07/04/05

Here is a manager who disregards the rules of his profession, not to mention riding roughshod over the career of one of the game's top referees, and UEFA give him a slap on the wrist. They should have booted him out.

It's time in this country to stop this stream of continental bosses who come over here to manage our clubs, spend millions, deliver nothing in the way of success, and leave with their pockets lined with the hard earned cash of English supporters.

Houllier, Vialli, Gullit - the list is endless of these foreign failures.

Time now to promote the likes of our own David Hodgson, who should be managing a team like Liverpool.

Top managers like Sir Matt Busby, Brian Clough and Joe Mercer must be spinning in their graves at how money has turned their sport into this expensive comedy. - Joe Wellthorpe, North Ormesby.

OIL THEORY

THE Americans now admit their intelligence which convinced them to attack Iraq was as useless as our own.

I am totally convinced Bush and Blair knew it to be rubbish.

They knew perfectly well Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, but they had a secret agenda which was all to do with oil.

China is now using oil like there is no tomorrow, the Americans likewise, and it is no consolation that Russia has all the oil it needs.

OPEC still controls the supply of oil to the West and the Americans decided they couldn't tolerate this situation any longer, especially since Saudi Arabia was encouraging anti-US opinion.

Iraq and its imaginary weapons of mass destruction gave the US a perfect opportunity to control the oil output from Iraq without OPEC.

Bush convinced Blair to follow him and the rest is history.

How it will affect the election remains to be seen. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

FIRST PRIORITY

CONTRARY to Chris Foote -Wood's and Peter Dolan's views (HAS, Apr 4), my first priority as a councillor is to ensure that the council makes a difference for the people I represent.

Over the last four years I've been privileged to lead the council to ensure it is doing the best it can for everybody in County Durham, including the people in my own electoral division.

Now my one and only concern is to ensure that I understand the issues facing the residents of Bishop Auckland and to set out my manifesto for further improving their quality of life and council services.

It should be noted that Chris Foote-Wood is one of my rival candidates and would not wish to point out the improvements to education, social care and environment in County Durham, brought about by the Labour-controlled Durham County Council.

He is also quick to deny the investment in Bishop Auckland, including the £1m spent on the town centre improvements (which have won local and national awards) and the £10m plus spent improving school buildings.

I will do my utmost to ensure that the people of Bishop Auckland continue to get the services and investment that they deserve. - Ken Manton, Labour Candidate for Bishop Auckland Town and Leader of Durham County Council.

BRAVE BOY

IT DID my old eyes the power of good when I read of 13-year-old Jay Goring and his devotion to duty when he brought to justice a despicable criminal.

I must also include the other 18 winners of the Chivalry Awards for their bravery and determination.

With the daily reports of assault, stabbings, shootings and robberies, I had almost given up hope. But these youngsters have renewed the hope I thought I had lost. - H Geddes, Belmont.

CRIME PATH

IN response to the article and picture (Echo, Mar 31) about the new Chief Constable of Northumbria's crackdown on crime policies, I suggest that he should look behind him and start with seven of the eight cars which look to be parked on and completely blocking the public footpath. Then we may have a little more confidence in his statement concerning crime etc. - P Webb, Darlington.

DURHAM CENTRE

In a previous letter (HAS, Nov 20), I first raised the matter of the proposed closure indicated by Durham County Council of the Durham Centre at Aykley Heads, which provides first class day care services for adults with learning difficulties.

The letter was prompted by the statements made by a senior manager in the then social services department at two well-attended meetings with parents, carers and service users at which the requirement for closure was attributed to the Government.

The Department of Health has since confirmed that this is not the case.

The statement made was: "Durham Centre will close and that is not negotiable."

This was the first official statement made on the matter by Durham County Council and has never been retracted or denied by any councillor or council official.

It has been stated that the Cabinet has not yet made a decision and promises of full "consultation" have been made by various people.

I think that we all now know what "consultation" means in local government circles.

So, if a serving or prospective councillor should happen to pitch up on your doorstep you may like to ask him or her what their views are on such local democracy. - J Routledge, Witton Gilbert.

BEAUTIFUL SOUTH

DARLINGTON Council seems intent on destroying every last vestige of our heritage.

Already it has ruined the once beautiful South Park with the destruction of hundreds of beautiful trees.

Its plans to vandalise the town centre seem unstoppable. Now it plans to demolish the historic White Horse Hotel at Harrowgate Hill to replace it with a block of flats.

All the local councillors for the two wards involved were invited to attend a protest meeting last Wednesday, but not one bothered. Protests are futile. They don't want to listen to the people. - A Hall, Darlington.

THE POPE

I AM appalled at the British media's preoccupation with the illness, death and funeral of the Pope.

Only a small proportion of the British public are Christians, even fewer are Roman Catholics. So why all the fuss?

Despite the media circus, recent events in Rome are, for many of us, an irrelevance.

Furthermore, those who praise John Paul should bear in mind that his dogmatic views on sexual matters have led to the birth of countless children in the Third World into a life of misery, hunger and disease.

It's a great irony that another irrelevance, another media favourite, the royal wedding, has been postponed to avoid a clash with the funeral. - Susan Willis, Middlesbrough.