A minutes applause for Reds fan Ashley Banks, Wolves on 14 minutes....

​Please excuse a further thread on this, but I've just taken a moment to add a couple of links etc. I posted about this a couple of weeks ago, but the thread inevitably turned to deeper issues and it didn't feel appropriate to keep bumping that one back.



http://www.barnsley-chronicle.co.uk/news/article/6119/boy-found-hanged-in-his-room

It was desperately sad to see Ashley's friends walking the streets of Hoyland collecting money for his funeral last Sunday. But as you will see below the club has been fantastic to Ashley's bereaved family and this is our chance to pay respect to one of our own. His family will be in attendance as guests of the club and it will hopefully provide some small consolation for their tragic loss.

From Bruce Dyer' Facebook page....

If you are a Barnsley Fan PLEASE Share This Post . Today I went to the funeral of a young lad called Ashely Banks who was found hanged in his bedroom , Ashely was only 14 years old . Ashely was a Barnsley FC supporter and all the family are attending the Wolverhampton match on Tuesday and they are asking all reds supporters to do a 1 minute applaud on 14 minutes in memory of Ashely . The family were so blessed by the signed worn shirt of Bobby Hassell which was signed by all the squad (Top Man Bobby) and they were really grateful that myself and Barnsley Fc Club chaplain Peter Amos attended the funeral on behalf of BFC.

Today brought back memories of when I was 9years old and my older sister passed away at the age of 18 and today I had a flash back of the pain my parents went through , my heart was sad when I saw that young teens coffin today .

 

Can someone bump this over to Tykesmad? Ta.

 

Immense sympathy for his family - what we should be doing is having a minute's silence not applauding.

 

This is the fan's way of paying tribute and is how the family have requested we mark Ashley's life. The club can look after the formal stuff, there would be a minutes silence every week otherwise.

 

It certainly worked well

With the gesture made for Springvale Red's Dad, against Cardiff. It was respectfully observed with fans from all four stands joining in, Keith Hill & David Flitcroft also applauded, it boosted the atmosphere and the players responded by upping their performance. As this is something Ashley's family have requested, I don't think it's asking too much for everyone to take part.

 

I might be going against the grain here but I don't think this is right. Terrible tragedy but supporters of the club will probably die every week - a fact of life.

I think it's much more poignant to have the minutes silence at the end of the season than organise these every week.

 

Not harsh at all. Just my thoughts. It's entirely up to the family and the supporters to arrange it and I'll probably take part. I just think these types of tributes lose their meaning when they start happening regularly.

 

Fair points, but I think this argument might be best left for another time.

 

Aye, a little insensitive on my part. Apologies.

 

My son is in year 9 at Horizon School, the same as Ashley Banks. I think the kid was a bit of an outcast with him coming from a different school and did have a bit of a reputation due to his behaviour problems.
Nevertheless, this is such a tragedy. What a waste of a young life. Reading some of the comments on the Chron website it sounds like the poor kid just needed to be loved.
Hope the applause on 14 minutes is well supported.
RIP Ashley.

 

bump.

 

From Wolves forum:

"When the applause starts,let's all join in. We will, and I am sure all Wolves fans will join in."

 

I don't think they lose their meaning to the families involved.

 

Personally I think it's a nice touch, as a father myself to see so many people sparing a minute to applaud the memory of a young kids life I think it's the least people could do whether people think it's right or not. Incidents like this prove how cruel life can be at times. God only knows what his family are going through.

Rest in peace young man x

 

I agree with you Dyson. It is a nice touch, it will be lovely (if that is the right word) to the family involved, I will join in but personally I think that when we start doing a minutes applause for random fans who have died (lets face it, to the familys involved every death is just as devastating to them isn't it) then it begins to lose a bit of it's meaning for me personally. I also feel that it makes those fans who die who don't get a minutes applause (someone was unsuccessfully trying to organise one for their dad a few weeks ago) seem somehow less significant to the club or to other fans and that just seems wrong to me.

Minutes silence at the end of the season for fans who have died. Minutes silence at individual games for players who have.

That said, I have every sympathy for the family involved and hope that a minutes applause gives them some small comfort.

 

bump