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Readers’ letters: Combative Dons captain bad example

Scott Brown taunts during a Cinch Premiership match between Aberdeen and Rangers at Pittodrie, on January 18, 2022,
Scott Brown taunts during a Cinch Premiership match between Aberdeen and Rangers at Pittodrie, on January 18, 2022,

Sir, – Once again, in the recent game against Rangers at Pittodrie, we see the behaviour of the Aberdeen captain Scott Brown at his usual rancorous best, an attitude he has cultivated throughout his entire career, much to the animosity he has received from supporters at away games.

However, it would appear that from his status as pantomime villain at Pittodrie over many years, “Broonie” is now the missing link in the Dons midfield by his combative, impetuous, virulent behaviour, and is now revered by many supporters who have done an about-turn on their opinion of him.

This is an Aberdeen FC player who should be showing an example to younger supporters in his role as captain, but who continues to revel in the correct interpretation as a troublemaker, and on more than one occasion has been responsible for almost causing full-blown riots at away grounds.

His attitude with regard to the red card issued to Rangers player Kent in the aforementioned match was completely callow and displayed, yet again, a complete lack of maturity. A role model? Aberdeen fans should be careful what they wish for in such a captain.

John Reid, Regent Court, Keith.

Time for arrogant SNP to give it up

Sir, – Further to ongoing correspondence from SNP supporters, surely the time has come to end this wasteful William Wallace wannabe “independence” nonsense?

The reality is that the SNP, after 15 bungling years in control at Holyrood, are incapable of producing a sustainable economic plan for an “independent” Scotland.

For the arrogant SNP to keep squandering taxpayers’ money to buy votes, and to keep having independence referendums until they win by a mere one-vote majority, is tyranny, not democracy. Any future indyrefs must follow the very strict and long-winded rules of the SNP constitution. Article 27 states that “a two-thirds majority must be achieved before change”.

To thrive and prosper, work ethic and common sense (alien to the power-mad SNP) must once again become the order of the day in Scotland, where only people of proven integrity and wisdom should be allowed to enter politics.

Scotland is a small country being strangled by toxic over-government. It’s time to scrap the clownish Holyrood, devolving powers directly to our more-than-plenty 32 council areas.

Scotland has had enough of pygmy politicians.

George Emslie, Balgownie Gardens, Bridge Of Don, Aberdeen.

Might Ukraine be PM’s Falklands?

Sir, – I feel that, at this time, the crisis in Ukraine is extremely concerning given the obvious situation regarding the position of our prime minister.

Recent history suggests that, given Boris Johnson’s obsession with Churchill’s dubious history before, during and after the Second World War, we could be looking at the same scenario as Thatcher and Blair with the Falklands and Iraq “adventures” when they took the opportunity (sic) to improve their popularity by taking unadvised and, in Blair’s case illegal, action to bolster right-wing support when they were, to say the least, unpopular.

I would respectfully suggest that a serious situation like this could give Boris and his corrupt pals a “wonderful” excuse to to get off the hook they have created with the problems of Covid, Brexit, inflation, high energy bills, frozen pensions, child poverty, government corruption and all the other inequalities visited on the worst-off people in the UK. A wee war diversion. Great idea, eh?

Archie Finlayson, Balgownie Croft, Dallas, Moray.