There was no hiding place for Derby County's players, dutifully applauding their Spygate adversaries Leeds United, the Premier League-bound champions whose swagger exposed their enjoyment of the ceremony.
And so they should revel in their success. Not content with their XI starters bouncing through the guard of honour, Leeds' substitutes and squad players duly arrived like a flash mob and prolonged the opposition torment.
Derby teenager Louie Sibley could hardly have clapped any slower with his hands tied behind his back. Home skipper Wayne Rooney was a little more respectful, even if his relative enthusiasm for the task mirrored the apathy of the first half that was to follow.