Sir, Jim Murphy is backing the sale of alcohol in football stadiums.
This Blairite politician is desperately trying to reinvent himself as one of the people.
Unlike him I have been watching live Scottish football for a great many years and see no reason for the reintroduction of alcohol at games at all.
On Sunday I was present at Tannadice watching my team beat Celtic. It was an exciting game played in front of a full house.
Before and after the game United and Celtic supporters mixed in the surrounding streets without the slightest feeling of menace.
We were all there to enjoy a game of football.
That was in marked contrast to last week when Aberdeen supporters were in town and caused a good deal of bother and menace due to some of them being tanked up on booze.
Mr Murphy suggests that it is unfair that the folk in the executive boxes can have a drink but the ordinary supporters can’t.
The fact is that many of the people in the executive boxes are not that interested in the game, unlike us real supporters.
It might come as a surprise to Mr Murphy to learn that real football supporters don’t need to have alcohol during a game. There’s plenty of opportunity to celebrate afterwards.
Harry Key. 20 Mid Street, Largoward.
Good news for consumers . . .
Sir, Suddenly the world is awash with oil at below $60 a barrel. A surge in production and weaker global demand for crude have sent oil reserves soaring and prices tumbling. This is good news for consumers, industry and motorists, but environmentalists and the renewables industry will not be happy.
The reason? Cheaper oil and gas will make it even harder for Britain to achieve its pie-in-the-sky, but legally binding, targets to cut carbon emissions. The argument for eye-watering renewables subsidies was that they were temporary and that fossil fuels would become more expensive while the renewable subsidies imposed on energy bills would be reduced.
European nations, notably Germany and Spain, have slashed renewable subsidies and turned to cheaper fossil fuels. Britain, to survive, must do the same.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
There’s life out there too!
Sir, I was delighted to read in The Courier, December 18, that Perth is to have a new state of the art “sports hub” built in the next four years. Meanwhile, however, satellite towns such as Blairgowrie and Rattray cannot even have their own recreation centre and swimming pool kept open over the festive period from December 23 until January 3 due to “financial restrictions”.
I have voiced my concerns to local councillors and also the chief executive officer of Live Active who are, apparently, a charity in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council. Suffice to say my council tax should be paying for facilities in my town rather than those an hour’s bus ride away and all the expense incurred with a trip to Perth. If the recreational facilities of Perth and Kinross are in the hands of a “charity” my only comment is: charity begins at home.
The children of Blairgowrie and Rattray deserve to be able to get rid of some of their excess Christmas energy in the local swimming pool.
For special occasions and treats I am sure a trip to the proposed amazing and costly new sports facility in Perth will be enjoyed, but there is life outside the cities, so please support us as we support you with our community charge!
Johanna Frampton. Braes Road, Rattray, Blairgowrie.
Disassociate themselves?
Sir, The Reverend David Robertson seems to have a good point with regard to Garry Otton, founder of one of Scotland’s more voluble secular groups, expressing apparently intolerant views.
I am looking at posts where Mr Otton has referred to “the vile history of Christianity” and expressed his hope that Scotland will soon “sideline the churches.” I also note that, two years ago, Mr Otton published an online essay entitled: Is religion fascism?
Perhaps the time has come for the secular group Mr Otton founded to disassociate itself from his views?
Gus Logan. 2 York Road, North Berwick.
A brilliant shot in the foot
Sir There were two interesting articles in the farming columns recently. Firstly, the results of the EU’s cackhanded niconitinoid ban is now showing through, with reductions in rapeseed yield, due entirely to the ban.
For an organisation which trumpets, nay, demands, conversion to “green” mythology, whereby farmers grow oilseed as biomass fuel (instead of for human consumption), to replace the evil fossil stuff, surely this must be a brilliant shot in the foot.
As a lay person who has seen sunflower grown in large quantities in countries like Hungary and Romania, could this be grown as a rapeseed alternative? Letters to the EU in Brussels/Strasbourg and me if anyone is interested.
Secondly, a marvellous gesture by the Junior Yeomen and Yeowomen of Tayside in making the generous gifts of bags of potatoes to foodbanks. I see Fife is not on the destination list. The donation lists from that last-mentioned area have asked for packets of potato mash powder.
Sad. It can’t be a requirement for preservation the food is needed now.
I’m a pensioner I’ll take a bag anytime! Address below.
A T Geddie. 68 Carleton Avenue, Glenrothes.
Do they care about theatre?
Sir, It seems from your article of December 3 that nothing has changed regarding the delayed start of work on the closed Perth Theatre.
The chief executive ofHorsecross Arts largely repeats verbatim parts of earlier statements from its chairman. There is “a huge amount of work” going on “ behind the scenes” apparently.
Yet again Perth Theatre is seen as the “linchpin” of Perth and Kinross Council’s “ambitious” plans for city regeneration Mill Street in particular. Why Mill Street? How much of that £15 million is needed just to turn the building’s entrance back-to-front?
I think that lifelong theatre-goers would prefer an open theatre to a linchpin, whatever that is. It is claimed that the delay is because planners have been deliberating on plans and costs. No wonder, when part of those costs involve a new studio theatre. Perth Theatre already has a studio theatre. As for the kind of conference/meeting spaces that have been projected, these are already available at Perth Concert Hall and the A K Bell Library.
So, is the £15m needed to restore the theatre to its original state, or to make it a “linchpin” for the council’s grandiose plans? Do they care about the theatre’s lifelong patrons (who might not come back in 2017, the supposed new date of completion)?
Do they care about theatre? I don’t remember Perth Theatre ever (until this year) cancelling a first night of a pantomime in the last 60 years, but good luck anyway for the sake of those who do care.
Neil Foston. 47 Arbroath Road, Carnoustie.
Image issue cleared up
Sir, I wish to thank both Cllr Thomson and Cllr Poole for explaining the use of the image which was used in support of a new school at Pipeland. This issue has been ongoing in the community for some time now.
I certainly did not intend to infer that there was any inappropriate relationship with Hermiston Securities merely asking a question about the use of the image which has now been answered by both councillors in this paper. It now appears that it is a Fife Council image.
That being so I withdraw the assertion contained in my letter that Cllr Thomson used an illustration commissioned by Hermiston Security Group and endorsed by Cllr Poole and apologise for any inference to be drawn that there has been any relationship with this group and that they had been acting improperly in their capacity as councillors.
Bill Sangster. 24 Main Street, Strathkinness.