ONE should, I suppose, recognise the enormous, face-losing, volte-face by Neil Bramwell (LET, March 4) who at last has - grudgingly - concluded that David Beckham has talent. As is typical of the man, he had to temper his praise with his usual prejudice towards the player.

In the light of Diego Simeone's confession that he "kidded" the referee in France last year, I hope Bramwell is wrong in his assertion that "any player would have done the same thing."

If he is right, there is little hope for our national game.

KEITH REYNOLDS, Hindle Street, Darwen.

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