Source: The Observer Letters (no online content)So Schalke ('145,000 see "German Newcastle" blow it', last week) are a club who have fans' interests at their heart, work closely with the community, price their tickets at an affordable level, refuse to pay the exorbitant amounts demanded by today's footballers and they still manage to compete at the top level in one of Europe's best leagues. Your piece followed nicely from the article the week before on how the greed and short-sightedness of the money-grabbing Premiership elite is damaging English football. Both should be photocopied and sent to every Glazer, Abramovich, Gillett, Lerner and Kroenke.
So what should fans do if they're fed up with clubs bleeding supporters dry? As Schalke's club secretary says, football 'isn't like a jeans shop where people can go somewhere else'. Fortunately I'm one of the lucky ones – I do have somewhere else to go: FC United of Manchester in the Unibond First.
Mike Birtwistle, via email
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