Sporting spirit and maturity of football fans

At first thought, I wasn't going to answer the ridiculous comments expressed in the letter Hardly The Best Supporters (July 5) by Alan Cordina, as I didn't want to enter into a polemic with someone who seems to have banal illusions about football supporting and what sport is all about. But then I thought that people like him should be led to reflect on what football supporting and the spirit of football is all about.

At the same time I won't go into the farcical figures and brash comments presented by Mr Cordina in his letter. Newspaper reports, radio and TV sports commentators all can vouch for the fact that Ħamrun Spartans have a very strong following. No sour grapes comments can negate this fact.

If Mr Cordina wants to know who I am, I am not that important as to be listed on the Internet. But I am important enough in having a character that is ready to praise when something is worth praising. I am from Ħamrun and proud of it. I am happy because I pertain to a group, the Ħamrun Spartans Supporters who won an award. I am happy because my team, Ħamrun Spartans, reached the Trophy final. And I am happy that my home town has a team that I can support and I do not live in a place where I have to support the team of another town.

When I wrote, I wrote to praise. I didn't deride or denigrate other supporters. I am not that kind of person. I wrote to congratulate award winners for something well done; what's wrong with that? I find it difficult to understand why an award is accorded, people are happy about it and then suddenly there appears somebody out of nowhere to deride that award and try to smash the euphoria of happiness, simply because it was not won by the supporters of the team this person supports. I am proud to state that on the night of the Trophy final, my friends and I, on leaving the stadium, came upon a group of Birkirkara supporters preparing the victory truck. With our black and red flags aloof, we went up to them to congratulate them and shook their hands. They in turn reciprocated and praised our sporting spirit. When Valletta won the championship, I went to Valletta to see the celebrations...envy is something which my character never could understand. Let us grow up and be more mature please.