An open letter to David Gold... Dear David, I witnessed the appalling scenes in front of the directors box at St Andrews and I have to tell you that the majority of the fans sat in front of you were turning their anger on the people who were abusing you.

I would hate to think that you were under the impression that the real fans of Birmingham City would wish you any harm.

Think back to the Renaissance Hotel in Kuala Lumpur when you met the real Blues fans who had travelled halfway round the world to see a friendly tournament and were grateful to do that.

Those are the real fans and those are the people you would let down were you to stand down as chairman. As a true gentleman from a humble background, I am sure that you have the strength and determination to put aside this moronic behaviour of a few low-lifes that the club could well do without.

Sadly, because of the club's rise from almost oblivion, you have attracted a generation of fans who think that Premiership success is theirs as a right.

As my 50th year of support approaches, I can tell these Johnny-come-latelys about the real world but you know that they won't want to listen. They are like annoying wasps - very unpleasant, but if they are ignored they go away.

The sickening behaviour witnessed during and after Sunday's game reminds us that there are still those who revel in damaging the good name of Birmingham City and, as we return to the second tier of English football, you and the real fans still have work to do.

Birmingham City is the only major city club which has never punched its weight. When, in the 70s, we had a great team, we also had the best player in the world at the time in Trevor Francis. The day he left was when the Blues gained the reputation of no ambition...

Alex Mcleish is a major coup for Blues and, whatever you do, you must back him and I ask that you, as the club chairman, make sure that happens. If you can buy out David, then do it and give Alex all the tools he needs and I'm sure he will deliver.

You are the man who can lead the Blues out of this current crisis. David Gold, Alex Mcleish and the Almighty . What a team and get rid of that lousy penguin strip

ALAN WATTON, by email

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TV vote rigging out of tune with times

I have always been suspicious of the charged phone-in promoted on the broadcast media. From a screeching presenter urging us to phone "because it's really really close - your vote really counts" when the winner was clearly way ahead to bogus competitions asking a question and then giving a selection to three awnsers, two of which are clearly really stupid.

This week's revelations seem to back up that suspicion, finding exposing from vote rigging to continuing to take people's money after a phone poll has closed.

The latest BBC shocker revealing that they claimed they were giving money to charity and then keeping the money is a total disgrace.

We raise our hands in horror that countries like Zimbabwe and Burma don't allow the BBC in because it lies and. then we give the despots ammunition because there clearly are people in the BBC that can't be trusted.

The same goes for ITV, who this week were revealed to have taken part in vote rigging in order to get the "right result" so some has been pop star could get to present the prize to Ant and Dec rather than the real winner. Mugabe will be ringing up for lessons.

If I go door to door shaking a tin collecting money for cancer relief, then keep the money myself, that would be both despicable and illegal.

So what's the difference just because it's the BBC doing it? Surely that is as much deception as any other theft.

There needs to be a whole swathe of prosecutions. These people are obtaining money by deception it is theft whether it be for personal or corporate gain.

Or is this theft simply on too a big a scale and involving too many influential people to be thought to matter?

KEITH BUTLER, email

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Credit crunch to blame or not?

The chairman of Midlands Developers St Modwen recently stated that developers shouldn't blame the credit crunch and yet his company has done EXACTLY that.

They recently announced that a major development in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, had been put on "indefinite hold", yet again, and claimed the reason was the credit crunch!

The people of Hatfield have been waiting for this redevelopment for years. Our council and St Modwens promised us a new town centre, and yet they're now delaying indefinitely and handing out new leases to current shopkeepers.

Which is it then? To blame or not to blame? Or is this simply opportunistic hype of the worst sort?

It sounds similar to the announcement coming on the day of the local elections, with the electorate going to the polls believing the development was going ahead, only to find after electing the Conservatives, who negotiated the deal, that their promised town centre had been taken away.

PAUL ZUKOWSKYJ, Hatfield, Herts

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Dear Editor, The excellent article about Trevor Workman and the Bournville carillon (Birmingham Post, May 9) was marred only by one error of fact there are not just three carillons in the UK, but 14. The Bournville carillon is tied with the Aberdeen carillon for the honour of largest in number of bells, but the Aberdeen carillon is heavier.

CARL SCOTT ZIMMERMAN, by email