Letters: Trouble buying tickets an illustration of football’s ills

I WENT to Easter Road with a view to purchasing two tickets for Hibs’ game at Dunfermline. After being asked for my name and postcode (an irritating Big Brother-style intrusion to start with) I was then informed that I could not buy tickets because I was not “on the system”.

When I asked as politely as I could how I could get on the system, I was told I would have to buy tickets for a B category game.

“But that’s what I’m trying to do now!” I protested. “Ah, no,” was the reply. “It has to be for a home game. We can’t sell you a ticket for an away game. It’s nothing to do with Hibs or Dunfermline, it’s an SPL ruling.”

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The game in Scotland is dying before our very eyes, but you can always rely on these benighted buffoons to come up with some mind-bogglingly stupid legislation guaranteed to alienate even more of us.

Rather than getting their blazers in a twist about dafties winding each other up, they should really be addressing issues like this which are actively preventing fans from attending games of their choice.

SANDY MACNAIR, Whitson Terrace, Edinburgh

Cowdenbeath’s position on Fenlon abuse is untenable

I READ the letter of 13 January by Cowdenbeath FC vice-chairman John Lints regarding the alleged abuse aimed at Hibernian manager Pat Fenlon.

How disturbing it is that Mr Lints appears to infer that such abuse is understandable because Hibs employed time-wasting tactics involving substitutions near the end of the match (a legitimate tactic employed by all teams hanging on to a narrow lead).

The reaction of Mr Lints and indeed the Fife Constabulary suggests that the abuse was not being taken seriously. The fact that Pat Fenlon did not make a formal complaint to the police is irrelevant as the law, as it stands, allows the police to take action under such circumstances regardless.

In the circumstances it would surely have been more appropriate for the club’s chairman rather than vice-chairman to issue a statement. Mr Donald Findlay’s views on the issue would have been most welcome.

IAN JOHNSTONE, Mountcastle Terrace, Edinburgh