Sports Letters: A worthy cup?

Sir: The Football League has repeatedly claimed that the Worthington Cup, and before that the Coca-Cola Cup, was a competition worthy of keeping. Clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal have been threatened with fines for fielding weakened teams.

It does seems very ironical, then, that two Premiership games were played on the same day as the final. The Manchester United-Everton game even started at the same time. If the Football League and Premier League make this type of statement about the Cup's status, there is no argument for fines being a deterrent. More importantly, what will Uefa think about granting its winners a Uefa Cup place ?

GARY JACOB

St Catherine's College, Oxford