Monday's Sports Letters: Time to stop the complaining and move on after failed bid

WHILE there should clearly be an investigation or inquiry into how the winning bids to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were made – at the very least there should be more transparency – I can't help feeling that many on the English bid team are now starting to look a little foolish.

Yes, have a bit of a moan about not winning the right to stage a major tournament some on the bid team clearly thought was rightfully ours anyway.

But, to be honest, our complaining is starting to take on a seriously bad taste of sour grapes.

Roy Keane – who I have grown to like more over the years since he 'matured' somewhat as a manager – possibly summed it up best when he remarked that "no one has died, get over it" or words to that effect.

Come on Mr Anson and Mr Johnson, it's time to take a reality check before we invite more ridicule by continuing to spit out our dummies for what seems like a never-ending period. Move on.

From: Les Beardsmore, Silkstone, Barnsley.

IF English football was disliked before last week – and the suggestion is it was – we must be positively despised now. All this whingeing about World Cup bid votes being promised but not cast, just leaves us looking like the poorest losers imagineable. Of course it would have been wonderful to stage the event again. But we have at least held it once and, just as we have no divine right to win it again (although you would think we do from some of the hype before each tournament), similarly we have no right to expect to hold it once more ahead of other countries – such as Russia – who are World Cup 'virgins'.

Yes, the system of deciding the venues is highly questionable – but we knew this before investing considerable time, effort and cash in our 2018 bid. We should have demanded a review of the system as impartial bystanders before throwing our hat into the ring as venue contenders.

From: Iain Morris, Caroline Street, Saltaire, Shipley,

LOOKING at the top of the Barclays Premier League on Sunday morning on the 28th of November the top six places were interspersed by three London and three Greater Manchester clubs – quite a monopoly.