LETTERS

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Dec 23, 2007

I HAD hoped Michael Grant had his tongue firmly in cheek last week when he wrote that there were those within the SFA who liked the idea of the new Scotland manager having a Celtic background to somehow even things up at the Scotland manager level. On reflection however he was probably being serious. We would be a laughing stock around Europe if it was known we have to appoint a manager from a certain background to somehow appease the sectarianisim that is a disease in West Central Scotland.

This whole school of thought is even more bizarre when it is widely accepted that both of the Old Firm have large sections of their support who would openly support another country over Scotland.

I had hoped all this kind of nonsense had gone out of the SFA, and the SFA better realise that the majority of the Tartan Army who come from the many various areas of Scotland that are not blighted by bigotry really can't be bothered with this sort of thinking.

If Mark McGhee gets the job it should be because he is the best man for the job and any notion of a pro-Aberdeen bias at the SFA should be put to one side no matter how suspicious it may seem after McLeish, Watson and Aitken, all with an obvious Aberdeen involvement, were the previous incumbents.

Andy Simpson Newtonhill Aberdeenshire

Enjoy your whisky, Andy

HAVING watched Aberdeen's triumphant European night against Copenhagen on Thursday, it makes you wonder what the club can do to keep what was an amazing support going back to Pittodrie under more mundane circumstances.

This season in the league Aberdeen's crowds have been pretty disappointing, especially after what they achieved last season in securing third spot. Barely above 10,000 at some games, attendances were higher even in the days of Ebbe Skovdahl's management, when the club's consistency was considerably poorer than it has been under Jimmy Calderwood.

There are a number of reasonably credible explanations for people not wanting to turn up to watch Scottish football on a Saturday - not least the plethora of other ways of deriving weekend entertainment, many of which don't cost as much.

However, Aberdeen, under the guidance of director of football Willie Miller, have, over the last few years, taken sensible operational decisions which are now starting to reap rewards. Aberdeen is a one-club city and as we saw this week, any success is capable of lifting the whole community. Maybe it is time the stay- away fans realised what a difference they could make by turning up.

Douglas Hannon London

The letter of the week will win a bottle of Old Pulteney single malt.

The opinions expressed in the letters do not represent the views of the Sunday Herald staff.