Safety must come first

With reports of football hooliganism on the increase again, I would have thought it was one of the club's top priorities to ensure that home and away fans do not mix inside the ground. I shouldn't have to sit in my seat and worry about saying something that might aggravate the fan sitting next to me because, quite frankly, that spoils the game for me.

I can understand that a couple of fans will buy tickets for their friends and family - that is understandable.

But why does the ticket office sell large numbers of tickets to away fans?

I remember before the stadium was redeveloped, fans with Newcastle accents or colours not being allowed into the Blackburn End before a game against Newcastle United. Now, it seems that the club isn't interested in the safety of their fans, as long as they have their money for those seats.

I dread to think how many Manchester United fans will be sold tickets for the home section of the Darwen End - especially as it is much more difficult to distinguish a Manchester accent from a Blackburn accent.

I also appreciate that it is much harder to move fans into the away section of the ground now that it is all seated. It used to be much less of a problem when fans thought they would be thrown out of the ground, but now they know they can get away with it, more and more away fans buy home season tickets.

The ticket office puts the stewards and police under extra pressure by selling these tickets.

Every time there is any trouble, it is the home fans who suffer. They are antagonised by away supporters and frustrated at the lack of action and apparent lack of concern by stewards and police.

It is always the home fans who are seen as the villains, they get arrested and escorted out, while the away fan sits smugly in his seat. I see it virtually every other game.

How many more Rovers fans have to suffer before the club will recognise the problem?

STUART GRIMSHAW, Back Lane, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Footnote: Rovers' stadium and safety manager Mel Highmore said: "We do everything we can to restrict ticket sales in home areas to our supporters but it is very difficult. Once Everton had sold their allocation we made it public that there would not be any more available to away fans. "But when it is a derby game people in the same house or family sometimes support both clubs. Also, we cannot do anything about tickets bought by Blackburn fans and then passed or sold on.

"It would be nice to think we could return to the days when all this costly segregation was unnecessary and that there was a bit more tolerance. Just because the person sitting next to you supports the other club, do people have to be objectionable? "I have to say that it happens at most clubs that there is a minority who react when they find opposition supporters near them and that is why they tend to attract the attention of the stewards.

"We will continue to do everything possible to keep home areas for home fans but I would again ask people to be tolerant."

Ginola injustice

HOW predictable that Neil Bramwell's latest victim (LET, March 18) is yet another footballer who is skilled, intelligent - and to add insult to injury - handsome.

Anyone who has watched David Ginola this season will be aware of his great contribution to enable his team to be in the final of one Cup competition and the semi-final of another (compared to Blackburn Rovers)!

I suppose that, as with Blackburn and Le Saux, he does not fill the Bramwell image of talent. I realise that the Sports Editor is deliberately controversial, but if he had the same command of our language that the aforementioned have of their game, he would not need to resort to the kind of crude insults he so regularly and monotonously churns out. Subtle as a bludgeon is our Neil! Perhaps it is because he is a Northern macho male, and unprepossessing (to judge from his photograph), that he becomes so upset about these effete southerners - and, even worse, foreigners.

I look forward - in vain, I suspect - to some constructive criticism.

KEITH REYNOLDS, Hindle Street, Darwen

Lewis travesty

I THINK the result of the Evander Holyfield v Lennox Lewis fight will be viewed on both sides of the Atlantic - indeed, around the world - as a travesty of justice.

All measured opinion comes down in favour of a win for Lewis. America has had many worthy champions, British challengers have fallen by the wayside against the likes of Louis, Marciano and Tyson, and too many others to relate, with perhaps Mohammed Ali being the greatest.

Now, Lewis seemed to have succeeded, only to have his dream snatched away by three judges all giving a different result. One must have been assisted by a guide dog.

Surely, there will be a rematch, making more millions for all concerned. But should it have been needed if fair play had prevailed?

K SOWERBUTTS, Southwood Drive, Baxenden

CISA defence

I WAS very disheartened when I read the comments (LET, March 17) regarding the letter written by the seven supporters' groups who saw fit to criticise Clarets Independent Supporters Association actions over the last three years - almost certainly without consulting their members. I would point out that many of our members also belong to their organisations, so they are in fact criticising their own members - me included, as I am a member of Burnley Supporters Club as well as CISA.

Also, every action taken by CISA since it was formed has been at the request of the members - the boycott, the sit-in and the petition. And I wonder how many of the other supporters' clubs signed the petition - at a guess, I bet at least 90 per cent of them. We also sought regular talks with the board for the supporters' groups - something which we have now achieved and, yet, the others want us to be excluded from them. What a joke!

We have been trying to get them to have talks with us for ages and we didn't get many replies to our requests. They didn't even have the courtesy to tell their own members that we had approached them.

We also actively supported the inclusion of Ray Ingleby on the board - at the request of our members. In fact, we haven't done anything that our members haven't voted on - which makes us the most democratic supporters' club associated with Burnley. Even though I feel disheartened by the actions of the other groups, I still think we should all go forward together. However, before we make that decision you can be sure of one thing - that we will be consulting our members on what they want to do next.

DAVE WYNNE, Membership Secretary, Clarets Independent Supporters Association

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