AS both a parent and regular spectator for many years at matches played within the Stourport and District Youth League, I read with interest your article explaining why the league's weekend match results are no longer to be reported by your paper.

Although your previous description of results could have been reported with a little more sensitivity, I feel that the league's committee have totally missed the point by deciding not to release the results when one team scores more than seven goals.

Many children who play every weekend in this league are often disappointed and upset at losing heavily, as often happens in youth football. My own experience is that any disappointment is often made up for by the anticipation of reading about a rare win in the paper the following weekend.

The children who play in this league are fit, healthy, and intelligent young people who are motivated to play each weekend by their love of football. Many of them play for teams who lose heavily on a regular basis, but despite this they continue to turn up every weekend.

The efforts of the league's committee would be better employed in actively campaigning to develop youth football into a much more child friendly sport than it currently is.

By censoring results in a vain attempt to save children's feelings, they misunderstand the accepted nature of the sport that they are supposed to administrate. They should be rethinking the whole concept of youth football at this level.

Maybe the disappointment of losing 7-0 some weekends would not exist if games were restarted in the second half should one team be winning by four goals or more at half-time, effectively playing two short games.

Or, how about switching the playing season to summer, when young children can learn and develop their skills in a more conducive climate than in the driving wind and rain of mid- January.

And finally, how about monitoring the level of sideline verbal 'encouragement' to be heard every weekend from parents and coaches alike.

These children, who loyally turn out every weekend to play for losing teams have a lot to put up with - freezing temperatures, poor facilities, demanding coaches, and pressure from parents. Most of them lose with good grace and are a credit to their clubs. Reading about their heavy defeat in the paper the following week may be the final straw at times, but I would suggest that its probably the least of their concerns.

PAUL LANCASTER

Quail Park Drive

Kidderminster