Minute's applause?

Liverpool observe a minutes applause for a Stuart Downing's

mother who passed her driving test at the 5th time of asking yesterday

Not sure about the "minutes applause" for Fabric Muamba this evening if the truth be told. Bit much. And these floral tributes for him. We have a minutes applause in football to pay our respects to someone who has recently passed away only because the nuggets on the terraces can't be trusted to observe a whole minute in silence as is the etiquette in the civilised world. So would we have a minutes silence for Fabrice tonight if the fans could behave? No of course not as that would be entirely inappropriate.

It's also a celebration of a life true, but the fella is not dead. His condition is obviously very serious and his brain having been starved of oxygen for about an hour and fifteen minutes means his quality of life will now be seriously compromised so it's being presumed his playing career is over, but there's more to life than football.

I think this ceremony of getting players together in the centre circle and calling for a minute's applause should be restricted to paying respects for the dead and only the single weekend after his passing as opposed to the three or weeks clubs were still holding ceremonies for Gary Speed. Otherwise how do you decide what does and doesn't and who does and who doesn't deserve this mark of respect?

The people of Liverpool won't be able to get a game on for all the time they spend paying their respects to dead people and people who have had a tough time of it. There are other ways to encourage Fabrice Muama. This is too much. I blame Princess Diana.