The panel (set up to hear the appeal against the 15-point penalty imposed by the Football League on the eve of the season) will then ensure any points return is insufficient for Leeds to do this.

With United looking likely to make the play-offs without extra points the panel will have justified their role, the league will not lose face and Leeds have a 25 per cent chance of promotion.

And so would end one of the most unsavoury episodes in the history of English football.

But the fact is points deductions punish supporters.

The football authorities must find other ways of retribution, targeting the real culprits, not supporters.

Tony Hudson, via email

****


It seems like only yesterday I was advocating Michael Vaughan for the England cricket captaincy. How time moves on.

Vaughan's lack of runs at the top of the order means he no longer merits a place.

It gives me no pleasure to say his fielding, mediocre at best, is now a liability.

Sorry, Michael, unless you can prove me wrong for Yorkshire, your England days may be over. Could Matthew Hoggard face the same scenario?

I think not! Yes he's the wrong side of 30, but if Hoggard can concentrate on swinging the ball in and out with good seam movement he can still do a job for England.

Have the selectors learned anything regarding Andrew Flintoff? If they select him against New Zealand the answer is no.

It may be prudent to leave him out all season, if not part of the South Africa series.

My view is Flintoff will never come back as a top class international all-rounder.

I hope I'm wrong. One for Yorkshire members to ponder, do the England selectors pick Adil Rashid in preference to Monty Panesar?

One thing for certain, steps must be taken this summer or England could face the serious prospect of a back-to-back Ashes whitewash.

The Australians don't tread water. They have lost good players but others will be earmarked for next year's Ashes.

HOWARD RAY, Leeds

****

I agree with the comments in the letter from John Selby (Letters to the Sports Editor, April 2) "Becks is not worthy" 100 per cent.

He was once a good footballer, but is not now, and never was, world class.

He's quoted as saying that he felt honoured to be grouped with the other England players who have achieved over 100 caps for their country, I feel that it is a dishonour to class Beckham alongside them.

In the days of Billy Wright and Bobby Charlton etc, they actually played a full match, unless they were injured, to win a cap.

Now the system is a mockery, whereby a player can come on for the last two minutes as a substitute and receive a cap.

In order to make the winning of an England cap once again a noteworthy achievement perhaps a system could be evolved whereby a player is credited with an appearance if he plays but only be awarded a cap for playing in a competitive international match, such as European Championship or World Cup matches.

MR D HEYWORTH, Ripon

Ends