It is no different for all Leeds United supporters.

Having been demoted to the third tier of English football we now find ourselves visiting new grounds which, although the quality of football isn't as good as the Premier League, it keeps excitement running high in the city.

When in the Premier League we also found ourselves having changed kick-off times on many occasions to accompany television coverage.

Often Saturday's 3pm kick off would alter to 12.15pm, or Sunday at 2pm or 4pm, and on other occasions even Monday at 8pm.

Imagine our disgust when within days of the fixtures being released we find our League One away fixtures are being changed. Not for television, but on "police advice".

Personally, I was looking forward to visiting Yeovil last season, but as that was a Friday night I was unable to go due to work.

This season, although the match isn't for another two months, the kick-off is brought forward therefore making travelling time harder.

To my knowledge all United games passed last season with no difficulties. Already four of Leeds' opening five away trips have been brought forward due to police advice.

Perhaps police forces in other areas of the country need to have a chat with West Yorkshire Police and find out how they handle 37,000 supporters on a Saturday at 3pm!

England are hoping to host the 2018 World Cup, an event that will bring thousands of supporters from across the globe to cities in England.

I'm starting to doubt if England will be able to cope with the high attendances in stadiums such as Wembley, Old Trafford, the Emirates Stadium, Anfield, St James' Park, Villa Park and many others.

If the police can't handle a maximum of 2,000 Leeds United supporters, who bring there vocal support to away grounds in League One, then how are the police going to cope with tens of thousands of South Americans, Africans, Asians and many other cultures supporting their sides at Wembley or Old Trafford?

As Leeds United's manager, Gary McAllister, says: "I've never sensed anything from the Leeds crowd other than a group of fans who go to support their team.

"And if anything they boosted the whole division last season.
"There's not many chairmen don't want Leeds fans because they fill their ground every time."

I've been in touch with the FA, FIFA, UEFA and Leeds United about this matter. I'm still awaiting a reply.

MARK CLOUGH, Lowther Grove, Garforth

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HERE we go again!

Leeds Rhinos fans complaining about referee Steve Ganson after trying the "hard man" stuff and losing against St Helens.

This couldn't possibly be the same referee who awarded the most ridiculous try in Super League history when Leeds played Bradford Bulls at Cardiff last season.

I didn't hear many complaints about him then.

Incidentally, I am not a Bulls fan but, more importantly, not a Rhinos fan either.

KEN MOUNTAIN, via e-mail

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Peter Smith's excellent report of the Leeds Rhinos versus Castleford match, (YEP June 30), quite rightly referred to referee Phil Bentham as being "embarrassingly poor" and this needed saying.

Bentham made many minor and three major errors, the first for not yellow-carding a Castleford player for a try-preventing professional foul.

The second was for missing a dropped ball by Ned Catic and then awarding Cas a penalty instead.

Thirdly, he ignored two punches thrown by Michael Korkidas against Rhinos' Simon Worrall. Unfortunately, this seemed to be yet another example of a referee trying, by any means, to equalise the penalty count – and it needs stamping out.

If one side is constantly transgressing, they deserve to be punished.
Incidentally, I do not think that this is the greatest ever Leeds side (YEP letters, June 25).

That accolade surely goes to the team that finished top of the league in five seasons out of six (1966-1972), only losing 28 out of 204 games and being unbeaten at home in four of those seasons.

I will admit, though, that the current side is its equal in terms of team spirit.

JOHN PEARSON, Stonegate Road, Leeds

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In response to views expressed in the letters page (YEP June 25) regarding our match officials being biased – you can rest assured they are not.

The referees are there to keep the match flowing and even have touchjudges to help them now.

Not many years ago all the assistants had to do was run the line and award kicked goals.

Coaches now must realise that officials are keen to keep the game moving.

What would be informative is to know what the officials do during the week – keeping fit, surely not, and looking at videos of performances? Most of all, what do they do in the off-season?

Also, there is the video referee to help, another first from rugby league, which is now used in many other mainstream sports too.

KEVIN MAGUIRE, Wheatcroft, Hanover Street, Batley.

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I'M NOT A particularly big fan of this Twenty20 cricket but I do follow the results and performances via the columns of your newspaper and the comfort of an armchair and one thing which does puzzle myself and a few other cricket-loving colleagues is the points system.

How can it be right to award the same number of points – one – for a tied game as it is for a no result or abandoned game?

Surely two teams who have put on a show and tied a thrilling game deserve rather more points than teams who have not even got onto the field?

If, for example, the points systems were to be amended – to say 10 points for a win, then a tie could be shared between the two teams at five points each. I would then award two points to sides who were unable to compete or who managed a no result between them.

I think the introduction of bonus points would add even more excitement to the game as follows: Batting bonus points: for every 25 runs scored above 150 – ie a team managing to get to 200 in their 20 overs would get three bonus points – one for getting to 150, one for scoring 175 and a third point for totalling 200 and so on.

Bowling bonus points: for every wicket taken after taking five wickets, again up to a maximum of five bonus bowling points.

This sort of points system is similar to one in the Bradford League and offers more challenges to each team and a fairer reward in those close-fought games.

ERIC VEVERS, Leeds 17


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