Sir, - I agree with Mark Greene (August 6th) when he urges Irish millionaires to invest in the League of Ireland and its clubs, rather than pumping millions of pounds into already rich foreign clubs such as Manchester United and Celtic. Irish clubs could use this sort of money to upgrade their grounds and pay full-time professional players. Such measures would improve Irish soccer as a product, thereby increasing attendances and revenue.
Tony O'Leary, however, berates RT╔ (August 7th) for ending its broadcasting of English Premiership soccer.
RT╔'s obsession with English soccer over the past decade or so has been an embarrassment. The so-called "national broadcaster" has concentrated on foreign soccer to the detriment of our own national league for far too long. Mr O'Leary has obviously been afflicted by the English soccer obsession and wonders what people are going to do if they can't receive BBC, ITV or Sky. Has he forgotten which country he is living in?
This decision by RT╔ represents a great opportunity to give more coverage to the League of Ireland and some much-needed TV revenue will flow into the local game. What's more, Messrs Giles, Dunphy, O'Herlihy et al. need not be lost to the Irish viewing public if they continue to offer their expert analysis on matches between Longford Town and St Patrick's Athletic instead of those between the like of Derby County and Southampton.
After all, they are Irish, aren't they? - Yours, etc.,
Mark Urwin, Court Farm, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15.