WHAT a relief! This week I do not have to agree with sports editor Neil Bramwell.

His advocacy of Carl Fogarty is fair enough, but why, oh why, does he have to dismiss the rivals for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year contest, with such rancour.

His invective against Michael Owen, Denise Lewis, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski is uncalled for.

It is interesting to speculate whether his support for the winner of the World Superbike Championship would be so strong if the said champion had come from, say, Devon or Surrey?

KEITH REYNOLDS, Hindle Street, Darwen.

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