LET'S doff our caps to a man of principle - Arsene Wenger who has proved himself to be an honourable manager.

His acceptance of a replay after a disputed goal gave his side apparent victory, and his stance in the transfer of the soldier of fortune, Nicolas Anelka, showed him to be a leader of class.

Many individual footballers consider themselves larger than the club who hire them, demanding ever better terms and wages.

Not one is worth the millions paid for their services.

We all know money is flowing into the game mainly at top level, but there must be a bottom to the pit.

It is time all managers took a firm stance in dealing with so-called stars.

Have loyalty, honesty and honouring contracts gone out of the window?

We have all witnessed many prima donnas having awful games. Would a dock in wages make them play better?

The talent may be in the Premier League, but the enjoyable game is played by amateurs and children who pay to play.

They do it for fun and are not encumbered by money, status, ambition, and in many cases, pure greed.

K SOWERBUTTS (Mr), Southwood Drive, Baxenden.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.