Season ticket prices are in a state of flux, as clubs try to fill their grounds, whatever the price, says Adam Powley

Strange things have been happening in the Premiership with several clubs freezing, or even reducing, their season ticket prices for the next campaign. Leading the charge in this bizarre phenomenon is Tottenham, a club notorious for its high admission charges and dreadful public relations. Others have fol­lowed. Aston Villa, Leicester City and freshly relegated Watford have all decided either to cancel any increase or, in the latter’s case, actually cut some prices to the level they were two years ago. Even Chelsea have promised to put prices on hold for 2001-02.

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Having won the Premiership for the sixth time in eight seasons, are Manchester United in a (European) league of their own?

­So, another stroll to the title for Manchester United with records broken in the process for the number of goals scored and the points margin ahead of second place. Is it all getting a bit too easy? The Sunday Times thinks so, suggesting they “are on the threshold of the sort of monopoly Rangers enjoy in Scotland”.  The relative ease with which United won their sixth title in eight years has been contrasted with more closely contested championships elsewhere, with Lazio still pushing Juventus in Italy, Bayer Leverkusen leading Bayern Munich going into the final fortnight of the Bundesliga and as many as four teams with a realistic chance of winning the Spanish league with three games left.

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England peaked in 1966, not four years later, as is often believed, says David Montrose

It’s the view put forward in the official history of the England team. It’s what Geoff Hurst thinks. Sir Alf himself supposedly believed it, though I’ve never discovered when and where he said so. And, of course, it’s been the opinion of assorted scribblers. Joe Lovejoy of the Sunday Times, for one, whose contribution to the pre-millennial surfeit of list-making was his assessment of the Greatest Football Teams. Occupying the top five slots, a genuine celebrity parade: Brazil 1970; Real Madrid 1960; Ajax 1972; Brazil 1958; Hungary 1953. Then, England 1970 – outranking the boys of ’66 as well as every team produced by Germany, the Netherlands, Argentina, Italy and France. Praise indeed for a side that lost two out of four.

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Dear WSC
Jon Harrison is probably correct about Bruce Rioch peaking in the Derby side of 1975 (Letters, WSC 158), but his recollection of Don Masson suggests his memory is as ropey as Ken Gall’s. Masson wasn’t playing for the Rams in 1975. His best season was 75-76 as a pivotal member of the QPR side which came within 14 minutes of the title. His clever passes (usually to Don Givens) were as familiar as the skills of Bowles and Francis and the pace of Dave Thomas. Older Rs fans who have witnessed the Stamford Bridge transformation with dismay can’t see the glory days ever returning to Loftus Road, especially after Bruce Rioch left his mark with Stewart Houston.
Colin Baker, Sutton

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Everyone agrees top footballers are playing too many games, except Roger Titford, who can remember when they endured far more without whining. Phil Ball and Neil McCarthy sum up the situation in Spain and France

England
Once again, the top clubs are calling for a reduction in the number of fixtures. Arsène Wenger (31 players used already this season) is to the fore of the com­plaints, while Alex  Ferguson’s strategy for managing his club’s 60-game workload is plain to see. “The recovery time is too short,” Wenger said after Arsenal’s defeat at Middlesbrough in March, which followed a midweek UEFA Cup match. “It is nonsense to have only two and a half days of preparation.”

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