Letter: Unfair to knock the Kop

I AM sorry that you published Richard Lander's appalling article on the demise of Liverpool Football Club's Kop (Sport, 1 May). Lander is right to herald the dawn of the empirical age of the unsentimental, forward- looking football fan: this new order was clearly evinced at his own club (Manchester United) by the embarrassingly low attendance at the service to celebrate the life of its greatest servant (Sir Matt Busby).

Lander's contention that the 'shocking Nineties' of football are epitomised by certain personalities at Liverpool FC is risible in the light of the recent conduct of several players whom he purports to support. Most offensively, he perpetuates the slurs against Liverpool supporters that emerged in the aftermath of Hillsborough.

Ian Leverton

Chinley, Derbyshire