Sir, – In this week’s Talking Football (“McCann staring at the exit?”, Courier, September 19) your writer Ian Roache comments that “it is regrettable that at such a positive time for the city, thanks to the opening of the V&A, the two Dundee football clubs are performing so poorly”.
Gone are the days when, as in the 1960s with Dundee and then in the 1980s with United, it was possible for either club, on its own, to realistically challenge at the top of the Scottish League, and also make a name for themselves in Europe (Brexit permitting).
Nowadays, with their vastly superior resources and attendances, Celtic and Rangers are seemingly guaranteed to fight for top position.
They are inevitably followed by the other clubs able to attract attendances in excess of 15,000 – namely the two Edinburgh clubs of Hearts and Hibs – plus Aberdeen. A merger may not find favour with a majority of supporters but as things exist today, and potentially in the future, it may just be that it presents the only realistic possibility of keeping Dundee to the forefront of Scottish football.
A purpose-built stadium with all the business opportunity accessories would be required.
There would also need to be agreement on a suitable club name and colours. Given the current situation it would be interesting to ascertain the views of both clubs’ current management on this potential scenario.
Bill Watson.
Seaton Estate,
Arbroath.
Director is not in the real world
Sir, – Lord Hall, head of the BBC, says he needs more money and wants the public to support him.
This is the same public that has been under austerity for more than 10 years.
Can I perhaps suggest a little of the same for the BBC?
Instead of paying someone millions to sit and discuss what went wrong or right with football matches, send a camera crew with one reporter to the nearest pub to the stadium.
For the price of a few pints you will have several opinions in a far more interesting setting.
Secondly, I would recommend dispensing with several grossly-overpaid people employed to play some music for another few million quid.
Tune in to some of the hospital radio programmes and listen to a lot of cheerful people who do it for nothing, yes nothing.
Do you honestly think the public are going to support numerous directors on Lotto win salaries while they are living hand to mouth?
Maybe Lord Hall should have a reality show all on his own.
Bill Duthie.
25 St Fillans Road,
Dundee.
Take care when praising graffiti
Sir, – Your editorial (“Perpetrators should hand their heads”, September 19) rightly pulls no punches in its criticism of the stupid individuals who may have caused irreparable damage to Arbroath Abbey, a building of enormous architectural and historical importance.
But do those in the art world who acclaim the works of Banksy and his like ever think that their praise sends the message that graffiti is acceptable and gives legitimacy to the mindless wielders of the spray can who have defiled this ancient monument?
Robert Cairns.
Eastergate Cottage,
Harrietfield,
Perth.
Congestion will only get worse
Sir, – It is no surprise that there is traffic congestion around the V&A.
In the 60s they built the Tay Road Bridge and it came right in to the centre of Dundee.
Surely if this bridge had been built around Invergowrie all the problems associated with it would not have brought traffic to a standstill.
Now they have put the V&A near to the bridge further congestion has arisen – it is not a surprise to me and it won’t get any better
David McIntosh.
Hillhouses,
Strathmore,
Dundee.
Celebrate a great structure
Sir, – Why all the fuss about buildings surrounding the V&A?
The building itself is a magnificent standalone structure, so let us accept it, support it, and celebrate its construction.
Jim Balneaves.
4 Tayside Place,
Glencarse.
No points scored in testing debate
Sir, – Following reports on various news outlets about standardised testing for children in Primary 1, Marie Todd, the minister for children and young people, tweeted: “You do it when the teacher thinks you can manage it”.
If the teacher has already assessed that the child can manage it, what is the point of the test?
Maggie Openshaw.
42 Earlswells Road,
Cults,
Aberdeen.
Flying in the face of opinion
Sir, – Despite Primary 1 testing being voted down by the majority of MSPs in Holyrood, education minister John Swinney is determined to press ahead because he believes it is right.
Deeply shocking.
Is this what democracy has become in Scotland under the SNP?
Martin Redfern.
Woodcroft Road,
Edinburgh.
Lucky boot is not on other foot
Sir, – Every day over the last week there have been reports of “remoaning” doom- mongers wringing their hands claiming that Brexit will have a catastrophic impact on migration.
They say that we need migrants to fill vacancies in nursing, care work, hospitality, construction and other jobs.
Indeed one news report said that Edinburgh council employs 1,000 people from Eastern Europe.
Apart from the fact that there are tens of thousands on the unemployment register, is it not morally reprehensible to plunder other countries’ young citizens with the bribe of better wages and benefits?
Many of these countries are trying hard to develop economically but are being held back because their young folk are being drawn to the UK.
Imagine how Edinburgh Council would feel if a recruitment company set up in Edinburgh from another country offered huge salaries to recruit their teachers, nurses, hospitality workers and care staff?
Mike Rogalski.
82 Feus Road,
Perth.
Result is the wrong one
Sir, – Dr Wardrop, (Letters, September 14), in countering the non-Brexiteers, believes that “most things have not changed”.
He states that this includes “the EU’s unelected, greedy bureaucrats” and “Theresa May’s bungling”.
How right he is!
However, greedy bureaucrats and bunglers can be found in all governments.
His comparison of democracy to a horse race is a fair one in that both are gambles in which knowledge of the details involved go a long way to producing the best result.
Such knowledge was not available to the referendum voters so it is also fair to say that the result was not genuinely democratic, depending, of course, on your favourite democratic flavour of the many available.
But, democratic or not, the result is the wrong one if we consider the bigger picture.
We should consider the mess previous politicians have made that resulted in two unnecessary world wars that could have been prevented had our “statesmen” the will to do so.
Our Brexiteers are not consciously planning for another war but are unconsciously putting into place a tiny plank of dissension that could eventually lead to conflict.
For our children’s sake we need to form the world, not just Scotland, in such a way that wars become obsolete as a solution to our problems.
A small step in that direction would be to remain in the UK and the EU and work within these organisations to get the results we need.
Andrew Lawson.
9 MacLaren Gardens,
Dundee.
Time to rally behind the PM
Sir, – Politicians who ought to be supportive of the Prime Minister are plotting her downfall – leaving others in the EU far more likely to disregard her argument.
A A Bullions.
6 Glencairn Crescent,
Leven.
