LETTER : Sidelined talent spotters

LAST Saturday approximately 455,000 people went to various grounds to support their football clubs. To divide this up, 242,000 watched Premiership as opposed to Endsleigh League clubs. Though your reports reflect the interest shown to these clubs, please give the same space for the 39,490 who went to watch the Third Division as the 40,535 who went to Anfield.

Remember that David Platt initially played for Crewe Alexandra, Lee Dixon for Bury and a host more players started out at such humble clubs. Next week when writing your reports on the big clubs, remember where that talent came from and who saw it first. It was the 213,000 people whose clubs may be mentioned only by name, with no reference to their promotion hopes or that spotty 17-year-old boy who scored the brilliant winning goal.

Neil Byrne

London SE13