I WISH to comment on your paper's response to one of your Quotes Of The Week (June 22). The quote was from the Prayer For The Quarter Final.

Leaving aside my own strong feelings that petitioning the ultimate force in the universe for victory in a supposedly sporting fixture is totally inappropriate, I take issue with the comment, "Clearly, somebody wasn't listening."

Has it occurred to anyone that no doubt human frailty, being what it is, there would be plenty of Brazilians praying (to the same God) for their own men to beat our team? I was always taught that "No" is just as much an answer to a plea as "Yes"!

Mrs Jean D Dawes,

Hull Road,

Barmby Moor, York.

Updated: 10:32 Thursday, June 27, 2002