Wednesday’s scribes discuss the integrity of footballers, the future of RAF Leuchars, spending council money on magazines and hotels charging customers for rooms that could not be used.
Football cheats motivated by love of money Sir,-I am surprised that when the integrity of football referees was raised, no-one questioned that of many footballers and their clubs.
The role of referee is not helped by the encouragement and training of many players, for example, to dive, claim for throw-ins and feign serious injury.
The purpose of such actions is to influence the judgment of the referee.
Often, inevitably, this is successful and provokes anger among players and spectators toward the referee.
While such activity is considered gamesmanship and acceptable practice, it really is, and should be, considered as cheating.
There was a time when to fall, or pretend injury, would have been considered the actions of a wimp.
What is particularly concerning is that young people copy such behaviour and come to believe cheating is acceptable.
As a society, we all pay the price for this. Football needs a clean-up not only at the top but at grass-roots level. Once again, the words of the Bible prove true that, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” (1 Timothy 6 v10).
It used to be said that cheats never win. At present, it would seem that they often do.
(Dr) Bernard W. Senior.18 Hillside Terrace,Dundee.
Compassion at life’s end
Sir,-What right does a government have to legislate against a person’s wish to die?
They do not have the authority to tell us when to have children, or, for that matter, how to live.
A kindly vet put an end to my dog’s life.
Why cannot a doctor, friend or stranger do the same for a sick human?
Jane Stewart.Greenbank,Barry,Carnoustie.
Civilian flight hope for RAF Leuchars
Sir,-RAF Leuchars is at risk of closure. The importance of that station can be judged by the aircraft that have been based there over the years.
In the early 1950s, Leuchars was first to receive the Hawker Hunters, followed over the years by Javelins, Lightnings, Phantoms and now Typhoons all frontline interceptors.
If the worst comes to the worst and Leuchars closes, then a major civilian airport could be on hand for Fife, Tayside and surrounding areas.
This would save holidaymakers making the trip to Edinburgh and Glasgow for flights.
Scott Haldane.8 The Anchorage,Bingham Terrace,Dundee.
Deselect spy-row politician
Sir,-It almost beggars belief that a Russian is given a visa at all in our current circumstances. That she should be employed by an MP for a naval-base constituency, Mike Hancock, as a researcher in the House of Commons, makes one utterly despair.
He, of all people, should be well aware that, for the Kremlin, the Cold War is not over, as RAF Leuchars can confirm. He has the nerve to demand that the security services “prove their point”. No, in a case like this, it is he who should prove her innocence and, even if she is, her employment should cease forthwith.
Can one imagine an MP in the Duma for Kaliningrad, Sevastopol or Vladivostok employing a Briton in such a position?
The Portsmouth Liberal Democrat Party should deselect him.
John Birkett.12 Horseleys Park,St Andrews.
Target resources at vital services
Sir,-I have just received my copy of the Angus Council magazine, Angus Life, and I have to congratulate all those responsible for its production.
The most significant feature is the intimation of proposed cuts within departments and the invitation to all of us to become involved by completing and returning the carefully crafted questionnaire.
My immediate response is to suggest that the council consider as a first priority where certain of its activities would be better served by external organisations already well versed in those functions.
I refer specifically to the business of conveying details of the council’s activities to the public.
Angus council-tax payers have no difficulty in keeping abreast of council affairs through the efforts of the professional reporting and journalistic skills of the editors and staff of the local press.
There is no need for the council to spend thousands of pounds on its own glossy publications.
I am sure that the money saved by this particular economy will go a little way to reducing the pain for some of those departments nervously awaiting the approach of the surgeon’s knife.
Harry Racionzer.2 Poplar Row,Angle Road,Kirriemuir.
Shoddy way to treat customers
Sir,-I sympathise with Angus councillor Bob Spink on his £200 rooms cancellation charges, levied by an Edinburgh hotel.
All hotels operate a cancellation policy, however, you have to take exceptional circumstances into account, such as bad weather, volcanic ash, family bereavement and accidents.
Bearing in mind the atrocious weather last week, was Councillor Spink’s last-minute cancellation preventing the hotel from selling his room? I don’t think so.
Over two or three days during last week’s snow, 70% of our room and dining reservations were cancelled.
We would not dream of charging for these no-shows. Apart from being damaging to future business and tarnishing your reputation, it also shows an appalling disregard for clients’ problems.
Jeff Stewart.The Hotel Broughty Ferry,16 West Queen Street,Broughty Ferry.
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