Sir, - Tom Humphries's typically fine article in opposition to playing the Ireland-Yugoslavia soccer international on June 5th (Sports Supplement, May 17th) offers cogent and valid reasons why the fixture should not go ahead. However, it does not take into account a fundamental political reality which lies outside the mixture of sports and politics.
As members of the EU, we are part of a political union, yet we still claim to be politically neutral. Although it is widely accepted that we signed away our neutrality with the Maastricht and Amsterdam treaties, our politicians have still clung to the facade of it in the present Balkan conflict and have refrained from condemning Serbian actions against the Kosovars. It is only because we do not want to risk incurring the displeasure of the US and our fellow EU partners by being seen to be willing to play football against the Yugoslavs that our politicians are now talking about boycotting the match.
Until such time as we are willing to face up to the dishonesty and hypocrisy of our position, we have no right to use a sporting occasion for our own political ends. - Yours, etc., Peter Forde,
Beaumont, Dublin 9.