FRANK Cartin, president of York Licensed Victuallers' Association, questions if I was in town on the day of the match between York and Doncaster (Letters, December 4).

Yes, I was.

He also asks if I have seen violence on the scale that he has.

Yes I have.

I have followed Liverpool FC home and away, week in, week out for many years.

I have seen football violence on a scale he never shall. I have seen stabbings, savage beatings, cars, buses and trains wrecked, full-scale punch-ups in pubs, riots in and out of football grounds and a police officer in Manchester with a pub dart embedded in his cheek.

I accept football violence is often well organised and pre-planned, but a vast amount of it is down to drink-fuelled idiots. Take England v Argentina last year, a game which England won.

But the day was marred by yobs up and down the country running riot in drink-fuelled rampages.

You and your fellow landlords must take some blame for that because you opened and served those fans.

The same can be said of the York v Doncaster game, again you were happy to serve fans but were first to condemn them when trouble erupted.

Mr Cartin says he has co-operated with the police for 20 years or so and I don't doubt that but why didn't he take their advice and close?

P R Willey,

Burnholme Drive,

Heworth,

York.

Updated: 12:07 Monday, December 08, 2003