Is Boycott on a sticky wicket over his gong?
THERE has been criticism of Theresa May’s decision to give geoffrey Boycott a knighthood in her resignation honours list. i can only speak as a Lancashire lad and long-time fan. geoffrey Boycott is a Marmite person — people love him or hate him. i served in the Falklands after the war and wrote to geoffrey, a hero of mine, who was then being pilloried by elements at Yorkshire Cricket Club and the media. i enclosed a photo of a supportive comment about him written on the Berlin Wall. He printed it in a book with a dedication expressing thanks to a loyal fan. during my time in the Falklands, i received several letters from geoffrey, each one wishing me happiness. Back in Britain, i saw he was doing a book signing in a store in Chelmsford. i joined the back of a queue of at least 100 people with books for the great man to sign. When i got to the front and introduced myself, in a loud voice he said: ‘Everyone, this is a very good friend of mine, one of our brave soldiers. Bring him a cup of tea.’ For the next two hours we talked. There have been lurid headlines about an assault on a girlfriend in France in the nineties, and even though i believe the wrong verdict was given, there is no way of changing it. i for one will never lose faith in a man who has stood for all that is good about our country and served it with pride.
BRUCe WILSon, Preston, Lancs. ARiSE, Sir geoff Boycott, and if ever there was proof that the honours list means nothing it’s the insult to all abused women that a convicted woman beater will kneel before the Queen and be bestowed a knighthood. S. t. VAUGHAn, Birmingham. WE have again become as unforgiving a society as the Victorians, who held that certain actions must never be forgiven.
But in the earlier era, such misanthropic beliefs belonged to the ‘law-andorder’ Bufton-Tuftons, whereas today it’s a key feature of the militant feminist ‘progressive’ campaigning.
Late last century, geoffrey Boycott and his girlfriend had a ‘domestic’ which resulted in a series of shambolic trials in a French court. Boycott was fined and lost his BBC job but gradually redeemed himself until Theresa May gave him a long-overdue knighthood.
Women’s Aid shrieked that ‘celebrating a man convicted of assaulting his partner sends a dangerous message’.
He’s not being celebrated for his crime but for his contribution to sport and charity work! Feminists dress up their opposition to redemption in politically correct language but its still a nasty and illiberal attitude. ReV DR JoHn CAMeRon,
St Andrews, Fife.