In taking the knee against racism and injustice, the England football team embraced one of the basic principles of Marxism – solidarity. Their 2-0 victory over Germany (Report, 29 June) suggests they have now progressed further and understand that success in the struggle is not about heroic individuals but the collective action of the team. If Gareth Southgate can address remaining contradictions in the side, this could be their year.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London
• Liebe deutsche Freunde, Als ich hörte, wie die englischen Fans die deutsche Hymne verhöhnten, wünschte ich mir, Deutschland hätte das Spiel gewonnen. Es ist beschämend, und es tut mir leid. And Haydn is a much better composer than John Bull.
Marcia Saunders
London
• Meirion Bowen is quite wrong (Letters, 30 June). In the south, most people say “ap there”. In the north we pronounce “up there” as “up there”. No one anywhere has ever pronounced up as “oop” because oop rhymes with loop. Even in the north.
Sue Leyland
Hunmanby, North Yorkshire
• Nesrine Malik’s column (My English will never be ‘perfect’ – and that’s what keeps a language alive, 28 June) reminded me of Fred Vincy in George Eliot’s Middlemarch, who makes the point that “correct English is the slang of prigs”.
Nick Matthews
Rugby, Warwickshire
• Like Andrea Stow (Letters, 28 June), I have never been able to wear brown, after having to wear brown knickers at my school in Stoke-on-Trent. To add insult to injury, my Aunt Myfanwy called them my “chocolate bottoms”.
Jane Kettle
Leeds
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