Well lets look at it this way....when they can't hide behind their minutes applause, it's cancelled.
We all know why the applause started, so the morons won't be heard. As for not knowing Bobby Shearer personally, many at cenotaphs on Sunday didn't know people who had died, but they still showed their respect.
BTW I watched him many times playing for Rangers, that is why I would want to show my respect with a minutes silence, and if I had any headgear on, I would have removed that as well.