Letter: Not a cuddly game

Letter: Not a cuddly game

Sir: There is something more worrying about England and this World Cup series than the drunken madness, violence and sullied image well analysed by Suzanne Moore ("Forever In-ger-land", 16 June). It is the ease with which the nation has been whipped by entertainment and marketing people into a fervour for the series, for beer, wines chosen for the World Cup, cheese and onion snacks for half-time, suspension of work so that games can be watched, and so on. Streets and shops empty while a match is on, not because everyone is a football fan or even understands the game, but because it is somehow felt obligatory to become, however remotely, part of the action. The same will-sapping accompanied Diana fever and is destined to swamp us on 1 January 2000.

GRAHAM HOLDEN

Budleigh Salterton, Devon