Truth emerges in 'disgusting' Last Post drama at State of Origin
Fans have taken to social media to explain what was going on in the crowd amid unsavoury scenes during a Remembrance Day ceremony at State of Origin on Wednesday night.
The crowd at ANZ Stadium in Sydney was widely condemned when cheers and boos rang out during a minute’s silence.
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Corporal John Byrne had just finished playing the Last Post when a number of fans started clapping and calling out, appearing not to realise a minute’s silence would follow.
However things got even worse when booing started to ring out around the stadium as NSW coach Brad Fittler appeared on the big screen.
However a number of fans have since taken to social media to explain that the boos were directed at a “bogan” Queensland fan who had intentionally tried to disrupt the ceremony.
The fan was reported escorted from the stadium by police.
“Just to give context. One QLD fan was screaming and trying to start a fight during The Last Post, that's when police came to remove him,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“The crowd around him decided to boo him for what he did. But of course it was loud, no disrespect was meant by it. Just wrong timing.”
Another Twitter user wrote: “For everyone wondering what the uproar during the minute of silence at last night's Origin was about, there was a bogan Queenslander booing which saw him get escorted out by police.”
A woman who was sitting in the Blatchy’s Blues section said: “A man was being removed, that was the booing, it had nothing to do with The Last Post being played.”
Fans erupt over ‘disgusting’ scenes at ANZ Stadium
This is the first year the annual State of Origin series is being played in November after the coronavirus crisis caused it to be pushed back in the calendar.
Wednesday night was the first time an Origin match has been played on Remembrance Day, which may go some way to explaining why fans might not have realised a minute’s silence follows the Last Post.
Nevertheless, social media users were quick to condemn the “disgraceful” scenes at ANZ Stadium.
“Wow... that (lack of) moment of silence in the last post was... not good,” journalist Mark Gottleib wrote.
Fellow journalist Vince Rugari described it as “one of the most poorly observed minutes of silence i can remember.”
one of the most poorly observed minutes of silence i can remember #origin
— Vince Rugari (@VinceRugari) November 11, 2020
Wow... that (lack of) moment of silence in the last post was... not good... 😬 #stateoforigin
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) November 11, 2020
And a good evening to absolutely everyone except the jerks who couldn’t shut up for even a minute #stateoforigin
— Steve Smith (@stevesmithffx) November 11, 2020
The crowd at the State of Origin tonight we're so disrespectful in not observing a minutes silence. Very poor form. #LestWeForget #WeWillRememberThem
— Heather Dearing (@d27_heather) November 11, 2020
Perhaps at half time , the Commentary team can express their disgust at the disrespectful and disgusting behaviour of the morons in the crowd during the Last Post Service
— Lucille Borger (@CigkuLucille) November 11, 2020
Wow, everyone who made noise during the moments silence at @ANZStadium tonight, you should be ashamed.#stateoforigin #RemembranceDay
— Tarantosaurus | (@Tarantosaurus) November 11, 2020
@NRL #Origin Disgraceful from the Sydney crowd carrying on during the Remembrance Day minute of silence and the last post. Shame of Australia. @wwos @9NewsSyd @NSWBlues shame.
— Bryce Woodley (@woodley_bryce) November 11, 2020
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