seem to have been but that is nothing to say that the two who died were by association.

The whole thing seems very odd considering the circumstances though. I understand that a lot of young people have lost two friends but their deaths being given the kind of profile they are seems very odd to me. There was a commemorative "service" on the seafront the other night where they let off loads of Chinese lanterns, now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these had been restricted because of the damage to wildlife, farmstock, buildings etc?

 

[manor15]

The poster on the Southend United Facebook page who first suggested this appears not to have known originally whether the boys were even fans, which indicates he was not much of a friend of theirs. It's an odd one
Given today is the annual memorial game, an extra minute of applause is bordering on disrespectful for those being remembered before the game

Regardless of the consequences of their deaths, it's very sad, but this is the key. It is a memorial event for the club today for fans who have supported the club for decades, why should two 17 year olds with no connection to the club get special treatment?

 

[Floval Flyer]

Two things you should never mention in Liverpool.......Work and Heysel

Doesn't the saying go; 'Always the victim, and never your fault'

 

[Blues 'n twos]

To be fair, we don't know that they were. Their two friends in the car would definitely seem to have been but that is nothing to say that the two who died were by association.

The whole thing seems very odd considering the circumstances though. I understand that a lot of young people have lost two friends but their deaths being given the kind of profile they are seems very odd to me. There was a commemorative "service" on the seafront the other night where they let off loads of Chinese lanterns, now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these had been restricted because of the damage to wildlife, farmstock, buildings etc?

Respect your view, but are you looking at this through a mothers eye?

I find it really strange that whenever people die through whatever circumstances, they were "Angels " regardless of any dubious action.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Respect your view, but are you looking at this through a mothers eye?

I find it really strange that whenever people die through whatever circumstances, they were "Angels " regardless of any dubious action.

No, I don't think so, just saying that people can get caught up in stuff when they are actually no part of it - guilt by association. I doubt it will come out if they were wrong 'uns, tend not to speak ill of the dead in these cases.

 

[manor15]

No, I don't think so, just saying that people can get caught up in stuff when they are actually no part of it - guilt by association. I doubt it will come out if they were wrong 'uns, tend not to speak ill of the dead in these cases.

Given they were under 18 they would be protected by anonymity even if things did emerge when the case goes to court, wouldn't they?

 

[AndyT]

To be fair, we don't know that they were. Their two friends in the car would definitely seem to have been but that is nothing to say that the two who died were by association.

The whole thing seems very odd considering the circumstances though. I understand that a lot of young people have lost two friends but their deaths being given the kind of profile they are seems very odd to me. There was a commemorative "service" on the seafront the other night where they let off loads of Chinese lanterns

This is what I am struggling with, too.

Yes, the fact that the driver had a potential rap sheet as long as the pier, doesn't make everyone else in the car guilty. However, the police tried to stop them and pursued them in a marked vehicle. At this point, their vehicle then becomes a murder weapon. I guess we were lucky it was 12:50am and they clipped the BMW, not catching it full on, taking the innocent driver inside with them. Just ask the family and friends of Sheri Lawrence or 'Rigsby' earlier, what the effects of a vehicle in the hands of someone not in control, can have on their lives.

The deaths here could have been avoidable, but for close family and friends will leave a hole in their lives.

However, the outpouring, publicly, about this event makes for uneasy reading and to suggest that, at Roots Hall, we would be applauding and thus condoning these actions is patronising, at the very least.

 

[Blues 'n twos]

Firstly I was no Angel at 17, and for many years before and after, but I knew what those who I associated with were about, their dodgy activities, ages, car licence details etc so I have little doubt all 4 youths in the car knew each other, therefore they are guilty by association in my eyes OBL

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

Contacted via Twitter

"@johnlucasNQE Your article re Southend United fans and the 2 dead lads is mis-leading. Suggested by a friend but not supported by most fans"

It was also mentioned on BBC Look East news a few times yesterday as well.

 

[Bratislava Blue]

Seems like it didn't happen.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

It did, but not that well supported