IAN PORTERFIELD

SUNDERLAND chairman Niall Quinn's tribute to Ian Porterfield was fitting for a man who was a legend on Wearside. "He is part of what can only be described as an institution in the long and proud history of Sunderland AFC and the famous FA Cup-winning team of 1973," said Quinn (Echo Sport, Sept 12)

How many times have we seen footage of the goal against the then-mighty Leeds United that sent many Sunderland fans, myself included, at Wembley that day ecstatic? The victory epitomised so much.

Sunderland has great tradition. There are many famous legends - Raich Carter, Len Shackleton, Bobby Gurney and Charlie Hurley are there among them. It was the magic strike by Porterfield which carved his name in the history of the club.

At the time of Sunderland's great victory, they were destined for relegation, but the pendulum swung for the club, its status in the world of football and in the region they towered above their rivals.

For Porterfield, it transformed a football talent into a legend, who will always be remembered with great affection. - Bernie Walsh, Coxhoe, Durham.

I KNOW that with the sad passing of Ian Porterfield he will go down as a Sunderland AFC legend. But let us not forget the rest of the team that won the FA Cup for us in 1973.

There was Jimmy Montgomery's brilliant double save when Leeds were pressing for the equaliser and Dave Watson's heroics at centre half, but most of all it was a team effort that beat one of the best sides in England and Europe at the time.

However, it was Porterfield's goal that won us the cup so he will go down as a Sunderland legend along with the likes of Raich Carter, Len Shackleton, Monty, Bob Stokoe, Kevin Phillips, Niall Quinn, Kevin Ball and my favourite player of all time, Charlie Hurley.

I hope Porterfield's spirit is remembered at the Stadium of Light today, when Sunderland take on Reading, and that the team plays with the passion and skill of that momentous day back in May, 1973. - Mick Peacock, Coxhoe, Durham.

"OUTSIDERS" ROW

I WAS taken aback by the breathtaking hypocrisy displayed in the letter from Durham City Labour councillor Peter Mitchell (HAS, Page 10, Sept 13) in which he attempted to liken the "outsider" spat, between the city's Labour MP, Roberta Blackman-Woods, and Liberal Democrat city councillor Carol Woods, to the tactics used by the BNP in the recent Sedgefield by-election.

Labour's main campaign tactic in that contest was to viciously attack me on the grounds that I was an "outsider" who came from Newcastle, Labour supporters even resorting to trying to break up the LibDem campaign launch.

Ironically, more than a few of the rent-a-mob shouting abuse appeared to have been bused in from London.

I don't remember Ms Blackman-Woods making much of a protest about such tactics at the time, which rather undermines her rather hysterical current response.

I can only conclude that if Labour doesn't like the taste of its own medicine, maybe it should stop prescribing it. - Councillor Greg Stone, Liberal Democrat candidate at the recent Sedgefield by-election, Newcastle.

UNITARY AUTHORITY

DURHAM City Labour MP Roberta Blackman-Woods has recently circulated a letter in which she expressed support for a new unitary council for the county of Durham.

There appears to be much "back-biting" in her letter, but her main point is the proposed unitary authority.

In 2004, John Prescott, then Deputy Prime Minister, tried to spearhead the introduction of a regional assembly for the North-East - and left with a flea in his ear.

Following the recent district poll, Councillor Albert Nugent, Labour leader of Durham County Council, who also supports the introduction of a unitary authority, stated that the result of the poll was not worth the paper it was written on.

Ms Blackman-Woods claims to know the opinion of the electorate. She and her colleagues do not.

I am sure that whether the reorganisation is called a regional assembly, a unitary authority or whatever term is used, the voters of County Durham have indicated that they wish to retain the "status quo". That is seven district councils and a county council. - Tom Milburn, Durham.