THE final whistle hadn't been blown half an hour before the male voice further back in the post office queue said venomously: "I hope that Seaman gets ulcers. I hope he gets double ulcers."

The female voice offering the heretical comment that "it's only a game" got short shrift.

Spectator's colleague, nearer the counter and no football fan, was shocked by the sentiment - then remembered a former editor of this newspaper telling of his days as a junior reporter covering Cambridge United's matches in the 1920s. As an injured member of the opposing team lay awaiting the magic sponge, a voice from the crowd yelled: "Kick 'im, 'e's still breathin'". The merciless fan was an elderly woman, too.

Sportsmanship isn't degenerating, it wasn't any better decades ago.

Sad reminder

Spectator is as patriotic as the next man, but nevertheless hopes that the myriad flags of St George which appeared on every other vehicle during England's World Cup campaign will disappear shortly.

There are still vehicles to be spotted sporting those plastic red noses sold at the time of the first Comic Relief days. They look a strange shade of milky pink now after years in the sun and the effect is strangely sad. The thought that we will be spotting tatty shreds of English sentiment still attached to the aerials of faded Ford Mondeos and Vauxhall Vectras in a few years' time is depressing.

Hidden depths

Our capacity to leave junk lying around never ceases to amaze. Council workmen recently took in hand a lump of rampant shrubbery which had been encroaching on a public path near our offices in Darlington.

When they had finished, with the covering foliage stripped away, it was clear to see how this bit of greenery had been used as an impromptu litter bin for many, many years. There were enough crisp packets, soft drink tins, cigarette packets and other undesirable items to start a small recycling business.