BBC under fire as Sir Geoffrey Boycott’s microphone is silenced

From: Steve Wilson, Lenton Villas, Bradford

Cricket correspondent Chris Waters’s assessment of the hole left by Sir Geoffrey Boycott’s ‘retirement’ from BBC commentary middles it!

I am not a Boycott disciple but I do appreciate succinct, well-informed commentary watching sport, as infrequently as I do now.

The BBC – and the rest – have dumbed down the presentation of sport to the level of children’s hour.

So much so, I now boycott my once-loved Test Match Special on radio.

Finally, the BBC’s obsession with political correctness et al is another nail in the coffin so far as the true art of commentary is concerned.

From: Peter Rickaby, West Park, Selby

How refreshing it was to watch a game on Channel 4, England’s 1966 World Cup win against West Germany.

Today’s coaches and players watching should have realised success can be achieved without resource to face to face arrogant descent towards officials, feigning of injury, deliberate diving, all tactics prevalent today.

The match was a wonderful example of how, top professionals of their time showing total respect for each other, played the game.

It is something upon which everyone involved in football today should reflect.

From: Julian Slater, N Yorks

In the light of recent events and the current ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, I am writing to suggest that you may wish to research what happened to Tommie Smith and his co-demonstrators following their Black Power salute protest at the Mexico Olympics.

I recall their actions brought widespread attention to their cause, although the Black Power movement was also regarded as anti-white and quite threatening.

How effective was their protest I wonder? The discrimination that they endured at the time must have been far worse than it is today but what triggered them to make this protest when they did?

I assume they were banned from competing in amateur athletics ever again but from what little I know they would probably have been treated as outcasts in America.

When Tommie came to Belle Vue! What a day (apart from the rain), what an athlete, what a man, no-one noticed what colour he was!

From: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby

At the moment all talk of live sport assumes that it will be behind closed doors because of the coronavirus.

But in London the House of Commons is able to have 50 people there in person, and has done for some time.

Thus, bearing in mind that they can only seat around 400, such a ratio would mean 2,500 could be able to fit into a 20,000-capacity stadium. And let’s not forget that we’ve been told all along that the virus isn’t so virulent out-of-doors.

So why therefore can’t we have some spectators at matches?