NEWCASTLE STRIKERS

I HAVE been watching Newcastle United since the early 1950s and so I can't comment on the ability of Gallacher, McDonald or Harris (Echo, Nov 29), although my father often told me that Gallacher was the finest striker he ever saw.

Of the rest, Beardsley and Mitchell were not strikers, which leaves four for me to compare.

Of these, one stands head and shoulders above the rest and that is Len White. He had everything - great shot in either foot, excellent with his head, pace combined with close ball-control skills.

The match you mention in which he scored three goals for the Football League also included Johnny Haynes - the greatest schemer of that period - who said afterwards that he had not played with a finer striker.

It is a disgrace that he was not picked for the full England team. If he was playing today, he would outclass most of the Premier League strikers who are mediocre by comparison.

There is not much to choose between Milburn, Macdonald and Shearer. Each has his own merits against the rest but, overall they are generally of similar ability. If I were forced to choose between them I would probably put them in the order - Macdonald, Milburn, then Shearer. - A Giles, Peterlee.

IN accepting your invitation to name the best Newcastle striker of all time (Echo, Nov 29), may I first congratulate Alan Shearer on topping the ton. He still has some way to go to join the list of truly great Magpies.

I believe only four have reached the ton in League games (Tom McDonald 100, Hughie Gallacher 133, Len White 142 and the incomparable Wor Jackie 177), but no list of Newcastle idols would be complete without the inclusion of Albert Stubbins.

Born at Wallsend on July 13, 1919 (and still with us) he signed for Newcastle as a 17-year-old. The war erased all official records from the history books of the game but, in 188 wartime League games, he scored 231 goals in a black and white shirt.

He went to Liverpool in September 1946, where he played 161 matches, scoring 75 goals. He was indeed a gentle giant and those of us who saw him play will place him on a pedestal alongside JET Milburn. - R Hails, Hartlepool.

METRIC MARTYRS

THE cynical tone of Robin Ashby's letter (HAS Nov 28) is reminiscent of his past contributions. It is also typical of the smokescreen approach of all the pro-EU organisations that currently infect and infest our nation.

The Metric Martyrs' case is a suitable example of how they intend to distort and misrepresent the issue of this nation's subjugation to the corrupt, undemocratic bureaucracy known as the European Union.

The appeal currently being heard in the High Court in London is of fundamental importance to our British constitution and will reveal to the nation if our parliament is still supreme, or if constitutional law can be overridden by EU directives.

The European Union which Mr Ashby idolises seeks only one objective - our surrender.

The attempts of external enemies over the centuries to subject us to foreign control all failed because we had the resolve to resist and defeat their aims.

We now face the enemy within. The enemy is principally represented by our elected Government - a situation unique in our history.

The weapons being used are scaremongering, lies, misinformation and the marginalisation of our constitution. We must be of equally stern resolve to firstly identify the propaganda and then go on to defeat it. - D Pascoe, Hartlepool.

SPELLING

I JUST can't understand what the fuss is about Tony Blair's spelling mistakes on a hand-written note.

Everyone handwrites spelling mistakes, either once in a while or regularly. So what, it's part of being human.

But Chris Lloyd (Echo, Nov 28) cannot help himself sniping at the PM, while all the time making use of his computer's spelling checker, as he "writes" his report. - B Andriessen, Bishop Auckland.

SERVICE VETERANS

WE are trying to get new members for the Far East Veterans Association, which is based in Middlesbrough.

Everyone is welcome from all services, including civilian workers who have served in the Middle East and the Far East to the present day.

We have being going for four years nationally, but for only one year in Middlesbrough.

We are also looking for family members whose parents served in these theatres.

Being in an association is to associate and attend meetings and have social evenings and get-togethers. We attend all veterans' parades in the towns and, if you are proud of the badge you wore in the forces and maybe want to look for old friends, then come and join us or a relevant association.

You can contact Alan Leach, 12 Broadbent Street, Brotton, Saltburn, TS12 2TF, Tel (01287) 676452; or James Taylor, 7 Birchwood Avenue, Grovehill, Middlebrough, TS4 2XB. - P Appleby, Middlebrough.

CHRISTIANITY

CT Riley of Spennymoor (HAS, Nov 26) is so anxious to throw mud at Christianity that he gets most of it on himself.

How can you treat seriously anyone capable of such a farrago of irrelevancies, over-simplications and downright inaccuracies? - T Kelly, Crook.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

I HAVE been looking at the Christmas lights in Darlington recently. What a dismal lot. No colour on High Row, with an insipid Christmas tree with no colour.

We will miss the colourful Christmas trees which used to brighten up High Row each year which were provided by Dressers.

I hope that next year some improvement can be made. - S Johnson, Darlington.