I WISH to complain about the disgusting behaviour of Dennis Wise, the so-called manager of Leeds United.

Aug 22 2007 by Kevin Core, Birkenhead News

Today, I was a spectator at Tranmere Rovers and they were beaten 2-1 by Leeds United.

At the end of the match Wise turned to our stand and gesticulated with one finger, mouthing expletives commencing with the letter “f”.

This is not the sort of conduct we expect from the manager of a visiting team when we are playing host.

He ignored our manager at the end, running on to the pitch like a child who had just won the lottery and Ronnie Moore had to walk away in disgust.

Five minutes prior to that he had had an altercation with the fourth official who had awarded 5 minutes extra time.

He threw down his pencil and notebook and behaved like a small child who had had his rattle taken away from him.

I note he was last month fined £1,500 for another incident.

He is quite clearly incapable of demonstrating managerial quality or calibre.

His “partner” Poyet wasn't much better either.

He needs to calm down and conduct himself in a dignified manner – the man acted like a raving lunatic and was no example to the youngsters who look up to him.

We will not tolerate behaviour of this sort.

Had he done what he did in the street outside our ground, he would have been in the bridewell all weekend.

Please act quickly before this man and his assistant bring the game further into disrepute than it is at the moment.

ALAN MADDOX

Why I wear my medal with pride

YOUR correspondents concerned about not being authorised to wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal (PJM) can take heart.

Entry Number 5057 in The London Gazette of May 3, 1968 reads as follows:

“The Queen has been graciously pleased to approve that Orders, Decorations and Medals conferred with Her Majesty's permission upon United Kingdom citizens not being servants of the Crown by Heads or Governments of Commonwealth... countries may in all cases be worn by the recipients without restriction.”

This notice, which was discovered by some excellent detective work on the part of the Fight 4 the PJM organisation, certainly carries more weight than the mumblings of petty civil servants - most of whom have no right to pronounce on the legitimacy of ex-servicemen to wear medals awarded by a sovereign government.

I was proud to receive my PJM and am equally proud to wear it mounted with my British medals - not as a piece of ‘bling’!

I hope that all other recipients will now do the same.

Full details of the campaign to win this right can be found at www.fight4thePJM.org

The PJM should not be confused with medals issued by Korea, which is not a member of the Commonwealth - some medals referred to are merely souvenirs of a United Nations Conflict, British involvement in which was marked by the issue of the Korea Medal and, of course, the UN Korea Medal.

The PJM is, in contrast, an award for operational service issued (with Her Majesty's permission) by a Commonwealth country to Commonwealth troops who served in the prescribed operational areas for 90 days or more during the “Confrontation” and “Emergency” periods.

The other medals to which Mr Griffiths refers (Hong Kong Service Medal, British Forces Germany Medal and the \National Service Medal) are part of a collection of “unofficial medals”, which are sold commercially and he is quite correct when he refers to them as “jewellery”.

I have no wish to dissuade people from buying such “bling” - not least because the purchase price of most includes a donation to various Service charities - but, as Mr Griffiths says, they should never be mounted with officially awarded medals - of which the PJM is one.

HARRY FYNN

COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER

SSAFA FORCES HELP

Loaded remarks

I AGREE with Mr Donovan's point on the “occasional use” helicopter site being a terrible inconvenience - it does seem absurd.

I wonder if the school can come forward and justify this unusual use of the site.

However, being a former pupil of the girl's school down the road I disagree with his points on alleged snobbery from the pupils and parents.

I don't think that this opinion is fair.

When I was at the school there was very little, if any, arrogance.

Most of us took buses and some pupils came in by train.

My friends and I all come from very different backgrounds but we got on well.

Not everyone who learns at private school is loaded!

Pupils are never taught to be self-centred. I am proud to come from a school that taught me how to be confident in myself, this is not selfishness but a grasp everyone

should have when embarking on a new life out of school.

MISS K RUTTER

BIRKENHEAD

Safety matters

FOLLOWING on from the accident that led to the death of Jean Wilson on July 31 at the Sandringham Road crossing, I feel that Merseyrail themselves need to acknowledge, prior to the inquest, that there is potentially more that they can do in terms of safety at such crossings.

I am aware that local Councillor Gerry Ellis has concerns himself over safety at unmanned crossings.

As a resident adjacent to this particular crossing and a Merseyrail commuter, I know that the trains very rarely sound a horn upon approach, especially at unmanned points such as that at Sandringham Road and others between Moreton and West Kirby.

Another point to note is the speed that empty trains returning to the depot pass through Manor Road station without warning.

I have witnessed elderly passengers approach the edge of the platform expecting to board the approaching train, only for it to dangerously continue at a pace through the station.

An announcement to stand clear or a warning alarm could be used to alert passengers - something most European rail travellers are familiar with.

Despite a phone being present at this crossing for pedestrians to contact the signal operator, I note that this is only present on one side of the line and not from the southern allotment side where Mrs Wilson crossed from.

This is also a 'blind' corner with trains from Meols appearing suddenly.

Although the death of Mrs Wilson appears to be a tragic accident, I think, along with Cllr Ellis, safety considerations on pedestrian foot crossings should be reviewed as soon as possible.

MR J BICKERTON

HOYLAKE

Care assessment

THE parliament for older people is now very active in Wirral Communities.

Working with organisations promoting better government for older people along with Age Concern, it has been discussing an assessment rating.

This would be compiled from information gathered from those who are actually receiving care or about to embark on this very complicated route on behalf of a loved one, and even themselves.

This has been compared to a sort of Egon Ronay approach to a “care home guide”.

A gold star award for instance would not be on the compliance by a care home to the myriad of regulations or the standard of amenities provided but more on the satisfaction level felt by the people being cared for or the carer’s feelings on how well they are doing.

If you feel you can contribute or would like more information, contact your local Age Concern office on 666 2220, or local council care in the community officer who can point you in the right direction.

SANDY CAMERON (WIRRAL OLDER PERSONS PARLIAMENT OFFICER)

Pleasure park

HOW nice to see the appreciative letter from Ms Kelly about Vale Park.

I moved into Vaughan Road 42 years ago and the park has changed a lot in that time.

The water features, floral clock and hothouse have gone but the playground is much better and the facilities in Vale House are now very good.

It’s just a shame we can no longer have adult education classes there for things like painting and sewing.

It seems they are too frivolous to receive funding!

In all these years I’ve never found any reason to object to the “noise” of Joytime and I bet the complainers, whoever they are, are also first to whinge about the nuisance of children with nothing to do in the holidays.

JENNIFER SMILEY

Are they related?

KATY West's item “Teacher's 10,000 mile round trip to dine with ex-pupils” (News, August 8) reminded me of my early school days.

From 1945 to 1947 I attended a small private school in Heswall, known as “Miss Widdowson's”.

This was originally situated in Oldfield Road, in a red bricked semi-detached house and later in a large sandstone house in Thurstaston Road.

That Miss Widdowson had two daughters, one of whom taught in the school, and I wonder whether this Miss Widdowson is one of those daughters?

Do any of your readers know, please?

I remember two fellow pupils at the school: Hannah Logie and Donald Watt.

CHRISTOPHER LORD

HESWALL