Sir, – Further to Tommy Roddy’s criticisms (Letters, July 16th) of the hypocrisy of people supporting Premiership teams and not the England national team, these teams have many players and coaches from various nations and some are financed by foreign money.
I suggest that if English fans stopped disrespecting other countries by loudly booing their national anthem from start to finish, which they did on Sunday to Spain, perhaps more neutrals might support their team. Yours, etc,
GERRY DELANEY,
Terenure,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – I refer to Tommy Roddy’s letter expressing “mind-blowing” wonderment at Irish people’s ability to not support England while simultaneously supporting English soccer teams.
Without wishing to drag politics into sport, it must have something to do with hundreds of years of oppression! On the other hand, Liverpool or Manchester never invaded anyone and have provided a refuge and work for generations of Irish emigrants.
Throw in the sense of entitlement (“It’s coming home”) and it’s really not that complicated. – Yours, etc,
JOHN LOMBARD,
Goatstown,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – My kindly father, T L Allen, born in 1903, explained to me as a small child that many of his generation hated England for the damage done to the Irish nation over the centuries but it was necessary and quite easy to love the English. – Yours, etc,
MARY F McATEER,
Naas,
Co Kildare.