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email: sportletters@sunday-times.co.uk

While Rod Liddle pedantically claims (last week) that football fans are nastier now than in years past, I would like to remind him that it is nice to be able to attend certain grounds without the fear of being attacked with a Stanley knife.

Ben Saunders, Kent

Rod Liddle is wrong when he claims fans have always sung sickening songs to goad opposition supporters. The deterioration set in, as it did for hooliganism at matches, in the late 1960s and reflected the turbulence of society at the time. Regrettably, it was not stamped on by traditional supporters.

Patrick W Johnson, Bexhill-on-Sea

I agree with Hugh McIlvanney’s comments (last week) with reference to Sol Campbell and the Spurs fans. As a lifelong follower of (and not, despite my name, current player for) Spurs, I appreciated Campbell’s efforts for us and then regretted his leaving (yes, for Arsenal). The facts are, however, that he was magnificent for us and always appeared to conduct himself professionally. Any football ‘fans’ who cannot accept that it is only a game and at the same time just business, and who therefore utter mindless chants, deserve our sympathy.

David Bentley, via email

Steve Bennett is a competent, honest referee but has made three result-altering decisions in his past two matches. The use of technology would have prevented this and spared him much criticism. The ridiculous thing is that the introduction of these aids is an absolute certainty. The question is not ‘if’, it is ‘when’. Every sport that now uses them has been improved as a spectacle and nearly all fans are in favour. Football should act now.

Bob Ellis, Southport

This may be an unpopular suggestion to some but why don’t Manchester United bid to take over the 2012 Olympic stadium when the Games are finished? Their fan base in London could stomach any resultant rise in ticket prices and the club would be able to compete more effectively in the transfer market by eliminating their geographical disadvantage.

Lenny Douglas, via email

All penalty awards are controversial but some are more controversial than others – Manchester United’s one against Bolton on September 27, for example. A case can be made for making a distinction between a clumsy foul and a blatant one by awarding a 20-yard penalty for the first and a 12-yard penalty for the latter, perhaps after the incident has been replayed on a large screen.

Kenneth Wood, Exeter

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