YOUR correspondent, who complained about the council sponsorship of Winsford United, clearly has little idea of facts.

Winsford United has been a part of the town for more than 120 years, so we can safely say it is well established and the likelihood of it 'upping sticks' and moving on, is minimal.

The club became a limited company, registered at Companies House, and has been since 1948 when a group of local businessmen, including two members of my family, established it to secure funds to rebuild the club after the privations of the Second World War.

At that time the people of Winsford took pride in their club and hundreds chipped in their hard-earned cash to buy shares.

Those shares can still be bought now. 

In the 1940s and 1950s the club regularly had gates in excess of 2000 and the Barton Stadium has held as many as 6,000 to 8,000. With that level of support it was practically self sufficient but it is a far different story today and sponsorship is essential.

The club does not even own the ground which it calls home. Those same 1948 businessmen established a deed of covenant whereby the ground is owned by the people of Winsford on the understanding that WUFC can play there in perpetuity. 

The club has served the people of Winsford well and surely a small donation each year, about 5p per head of population, is not too much to ask.

Alan Johnson Middlewich