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Again the more i think about this the more i cannot get my head around it, Im expecting some kind of scandal to appear in the papers to explain his actions. I hope there isnt one but to me at this time. it seems the only rational way to explain what happened. For someone who seemed content to do what he did seems bonkers without an even happening to push him over the edge.

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I woke up this morning here in Oz to the tragic news of Gary's death. Australia is not noted as a football (soccer) nation by the press or media but television sports news is plastered with this tragic news.

 

I would like to relay to your all a personal experience I had with Gary. I had not been to SJP for 20 years when in Easter 2003, my best mate arranged for my wife and I to visit the ground for a tour and have easter sunday lunch in the restaurant. It was the day before the Easter Monday game against Aston Villa when we drew 1-1 with Nobby scoring a terrific free kick. My mate got us tickets for thew game too.

 

Whilst having coffee after lunch, Gary Speed walked up to med and asked if he could join us. My mate had apparently arranged this with the club unbeknown to me. I was astounded when he came up to me and he sat down with a cup of tea and spent a good half hour chatting. He showed a genuine interest in what I was doing in Australia and had told us that he had visited the country but had never been to Melbourne. Of course, I immediately issued an invitation but unfortunately, it was never really going to happen.

 

I found Gary to bed a thorough gentleman, decent, informative and knmowledgeable aboutg the coaching side of the game. As a coach myself, we discussed various tactics and he offered me great advice on how to deal with playwers, especially younger players. He was extremely courteous to my wife and when he left, he said how pleased he was to talk us.

 

I am personally shocked at the news today and I can only think aboutg how his family must be suffering.

 

God bless you Gary, you were one of the greats, not just as a player b ut as a man and a person. RIP

 

:clap: It's often the "off the record" encounters which say most about people who are famous.

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Buying another home shirt with 'Speed 11' on the back on my lunch break.

A footballer/manager who deserves such FAR more than the rest.

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There were so many stories like that on the 606 special the other night. Savage was in bits, normally hate the guy but he was obviously crushed. I think Shay Given was in tears during the silence as well. So sad.

 

Given was completely gone. Can't imagine what it was like for the likes of him, Williams, Allen etc yesterday. Never have they, or will they again, I doubt, care so little about the result of a match they're playing in.

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There were so many stories like that on the 606 special the other night. Savage was in bits, normally hate the guy but he was obviously crushed. I think Shay Given was in tears during the silence as well. So sad.

 

Given was completely gone. Can't imagine what it was like for the likes of him, Williams, Allen etc yesterday. Never have they, or will they again, I doubt, care so little about the result of a match they're playing in.

 

 

 

None of this weekends results are important in my mind after this news, even our great result at Man United.

 

A minutes silence, a minutes applause and 90 minutes of chanting would not be enough at the weekend.  Hopefully we put in a performance he would have been proud of and dedicate the result to him.

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We( NUFC) need to do something big in his memory. Hope they retire No. 11 or something

:undecided: I'm never sure about retiring numbers. I do agree that something permanent should be done by the club though, like naming an area within the stadium after Speed, making a placard for him or even a statue somewhere? He was a fantastic servant to our club and needs to be commemorated accordingly.
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I wasn't at the match yesterday, but have just spoken to a chap at work who was.

 

I wasn't too sure about the applause thing myself, but he said it was absolutely spine tingling and all four sides of the ground were joining in with the "one Gary Speed" chant.

 

Said it was the strangest atmosphere he's ever experienced at a football match.

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To be fair the applause was spontaneous and came from the heart I suppose.

 

Weird all the same though.

not so sure it was spontaneous as much as people weren't paying attention to what was said and are now more used to the minutes applause.
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Personally I find the applause strange, for me the silence is a better opportunity to reflect. I would rather save the singing and clapping for after.

 

Same. There's something far more poignant about so many (generally rowdy) people in such a small space falling totally silent IMO.

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I think applause for someone like Sir Bobby is fitting, to celebrate his life, but this was such a tragedy for him to die with so much to seemingly live for, silence is more appropriate.

 

As I alluded to earlier though, it's easy for mindless vermin to spoil a minutes silence but darned impossible to ruin a minutes applause. Both show respect but I think the applause is fitting for an entertainer/ sports person.

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Personally I find the applause strange, for me the silence is a better opportunity to reflect. I would rather save the singing and clapping for after.

 

Same. There's something far more poignant about so many (generally rowdy) people in such a small space falling totally silent IMO.

 

I also wonder whether the modern trend towards applause is a way to avoid actually facing the reality of sudden and early death, and just turn it into another episode in the entertainment.

 

I'm not criticising any particular instance BTW, I would just rather everyone took a minute to think about things.

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