Soccer feud

I was puzzled by Piero Ronci's reply Reasonable excuse? (July 15) to my original letter.

Nowhere in my letter Soccer games (July 12) did I defend Paul Ince's style of play. In fact, I dislike him as a player and my letter was not intended to find an excuse for Ince being "sent home" as Ronci puts it. He is not a naughty schoolboy, he is the subject of a seven million dollar transfer to one of the top football clubs in the world.

I do not claim to be an expert on football, or soccer as Ronci refers to it, but I have followed the sport for forty years, and was a regular season ticket holder when I lived in the UK.

Call me cynical but one can't help but wonder if Ronci's purpose of putting pen to paper was really due to his concern over Italian football or if it was an excuse for yet another one of his swipes at the English.

KEITH MARSHALL

Jakarta

Note: This letter should end the debate on soccer.

-- Editor