THREE years ago, my cousin and I took our nephew to see his first football match at Barnsley. It was a birthday treat, which he had eagerly looked forward to for several weeks. When we arrived at Oakwell, my cousin asked a steward if it would be possible to wish our nephew "many happy returns" over the tannoy at half-time. Half-time duly arrived (Bolton were winning 1-0) and a personal welcome and birthday greetings were given. Our nephew was thrilled.

Last Saturday, my cousin's father was celebrating his 65th birthday and my cousin asked if birthday greetings could be given at the Reebok. Unfortunately, she was told that a week's notice was needed for this to happen and that a fee of £10 would be charged. We were all appalled, especially as he has been a Wanderers' fan for over 56 years and has held a season ticket for most of that time.

I can't help but compare the attitude of the two clubs. One went out of its way to make a special occasion truly memorable, while the other seemed to view a special occasion as a way to generate a bit of extra cash.

The consequences are that none of the group of 10 people will be taking the trouble to attend the Worthington Cup tie against Gillingham and we will all be reconsidering whether or not it is worthwhile purchasing season tickets again.

P D Smith

The Walkway, Ladybridge

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.