New footage uploaded to social media shows boos and shouting had been heard at Liverpool and Wrexham during the minute’s silence.
Pleas for supporters to observe a minute’s silence at the two clubs fell on deaf ears on Tuesday night as a minority of fans reduced it to a shambles.
Most Liverpool fans observed a generally respectful moment’s silence for the Queen ahead of their Champions League match against Ajax at Anfield.
As top-level football returned following the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch last week, the crowd stood for a moment of reflection.
It was marred however with some isolated boos, shouts and chants of ‘Liverpool, Liverpool’ from a minority of individuals, thankfully the majority quickly told them to be quiet and most supporters spent the period of silence quietly and respectfully.
BT Sport’s Darren Fletcher said: ‘Impeccably observed by many, but not by everyone.’
Broadcasters did well to cover this up. pic.twitter.com/UBwtY9FtQo
— Barstool Football (@StoolFootball) September 13, 2022
The each player wore black armbands for the match with the traditional pre-match Champions League anthem not played. It came after Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said observing the moment’s silence was a suitable way to show respect for the Queen.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday night’s game, Klopp said: ‘I think it is the right thing to do, but I don’t think our people need any advice from me to show respect.’
Klopp paid his own personal tribute to the Queen, saying she was a ‘warm and loving lady’ before confirming that he would honour the moment’s silence.
He continued: ‘She was a really nice, warm and loving lady. She’s the only Queen of England I’ve ever known. I didn’t know her but she was kind and warm. People feel so close to her and I respect their grief a lot.
‘I will show my respect tomorrow night with silence.’
The Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance group tweeted: ‘Everyone attending tonight’s match, please show respect and observe the minute’s silence.
‘You probably think that any backlash won’t affect you but it will affect us and family members with the increase in abuse over Hillsborough. Respect costs nothing and that goes both ways.’
Kenny Dalglish echoed that message, saying: ‘Respect costs nothing and goes both ways. Brilliantly put. I hope everybody at Anfield can respect these wishes tonight. KD.’
Graeme Souness also warned fans not to disrespect the moment of silent reflection on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, there were several fans who booed at Wrexham after the whistle was blown for the silence to begin, prior to the National League home game against Dagenham and Redbridge, leaving other infuriated fans to shout them down.
This ruined any attempt at a show of respect for the Queen with some reports claiming to suggest other fans chose to wait in the concourse areas until the minute was up before taking their seats.
Minute silence at the Racecourse pic.twitter.com/CKfphxKH7q
— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) September 13, 2022
The incident seemed to have no bearing on the hosts, who went on to comfortably beat Dagenham and Redbridge 4-1 at the Racecourse.
Wrexham appealed to fans on Monday to observe the minute’s silence, saying in a statement: ‘Wrexham AFC will join all the other Clubs in the National League and observe a one-minute silence before Tuesday’s game, as a mark of respect following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
‘We have a simple request, regardless of your own personal opinions, which we recognise everyone is entitled to; on this occasion, you leave these at the turnstiles of the Racecourse Ground and do not use the one-minute silence to promote your own views over those of others.
‘The spotlight on the Club, shines brighter than ever and in an exceptionally positive way, so let’s not give anyone a reason to view the Club in any other way, by not observing the one-minute silence.
‘The Club hopes it can count on your support in observing the one-minute silence.’
Wrexham said in a statement on Wednesday: “It was disappointing to hear the one-minute silence before the 4-1 victory against Dagenham & Redbridge disturbed be a small number of individuals among the 9835 in attendance.
“To have the Club’s name in the media this morning for all the wrong reasons, is not a scenario that should have occurred and we wish to apologise to all who were offended by the actions of the minority, while thanking the vast majority who did observe the one-minutes silence.
“A number of the individuals who disturbed the one-minute silence were asked to leave the Racecourse Ground for their own safety.”
Many will recall how both Liverpool and Wrexham fans booed the British national anthem at Wembley earlier this year.
players of the Liverpool and Ajax under-19 teams also held a minute’s silence ahead of their UEFA Youth League fixture at Liverpool’s academy training ground.
Ahead of Tottenham’s European clash with Sporting in Lisbon, there were some supporters who didn’t observe the mark of respect during the minute’s silence and decided to shout during it.
In the EFL, there were plenty of fitting tributes. At the Riverside Stadium, a picture of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was held up on the scoreboard before the fixture with Cardiff City.
In League One, Ipswich Town blacked out their match programme for their encounter against Bristol Rovers. They also adorned it with a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the back cover too.
In League Two, Mansfield left fans emotional when they set off doves to flying high into the sky.
Swansea City was also in action, playing at home against Sheffield United, and both sets of supporters respected the minute’s silence very well.
Fans gave their reaction to new footage which shows some boos and shouting heard at Liverpool and Wrexham during the minute’s silence for the Queen…
@NLBIBLE4: I’m gonna say fair play to the majority for telling the minority to shut the fuck up
@DL1992_: Quickest minute silence ever because some Liverpool fans couldn’t respect the minutes silence.
@cathelizabeth: What a sad state of affairs with the eyes of the world now on the racecourse. Sadly no class whatsoever I hope the club do the right thing and ban them
@WattyRacing: Pathetic behaviour, this is why the FA were quick to call last weekends games off
@moelfennli: well done the majority for showing respect
@siondavies: Those who didn’t observe the silence should be banned. It’s shameful and embarrassing behaviour that these people can’t show any respect.
@KelmanPeter: Liverpool silence lasted about 30 seconds because of pricks who cant be silent fuck them.
@jonmikesav8: Fair play to Liverpool fans. They couldn’t manage a minutes silence but then made amends by doing it for 89 minutes.
@katehuws: Really showed the club up with the documentary bringing attention from around the world. Regardless of political opinion a woman of note has died can’t we show her the respect we would show every other minute’s silence? Disgusting behaviour
@Rob84156404: Love the guy who shouts “shut up”
@JamesWiseman: Booing during minute silence but happy to take the day off on Monday.
@WrexhamDragons: Glad the muppets were quashed by the decent fans! 👍
@NathanHughesUK: Well done the vast majority of @Wrexham_AFC fans who respected the minute silence. Disappointed that a select few shouted and jeered. I wasn’t expecting most to respect the moment pause before the game. 🇬🇧🏴
@Wrexhamisdname: The people who booed was made aware that they aren’t welcome by the way👍
@AaronBraisdell: Embarrassing for the club.
@ashmilesWHUFC: Some Liverpool fans couldn’t help but shout and boo during the minutes silence 🙄 imagine the shock. Scum.
@cbetteley68: Everyone is entitled to voice their opinion but this was not the time or the place.
@richwinniejones: Should be ashamed of yourselves. 60 secs to show respect to an old lady. Hope nobody boo’s when your parents pass. Bet the people booing will take the day off on Monday though.
@WillTalbut: So Liverpool fans can’t make it through even 10 seconds of a minutes silence for the Queen without heckling. You can bet every penny in the world that if the same happened during a Hillsborough minutes silence, they would be fuming & the media would be crowing about it.
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