I READ with interest that Bury FC (in conjunction with the Supporters Association) are to conduct a poll to find out why people do not go and watch the team.

Talk about burying your head in the sand! You only have to listen to the GMR phone-in on a Saturday to understand why . . .

Every single caller complains about the manager Neil Warnock and the style of play. And it seems that the club is alienating what few supporters it still has by refusing to accept that there is a problem, instead urging the fans to stop complaining and get behind the team.

You are never going to encourage more people to go and watch when the present supporters are telling them every week that the manager is useless and the football is non-existent.

Whether Terry Robinson likes it or not, he has a huge problem with Neil Warnock. The supporters dislike Warnock to a degree that is almost outright hatred. Whether or not this is justified is largely irrelevant. The fact is that the supporters are voting with their feet.

The only way to solve the problem is to remove its cause - which means a change of manager. It is very difficult to sell football when the customers don't like the salesman or the product. Terry, it will only get worse if you don't act quickly. On a brighter note, may I congratulate Peter Cullen for his excellent book on the history of Bury FC. One of the first things that hits you when you read the book is the number of home-grown players we produced back in the sixties compared to the current dearth. Players such as Bell, Lindsay and McDermott not only made it through to the first team from the juniors but went on to become established internationals.

Since then, however - and despite having youth systems in place - the "production line" has dried up. The players coming through have, on the whole, not been good enough. It begs the question: why?

The answer is obvious when you read the book. It was one man, chief scout Colin MacDonald, who discovered the likes of Bell, McDermott, etc. When MacDonald left - to join Bolton of all clubs - we lost the expertise to uncover raw talent and have never adequately replaced it. It is all well and good having Schools of Excellence, but you may as well scrap them if you can't find the right youngsters in the first place.

It is obvious to a blind man that the club's scouting set-up leaves a lot to be desired, if indeed one exists at all. Just think what the club would gain with someone of the calibre of Colin MacDonald scouting for them again. More food for thought, Terry?

Coming back to Peter Cullen's book, I would urge all supporters who haven't yet got a copy to put it on their Christmas lists straight away. It's an excellent read.

BRIAN RICHARDSON,

Carr Bank Drive,

Ramsbottom.

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