Marina Hyde’s article (The Mason Greenwood story shows that Manchester United’s only ‘duty of care’ is towards itself, 22 August) illustrates one of the nastiest aspects of men’s football. Misogyny abounds among many players and their followers. Overpaid stars and managers in top teams have not enhanced the game: there is an overabundance of risk aversion on and off the pitch. Meanwhile, the fans are ripped off by the costs of attending matches and buying merchandise.
Contrast this with our brilliant Lionesses: an inspiration to young people, and who deserve equality in pay and prestige. They are much more grounded in reality; they play as a team, with a notable lack of ego and off-pitch drama. For the first time in more than 50 years, football has been worth watching again.
The England team that won the World Cup in 1966 were forged in the era of the maximum wage. As a child in the 1970s, I went to matches with my father. I noted that as the money in the game grew, much of the on-pitch excitement was lost. The performance of the England team in international tournaments declined.
I wish the Lionesses every success. They deserve proper and equal reward. But the men in top teams are paid far too much. So, please, don’t turn the women into another part of the bloated financial edifice that is the men’s game.
Clare Munks
Alfreton, Derbyshire
• As a fan of Manchester United for almost 60 years, I share Rachel Riley’s sense of shame at Richard Arnold’s “open letter”. I found the arrogance and bombast sickening.
The club has a disgraceful history in supporting women’s football, and its handling of the Greenwood situation lays bare the moral inadequacies of the current leadership.
Marc Etches
Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire
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